Single...Attended the University of Arkansas, leading the Razorbacks to the 2015 College World Series … led Division I players in homers (20) as a sophomore in 2015, winning the Dick Howser Trophy as the top Division I baseball player in the country and the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur player...Also became the first Arkansas player to win SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year honors in 2015 … became the third player to lead the SEC in home runs and average in the same season, joining Mississippi State's Rafael Palmeiro in 1984 and Kentucky's Jeff Abbott in 1994...Is the fourth-highest draft pick in school history (seventh overall) in 2015 behind Jeff King (first) in 1986, Heston Kjerstad (second) in 2020 and Kevin McReynolds (sixth) in 1981...Graduated in 2013 from Madeira (Ohio) High School outside of Cincinnati … was named ACBA/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year, and a First Team All-American as a senior after hitting .564 with 12 homers, 57 RBI and 38 stolen bases… also averaged a school-record 25.5 points per game as a senior in basketball...Was selected by his hometown Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the 2013 draft, but opted to attend Arkansas.
2023
First Impressions: Led the White Sox with 147 hits, ranked second with 151 games played, 34 doubles and 72 runs scored and tied for second with 13 stolen bases...Double Trouble: Hit 30-plus doubles for the third time in his career and first since 2019 with Boston … tied for the American League lead with 10 doubles in May...No RISP, No Reward: Led the Sox and tied for 12th in the AL with a .333 (31-93) average with RISP … raised his career average with RISP to .325, the 12th-highest mark in MLB since at least 1974 (see box at right)...Made all 142 of his starts in left field … batted .301/.366/.393 (55-183) in 44 starts from the leadoff spot in the order and .239/.301/.342 (72-301) in 78 starts in the No. 2 slot...In a Pinch: Went 2-for-2 as a pinch-hitter for the second straight season … led off the ninth inning on 6/2 vs. Detroit with a single off Alex Lange and scored the winning run on Jake Burger's grand slam … hit a game-tying single off Andrés Múñoz in the ninth on 8/23 vs. Seattle in a game the Sox won, 5-4, in 10....Made his White Sox debut as the starting left fielder on Opening Day at Houston, going 1-4 … first hit with the Sox was a fourth-inning single off Framber Valdez...Recorded his first extra-base hit and scored his first run with the Sox on 3/31 at the Astros … drove in his first run on 4/6 vs. San Francisco...Scored a run in five consecutive games from 4/2-8 … hit safely in six straight games from 4/10-18 (.333, 8-24) … reached base four times (2-for-4, RBI, 2 BB) on 4/21 at Tampa Bay...Connected on a walk-off single off Caleb Thielbar in the 10th inning on 5/2 vs. Minnesota … marked his third career game-ending hit, and first since 8/5/18 vs. the Yankees with Boston...Recorded a 10-game hitting streak from 5/13-23, going 13-35 (.371) with six doubles and a .982 OPS...June Boon: Batted .333/.414/.448 (29-87) over 25 games in June … ranked fifth in the AL in on-base percentage and tied for eighth in average...Hit his first home run with the Sox on 6/16 at Seattle, a solo shot off Bryan Woo, to snap a 67-game drought (first homer since 8/30/22 at the Angels with the Yankees)...Was moved to the leadoff spot on 6/17 at Seattle and collected a season-high four hits that afternoon in a 4-3, 11-inning victory...Served as the White Sox primary leadoff hitter through 7/28 and hit .318/.377/.409 (42-132) with nine doubles, one homer, 12 RBI and 13 multi-hit efforts over that 32-game stretch...Went 7-for-12 (.583) with three doubles in a three-game series vs. Boston (his former team) from 6/23-25...Went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in a 6-5 win on 7/15 at Atlanta and 3-5 with three runs scored in an 8-1 victory at the Braves in the deciding game of the series … scored three runs on 7/18 at New York-NL...Recorded three hits and scored twice in a 10-5 win on 8/20 at Colorado as the Sox avoided a three-game sweep … hit three home runs in a five-game span from 8/22-26, all off LHPs...Collected two hits on 8/27 vs. Oakland to raise his average to .277, but hit .190/.250/.270 (19-100) over his final 28 games...Hit his 200th career double on 9/8 at Detroit.
2022
Combined to hit .304/.373/.399 (140-461) with 23 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 51 RBI, 54 runs scored and 52 walks in 126 games with Kansas City and New York-AL...his .304 average was a career-high. l His .304 average (139-457) from 4/8 through his final game on 9/2 ranked fifth in the American League...missed the final 30 games of the season with a fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right hand...Suffered a broken hook of his right hamate bone on 9/2...was placed on the 10-day IL on 9/3 and underwent surgery on 9/6 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital...missed the remainder of the season, including the postseason...Golden Glove: Made 119 starts in left field and did not commit an error in 218 total chances...Right on Time: Batted .318/.388/.428 (104-327) vs. righthanded pitchers between the two stops...Central Command: Recorded a .356/.434/.436 (53-149) slash line in 42 games vs. AL Central opponents...Began the season with the Royals, hitting .320/.387/.398 (111-347) in 93 games before being traded to the Yankees on 7/27 as part of a four-player deal...Reached base five times for the seventh time in his career on 4/11 vs. Cleveland, going 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, two runs scored and two walks...Recorded a career-high tying, 11-game hitting streak from 4/16-29, batting .436/.452/.513 (17-39)...drove in a run in five straight games from 4/23-28, matching his career-best...Reached base safely in a career-high 24 straight games from 5/10-6/3, hitting .341/.423/.462 (31-91) with 13 walks...posted back-to-back, three-hit games on 5/21-22 vs. Minnesota...Batted .360/.430/.416 (45-125) over his final 33 games with the Royals from 6/14-7/27...during that stretch, ranked second in the AL in both on-base percentage and average...Reached base safely multiple times in a career-high 10 straight games from 6/27-7/7, hitting .486/.545/.541 (18-37) with eight multi-hit efforts...Was named to his first career All-Star Game via the players ballot, going 0-2 after replacing Giancarlo Stanton...Was acquired by the Yankees on 7/27 in exchange for RHPs Chandler Champlain and Beck Way and LHP T.J. Sikkema...Made his Yankees debut on 7/28 vs. Kansas City, going 0-4...according to Elias, became the third player in franchise history to join the Yankees and then face the team he played for the previous day, joining Ichiro Suzuki in July 2012 (against Seattle) and Harry Simpson in June 1957 (against Kansas City)...Recorded his first hit as a Yankee with an eighth-inning RBI single on 7/29 vs. Kansas City...Posted four straight games with multiple hits and one-plus RBI from 8/21-25...hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Adam Cimber in the seventh inning on 8/21 vs. Toronto.
2021
Played in 134 games in his first season with the Royals—including 129 starts in left field—after being acquired in a trade with Boston in February...Earned his first career Rawlings Gold Glove Award...his six outfield assists ranked fourth among Major League left fielders and second in the American League, trailing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (13)...he led American League left fielders in starts, innings (1116.0), total chances (234), putouts (225) and fielding percentage (.987), and his seven defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs, tied for the American League lead among left fielders...Recorded a career-high 20 go-ahead RBI—second-most on the team—and his 73 RBI overall were his most since 2018, when he had 87 RBI...Matched a career-high with an 11-game hit streak from April 25-May 7, in which he batted .405 (17-for-42)...also had a 10-game streak from Aug. 15-24, joining Whit Merrifield as the only Royals with multiple double-digit hitting streaks in 2021...Named Royals Player of the Month for May, in which he led the team in hits (33) and batting average (.340), which tied for fifth and ranked third, respectively, in the American League...Named the American League Player of the Week for the period of Sept. 6-12, leading the Majors in both hits (15) and RBI (14)...batted .536/.548/.964 (15-for-28) with three doubles and three homers, which included a pair of four-hit, five-RBI games on Sept. 8 at Baltimore and Sept. 10 at Minnesota...Was named Royals Player of the Month for September/October, leading the team in batting average (.343), on-base percentage (.398), and OPS (.969) during the final 31 games of the season...his 37 hits in September ranked fifth in the Majors, and his 27 RBI tied for second...Missed 18 games on the Injured List—including the Royals’ trip to Fenway Park vs. the Red Sox—from June 14-July 3 with a fractured right rib...Hit .303 (44-for-145) vs. left-handed pitching, third-best in the Majors among left-handed hitters (min. 125 PA), and his .455 slugging percentage (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR) vs. southpaws ranked ninth...from Aug. 15 on, he slashed .440/.472/.600 (22-for-50) against lefties...Batted .302 (70-for-232) with 13 doubles, 12 homers and 39 RBI on the road, including a .389 average (21-for-54) in road games during the month of September, which tied for the second-best road average in the American League behind Giancarlo Stanton (.409)...Hit .316 (36-for-114) with runners in scoring position, including .422 (19-for-45) in his last 41 games...his average with RISP from Aug. 20 to the end of the season ranked third in the Majors (min. 30 AB), trailing only Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.500) and Austin Riley (.449)...Ranked 10th in the American League with a .903 OPS (.359 OBP/.544 SLG) with two outs, batting .310 (49-for-158) with 30 RBI...His .310 average (74-for-239) vs. the American League Central ranked third in the Majors (min. 150 AB) and his .498 slugging was eighth...since 2018, his .388 on-base percentage vs. the division ranks second in the Majors (min. 300 AB), his .319 average ranks third and his .910 OPS is fifth...Slashed .411/.444/.768 (23-for-56) vs. Minnesota, with five homers and 19 RBI...his RBI total was the highest by any player vs. the Twins in 2021 and the third-highest by a Royal in any season, trailing John Mayberry (21) in 1972 and Salvador Perez (20) in 2018...Recorded a pair of multi-homer games at Target Field, May 1 (2 solo shots) and Sept. 10 (2-run and 3-run HR), his fourth and fifth career games with two or more home runs...in nine games at Target Field in 2021, batted .500/.486/.906 (16-for-32) with a double, four homers and 11 RBI...Had three walks on April 28 at Pittsburgh, his seventh such game and first since May 5, 2019, one shy of his career-high on July 7, 2018 at the Royals...Had the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning on May 18 vs. Milwaukee to break a scoreless tie...marked the Royals’ first go-ahead hit in the eighth inning or later in a scoreless game since Rosell Herrera’s RBI triple at Houston on June 22, 2018...marked his second of four go-ahead RBI in the eighth inning or later in 2021, following April 11 at the White Sox (8th), Sept. 6 at Baltimore (8th) and Sept. 10 at Minnesota (11th)...On May 26 at the Rays, he hit a game-tying solo HR in the ninth off J.P. Feyereisen for his first career game-tying home run in the seventh or later...Hit his second career grand slam on June 1 vs. Pittsburgh, breaking a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning, the first slam by a Royal in 194 games, dating back to June 25, 2019...also recorded an RBI single in the first for his first of three games with five RBI...Hit a two-run homer on his birthday, July 6, off Cincinnati’s Cionel Pérez, becoming the 15th different Royal to hit a home run on his birthday and first since Hunter Dozier on Aug. 22, 2018 at Tampa Bay...he’s batting .471 (8-for-17) with a double, a triple, and a homer in four games on his birthday...Recorded a walk-off outfield assist on Aug. 18 vs. Houston, throwing out the potential game-tying run in Chas McCormick at home plate following a single by Jose Altuve...according to Elias, it was the fourth walk-off assist in club history and first since Alex Gordon assisted on throwing out Prince Fielder at the plate on Sept. 14, 2013 at Detroit, and it was the first walk-off assist in club history that did not require a relay throw...Recorded his 600th career hit on Sept. 3 vs. the White Sox, with an RBI triple in the second inning, and finished a HR shy of hitting for the cycle...Hit a go-ahead two-run HR in the 11th inning on Sept. 10 at Target Field, marking his second career go-ahead HR in extra innings, along with a solo shot in the 12th inning on May 8, 2019 at Baltimore (with Boston)...three of his 17 home runs in 2021 (17.6%) came in extra innings...Tied the club record with 14 RBI during the seven-game trip through Baltimore (Sept. 6-9) and Minnesota (Sept. 10-12)...it matched Jeff King (7 games) in 1997 and Kendrys Morales (6 games) in 2016 for the most RBI by a Royal on trip of seven games or fewer (Bally Sports)...Matched a career high with five hits on Sept. 15 vs. Oakland, also done previously on July 4, 2017 at Texas and April 23, 2017 at Baltimore (both with Boston)...collected 19 hits between Sept. 8-15, matching Johnny Damon (July 16-22, 2000) for the franchise record for the most hits during a seven-game span, while his 17 RBI during that time were also tied for the club record, matching Raúl Ibañez (July 14-19, 2002).
2020
Limited to 14 games due to a right rib cage strain…went on the Injured List on Aug. 12 and missed the remainder of the season...Made his fourth-straight Opening Day start in left field, joining Carl Yastrzemski (1961-66) and Duffy Lewis (1911- 15) as the only Red Sox players to make four or more Opening Day starts in left field at age 26 or younger...Recorded his 500th career hit on July 29 at the Mets, with a double in the ninth inning...Reached base safely multiple times in four-straight games (July 28-Aug. 1), drawing seven walks in that span...Led the Red Sox in walks (11) through Aug. 11, which also ranked tied for sixth in the American League.
2019
Hit .266 (144-for-541) with 40 2B over 138 games... Was 1 of only 10 AL players with 40+ doubles in 2019...Had a .343 OBP, his 3rd straight season with a .340+ OBP (also .352 in 2017, .366 in 2018)...Was 10-for-13 (76.9%) in stolen base attempts...Had 9 assists, tied for 3rd-most by a major league LF...Had 9 assists, tied for 3rd-most by a major league LF...With 2 outs, ranked among ML leaders with a .326 AVG (5th) and 44 RBI (T-6th)...Hit .321 (34-for-106) with 12 XBH and 16 RBI over 27 games from 4/2-5/5 (8 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI)...Reached safely in 18 of his 19 games from 4/2-27...In the Sox' 6-5 win on 4/20 at TB, drove in 5 of the Red Sox' 6 runs, hitting his 1st career grand slam in the 2nd inning and a game-winning sac fly in the 9th...Recorded a career-high-tying 2 OF assists on 4/23 vs. DET-G2 and 7/16 vs. TOR...On 5/8 at BAL, hit a go-ahead solo HR in the 12th, giving the Red Sox their decisive 2-1 lead...Was his 1st career extra-inning HR...Homered for the 2nd straight game on 5/10 vs. SEA...Reached base in a season-high-tying 13 consecutive games from 5/27-6/12 and 8/4-18...Hit .312 (29-for-93) over 21 games in June, his best AVG in any month during the 2019 season...Recorded his 2 longest hitting streaks of the season in June: 9 games from 6/14-24 and 8 games from 6/1-10...Scored in a career-best 8 straight games from 6/4-12...Matched his career high with 3 XBH on 6/12 vs. TEX, 7/27 vs. NYY, and 8/1 vs. TB...Recorded a season-high 4 hits on 7/6 at DET, going 4-for-6 with 2 runs, a double, a triple, and an RBI...On 7/14 vs. LAD, threw out Alex Verdugo at home in the 11th inning, preserving a 4-4 tie...Hit back-to-back HR in the 3rd inning with Sam Travis on 7/22 at TB, a 9-4 Red Sox win...Homered in a career-best 3 consecutive games from 7/27-30, collecting 3 hits in each...Is 1 of 2 Red Sox ever with 3+ hits and 1+ HR in as many as 3 consecutive games (also Mike Greenwell, 1988) (source: Elias)...On 8/1 vs. TB, went 3-for-4 with a career-high 3 2B...In 34 games from 7/22-9/3, hit .338/.389/.596/.985 with 15 2B, 3B, 6 HR, and 24 RBI (46-for-136, 18 R)...Named 2015 SEC Player of the Year after leading the conference in AVG (.376), OBP (.488), SLG, HR, and BB (50)...Became the 1st Arkansas player ever to win SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year honors...Became the 3rd player in the 81-year history of the SEC to lead the league in HR and AVG (also Rafael Palmeiro in 1984 and Jeff Abbott in 1994)...As a senior in 2013 at Madeira (OH) High School, was named ACBA/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Ohio Baseball Player of the Year, and a First Team All-American after batting .564 with 12 HR, 57 RBI, and 38 SB...Selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the 2013 June Draft, but did not sign.
2018
In his 2nd full ML season, hit .290 (168- for-579) with an .830 OPS, 63 XBH, 103 runs, 87 RBI, and 21 steals in 148 games for the Red Sox. Played in 3 fewer games than he did in 2017, but scored 19 more runs and hit 15 more doubles...Also saw an increase in AVG (.271-.290) and OPS (.776-.830)...Ranked 6th in the AL with 103 runs scored...Was 1 of only 19 major leaguers to score 100+ runs, and 1 of 12 to score 100+ runs and record 80+ RBI. Also ranked in the top 20 in the AL in AVG (15th), OBP (12th, .366), OPS (18th), doubles (T-9th, 41), triples (T-8th, 6), RBI (16th), BB (T-11th, 71), and XBH (16th). Was 1 of only 6 major leaguers with 40+ doubles and 20+ steals, joining Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, Whit Merrifield, Javier Báez, and Trevor Story. Led BOS with 12 outfield assists, tied with Billy Hamilton and Mitch Haniger for the most in MLB. Against RHP, posted a .305/.387/.490 batting line with 60 BB and 66 SO (131-for-429, 12 HR)...Hit .247 with a .694 OPS vs. LHP (37-for-150, 2 HR). Ranked 14th in the majors in AVG with RISP (.338, 48-for-142)...His .373 AVG with 2 outs and RISP (22-for59) ranked 11th in the majors. Hit .314 (97-for-309) in 75 games at Fenway Park. In 41 games against teams that qualified for the postseason, hit .335 and slugged .537 (55-for-164, 5 HR). Was batting .218 with a .706 OPS through 4/25 (21 games)...In his final 127 games (beginning 4/26), hit .301 (151-for-501) with an .850 OPS. Hit 1 HR in his first 32 games (123 AB), but 15 HR in his final 116 games (456 AB). Hit 10 HR in 27 games from 5/9-6/7, 2nd-most in the majors in that time behind only J.D. Martinez (12). In 55 games during the 2-month stretch from 5/12- 7/11, hit .338 with a 1.016 OPS (71-for-210, 12 HR). Recorded a career-long 18-game on-base streak from 5/26-6/13, during which he hit .375 with a 1.270 OPS (27-for-72, 6 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 17 R). Batted leadoff in 14 consecutive games from 5/27- 6/10 while Mookie Betts dealt with an oblique injury... Reached base in each of those games and hit safely in 12 of them, batting .328 with a 1.115 OPS (19-for-58, 5 HR). Hit his 1st career leadoff HR on 6/7 vs. DET...On 7/7 at KC, went 2-for-2 with a career-high 4 BB, a double, and a HR...It had been 15 years since a Red Sox player reached base 6 times in a 9-inning game (last: Mo Vaughn on 5/29/93 vs. TEX). The only other Red Sox since at least 1908 to record 4+ BB and 2+ XBH in a game are David Ortiz (7/7/07 at DET, 13 inn.) and Dwight Evans (5/15/82 at KC, 9 inn.). Recorded multiple hits in 6 consecutive games from 7/6-11, the longest streak of his career. Finished 2nd behind SEA's Jean Segura in the All-Star Final Vote. Recorded a 10-game hit streak from 7/31-8/11. On 8/5 vs. NYY, helped the Red Sox complete a 4-game sweep of the Yankees by delivering a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning. Hit safely in 27 of 33 games from 7/31-9/11...In 6 games from 9/3-11, went 11-for-28 (.393). Recorded multiple hits in each of his final 4 games of the season from 9/24-29 (9-for-18). POSTSEASON: Appeared in each of the Red Sox' 14 postseason games and started 13 of them, batting .268 (15-for-56)...Led all players with 15 runs scored. Became the 15th player to score 15+ runs in a single postseason, the 1st since Ben Zobrist (15 in 2015). In Game 4 of the ALCS at HOU, made a game-ending diving catch in LF with the bases loaded and the Red Sox leading, 8-6...That was recognized by the Associated Press as the Play of the Year across all sports. In Game 1 of the World Series vs. LAD, went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and 3 runs scored...Became the 1st player ever to record at least 4 hits and score 3+ runs in his 1st career World Series game. The only other Red Sox to record 4+ hits in a World Series game are Jacoby Ellsbury (4-for-5, 2007 Game 3 at COL) and Wally Moses (4-for-5, 1946 Game 4 vs. STL.
2017
In his 1st full ML season, hit .271 (155-for-573) with a .352 OBP, 20 HR, 20 SB, and 90 RBI in 151 games (143 starts)...Made his 1st career Opening Day roster less than 2 years after being selected in the 2015 June Draft. Ranked among the Sox' top 3 leaders in RBI (2nd), hits (3rd), BB (2nd, 70), SB (2nd), and runs (3rd, 84). Finished 2nd in BBWAA AL Rookie of the Year voting after receiving 23 2nd-place votes and 6 3rd-place votes for a total of 75 points (1st-Judge, 150 points). Earned the Harry Agganis Memorial Award (Red Sox Rookie of the Year) from the Boston Baseball Writers. Named 1 of 3 OF on the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. Led ML rookies in steals and ranked among rookie leaders in hits (3rd), runs (3rd), RBI (T-3rd), doubles (T-3rd, 26), BB (2nd), and times on base (2nd, 231)...Joined Ellis Burks (1987) and Nomar Garciaparra (1997) as the only BOS rookies ever with 20+ HR and 20+ SB in a season...The last rookies to do that were Mike Trout (2012), Chris Young (2007), and Carlos Beltrán (1999). Prior to Benintendi, the last BOS rookies with 90+ RBI in a season were Nomar Garciaparra (98 in 1997), Fred Lynn (105 in 1975), and Jim Rice (102 in 1975). His 70 BB were the most by a Sox rookie since Joe Foy in 1966 (91)... Had 11 OF assists (all in LF), the most among rookie OF and most among American League LF...It was also the most by a BOS rookie LF since Carl Yastrzemski (11 in 1961). Recorded a pair of 5-hit games (4/23 at BAL, 7/4 at TEX), becoming the 1st Red Sox rookie ever with 5+ hits in a game multiple times in a season (source: Elias)...Reached base 5+ times in 4 games. Had 3 multi-HR games (6/4 at BAL, 7/4 at TEX, 8/12 at NYY)...The only other Red Sox in the last 50 years (1968-2017) with 3+ multi-HR games in a season before turning 24 are Mookie Betts (5 in 2016) and Jim Rice (3 in 1976). Recorded 2 games with 2+ HR and 6+ RBI (7/4 at TEX, 8/12 at NYY)...According to Elias, became only the 5th player ever-and 1st Red Sox-with 2 such games in a rookie season, joining Hal Trosky (1934), Rudy York (1937), Cody Ross (2006), and Max Kepler (2016). Among AL batters (min. 100 AB), ranked 5th in AVG with RISP (.351, 47-for-134) and 2nd in OBP with RISP (.460). Delivered 2 walk-off RBI and had 4 game-winning RBI in extra innings (6/13 vs. PHI, 7/3 at TEX, 8/13 at NYY, 9/18 at BAL)...According to Elias, the last Red Sox player with 4+ game-winning RBI in extra innings in a single season was Clyde Vollmer in 1951 (also 4). Hit 5 HR at Yankee Stadium, breaking a 112-year-old single-season record for the most HR by a rookie against the Yankees on the road (source: Elias); STL's George Stone held the previous record (4 at Hilltop Park in 1905). Tied Jim Rice (1983) for the most HR by a Red Sox player vs. NYY on the road in a season (source: Elias). Began the season ranked No. 1 in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list. Also entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the best hitter for average, best athlete, best defensive outfielder, and as having the best strike zone discipline in the Red Sox organization. At 22 years and 271 days old, became the Red Sox' youngest Opening Day starter in LF since Carl Yastrzemski in 1962 (22 years, 231 days). Had a HR and 3 RBI on 4/3 vs. PIT, becoming the youngest Red Sox ever with 3+ RBI on Opening Day...He also became the youngest Sox player to hit a HR in a season opener at Fenway Park (previous: Bobby Doerr in 1941). Reached base in each of his first 10 games. Went 5-for-5 on 4/23 at BAL...According to Elias, became the youngest Red Sox player ever to go 5-for-5 or better in a game (previous: Babe Ruth on 5/9/1918). Posted a .333/.392/.478 line in April (30-for-90, 15 R)...In the last 40 years (1978-2017), the only other AL rookies to finish April with 30+ hits, 15+ runs, and a .333+ AVG are Ichiro Suzuki (2001) and Austin Jackson (2010). Hit .352 (32-for-91) in a 25-game span from 6/4-7/4...Had a career-best 17-game on-base streak from 6/18-7/8. Recorded his 1st career multi-homer game on 6/4 at BAL...Hit 4 HR in 7 games from 6/4-12. Recorded his 1st career walk-off RBI on 6/13 vs. PHI, a 12th-inning single in a 4-3 Sox win. Recorded 4 OF assists in a 10-game span from 6/12-23. Broke a 5-5 tie with a 2-RBI double in the 11th inning of the Sox' 7-5 win at TEX on 7/3...Was the 1st Sox rookie with multiple extra-inning, game-winning RBI before August since Nomar Garciaparra in 1997 (source: Elias). On 7/4 at TEX, went 5-for-5 with 2 HR, 2B, 6 RBI, and 4 R...According to Elias, the only other rookie ever to go 5-for-5 or better with 2+ HR and 6+ RBI in a game was Kevin Seitzer for the 1987 Royals. On 7/14 vs. NYY, drew a game-ending, bases-loaded walk in the 9th inning of a 5-4 win...It marked the Sox' 1st walk-off walk since 9/23/00 vs. BAL (Trot Nixon, 10th inn.), and their 1st vs. NYY since 8/7/56 (Ted Williams, 11th inn.)...Named AL Rookie of the Month for August, becoming the 1st Red Sox to earn the honor since José Iglesias in June 2013...In 26 games that month, posted a .333/.420/.559 batting line (34-for-102, 6 HR, 5 2B, 19 RBI, 18 R, 9 SB)... Recorded a career-best 11-game hitting streak from 8/5-18 (17-for-43, 5 HR, .395 AVG)...Totaled 3 HR and 9 RBI at NYY from 8/11-13...Marked the most RBI by a Red Sox player in a 3-game series at NYY since RBI became an official stat in 1920 (source: ESPN Stats & Info)...Went 2-for-5 with a pair of 3-run HR on 8/12 at NYY, becoming the 1st rookie ever with 2+ HR and 6+ RBI in a Red Sox-Yankees game (source: Elias)... Also became the 1st Red Sox player age 23 or younger to record 6+ RBI vs. NYY since RBI became an official stat in 1920. On 8/13 at NYY, drove in the winning run with a 10th-inning, bases-loaded single (W, 3-2). Hit his 1st career pinch-hit HR on 9/25 vs. TOR (8th inn.).POSTSEASON: Started each of the Sox' 4 ALDS games in LF...In Game 4 at Fenway Park, gave the Sox a 3-2 lead with a 2-run HR off Justin Verlander in the 5th inning...It is 1 of only 12 HR that turned a deficit into a lead in Red Sox postseason history.
2016
Made his ML debut despite having never played a game at the Triple-A level...Appeared in 34 games with Boston, making 27 starts in LF and 3 in CF...Also hit .312 (116-for-372) with a .910 OPS in 97 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. Earned the Greg Montalbano Minor League Player of the Year award from the Boston chapter of the BBWAA. Following the season, ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox' No. 1 prospect, as well as the organization's best hitter for average and as having the best strike zone discipline...Also named to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star Second Team following the season. Among the 36 AL rookies with at least 100 PA, ranked 5th in AVG (.295) and 4th in OPS (.835). The Sox went 18-12 in his starts, including 16-3 from 8/12-9/25. With BOS, hit .338 (26-for-77) with a .984 OPS vs. RHP and batted .542 (13-for-24) when leading off an inning. Reached base in 25 of his 30 ML starts...14 of his 31 hits went for extra bases, including 13 of his final 22. Selected to the ML roster on 8/2 and made his debut that night at SEA (0-for-2)...Entered as a pinch-hitter in the 7th inning and grounded out to 2B...Remained in the game in LF and struck out in the 9th inning. Made his 1st ML start the following day (8/3 at SEA)...Started in LF and went 2-for-3...Recorded his 1st ML hit in the 3rd inning, a single to LF off Hisashi Iwakuma...Also singled to RF in the 8th inning. Recorded 3 hits in consecutive games on 8/7 at LAD (3-for-4, R, 2 RBI) and 8/9 vs. NYY (3-for-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI). Recorded his 1st ML triple on 8/21 at DET in the 6th inning and added his 1st career HR in the 7th...According to Elias, the only other Red Sox ever to record their 1st triple and 1st HR in the same game are Dwight Evans (9/20/72 vs. BAL) and Rico Petrocelli (6/20/65 at CWS)...Benintendi became the youngest Red Sox with a HR and a triple in the same game since Evans did so at 20 years old on 9/20/72. Robbed Steven Souza Jr. of a 2-run homer in LF in the 8th inning on 8/22 at TB, preserving the Sox' 3-0 lead...Had started the game in CF before moving to LF at the start of the 8th. Removed from the game on 8/24 at TB after injuring his knee while running the bases...Placed on the 15-day DL the following day with a left knee sprain...Reinstated from the DL on 9/13 and appeared in 13 more games (11 starts) for the Red Sox. Recorded an extra-base hit in each of his first 4 games back from the DL (9/15-21)...On 9/21 at BAL, gave the Sox a 5-1 lead with a 3-run HR in the 6th inning, his 1st game with at least 3 RBI. Ranked 4th among Red Sox minor leaguers in AVG and 2nd in RBI (76). At the time of his call-up, his 12 3B were tied for the minor league lead and his 76 RBI led all Red Sox farmhands. Began the season with Salem and went 4-for-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, and 2 R in his 1st game (4/7 vs. Carolina). Recorded a 23-game hitting streak from 4/10-5/6, tied for the longest in Salem history (Art Howe, 1971 Salem Rebels)...During the streak, posted a .391/.458/.663 batting line (36-for-92, 10 2B, 6 3B, HR, 24 RBI, 23 R, 11 BB, 6 SO). Named Carolina League Player of the Week for the period 4/25-5/1. Promoted to Portland on 5/16...Hit .205 (16-for-78) in his first 20 games with the Sea Dogs...In his last 43 games with Portland (6/10-7/31), posted a .340/.408/.629/1.037 batting line with 19 BB against only 17 SO (54-for-159, 14 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 32 R)...In that span, ranked among Double-A leaders in AVG (8th), OBP (8th), SLG (2nd), OPS (2nd), runs (6th), RBI (8th), and XBH (T-1st, 26). Went 4-for-5 with 2 HR, 2 2B, and 5 RBI on 7/31 at Binghamton, his final minor league game. Named Eastern League Player of the Week for the period 7/25-31 (.478 AVG, 11-for-24, 10 RBI, 2 HR, 3 2B, 3B). POSTSEASON: Started each of the Red Sox' 3 ALDS games in LF...Led off the 3rd inning of Game 1 with a HR, becoming the youngest player ever (22 years, 92 days old) to hit a postseason HR for the Red Sox (previous: Reggie Smith, 22 years, 188 days)...The only other players to homer for BOS in their first career postseason PA are Todd Walker (2003 ALDS g1 at OAK) and Jose Santiago (1967 WS g1 vs. STL)...Also hit an RBI double in the 5th inning of Game 3 at Fenway Park.
2015
Made professional debut, combining with Short-A Lowell (35 G) and Single-A Greenville (19 G) to hit .313 (62- for-198) with a .416 OBP and a .556 SLG. Ranked T-3rd in the Sox organization in HR (11), averaging a homer every 18.0 AB...Drew 35 BB against only 24 SO. Following the season, ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in the Red Sox organization and the No. 1 prospect in the New York-Penn League...Also rated by Baseball America as the best defensive OF and as having the best strike zone discipline in the Sox' system...Named a Short-Season All-Star by BA. Made 49 starts in CF and 5 at DH, recording 6 assists with a .992 fielding percentage (1 E/131 TC). Hit .322 vs. RHP (23-for-60, 9 HR) and .283 vs. LHP (13-for-46, 2 HR). Hit .221 in his first 20 games through 7/29, but posted a .362 AVG/.433 OBP/.615 SLG in his final 34 games (47- for-130, 6 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR). Made his pro debut with Lowell on 7/3 at Connecticut, going 2-for-4 and scoring the winning run in the 9th inning of a 2-1 Spinners victory...Hit his 1st pro HR the following day at Tri-City, scoring the winning run again on a 2-run shot in the 3rd inning...Homered in 3 of 4 games from 7/19-22. Named NYPL Player of the Week on 8/17 after batting .407 (11-for-27, 3 HR) in his final 7 games with Lowell... Recorded his 1st multi-homer game on 8/11 at Tri-City. Transferred to Greenville on 8/17 and reached base in 18 of 19 games with the Drive...Hit 2 HR in his 2nd game with Greenville on 8/19 at Greensboro...Had a 12-game hitting streak from 8/26-9/6. Hit his 1st professional walk-off HR on 9/3 vs. Savannah, a 2-run shot in the 9th inning of a 6-5 win. Named Red Sox Minor League Hitter of the Month for August/September, posting a .359/.430/.602 batting line in that time (33 G, 46-for-128, 25 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 16 BB). During his time with Greenville, ranked 5th in the SAL in OPS (1.011).
