Sky is the limit for Kiké in center in 2022

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Let’s hop aboard the way-back machine and travel to a time long ago when Kiké Hernández wasn’t all that wild about playing center field. And by “long ago,” we mean a little more than a year.

The timing aspect is important, because you really had to have been there to believe that today’s Red Sox star was ever anything but a born-and-bred outfield anchor. Enough so that manager Alex Cora said that for Boston’s opponents going forward, “Hopefully, the feeling is like, 'If you hit in the air, it's in the ballpark, we're gonna catch it.'”

Hernández is just one cog in one of the more-feared defensive outfield trios in baseball, but with all due respect to Jackie Bradley Jr. and Alex Verdugo, he’s also the only one who was basically a career infielder until 2021.

And for those who are worried that Hernández’s eight outfield assists and 14 defensive runs saved last season might just be a flash in the pan, he’d like to present Saturday’s performance against the Rays as evidence to the contrary.

While he waited for his bat to warm up against Tampa Bay, Hernández picked up the slack with a pair of highlight-worthy catches. Austin Meadows was Hernández’s first target, with the latter stealing away a hit with a picturesque basket catch paired with a dive-and-roll in shallow center field to end the first inning.

Hernández struck again in the fifth, this time executing a full layout to retire Randy Arozarena for the frame’s second out, then popped up to flip the ball in and hold the runner at second.

“We have a chance to be great defensively,” Cora said. “You see the tool set, what they do.

"As a group, we have a good chance to be really, really good.”

Hernández’s defense is not the only aspect that has endeared him to the Boston organization.

Hernández rounded out Saturday afternoon's 5-3 win with his second home run of the spring, a first-pitch swat to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. He also led off Thursday’s contest against the O’s with a homer and is slugging .714 in five spring games to go with a .286 batting average.

All signs are pointing toward a strong start to the 2022 season for the 30-year-old, when the hope is that he will continue to build on a standout '21. Hernández posted his second season with at least 20 home runs last year, with six of those coming to lead off the game, which is tied for second most in club history.

Hernández hit leadoff in 118 games in 2021, slashing .254/.342/.457 with 30 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs and 55 RBIs.

With parts of eight MLB seasons under his belt, Hernández has paired with Bradley to take on the role of a mentor with some of the younger Red Sox, particularly with Verdugo on defense. The 25-year-old more than held his own in his first full year in left field for Boston last season, but he has already benefited greatly from the advice about routes and first steps from his veteran counterparts.

Even though Hernández is no outfield vet, his mental approach and preparation makes him a valued source to his teammates.

The willingness of Bradley and Hernández to bring the less-seasoned defenders along tickles bench coach and outfield instructor Will Venable to no end, Cora joked, because it makes Venable’s job that much easier. On a more serious note, there have been quite a few good outfielders to play for Boston. Where does the current group rate among them?

Whether he was issuing a challenge or providing insight wasn’t clear, but Cora didn’t hesitate to throw out his best guess.

“I think Hunter [Renfroe] was a good right fielder last year, and [in] ‘18-19, Mookie [Betts] and Jackie were really good,” Cora said. “I think, defensively, these two have a chance, if they put it all together, they can be better.”

Not a bad outlook for a guy who’s really just getting his feet wet in the grass.