Imaginary Diamond

The simple answer to this question is: a 25-year old rookie outfielder for the Texas Rangers, who is not in any way related to former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees third baseman Wade Boggs.

I think you’ll find it easy to believe:

He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 draft out of Georgia Tech and made his major league debut on April 29, 2008 against the Kansas City Royals. After a 3-for-4 performance in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, Boggs raised his season average to .385 to go along with two home runs and eight RBIs in 11 games.

The obvious follow-up question is, can he keep it up? And the answer to that one: It’s too early to tell. But, let’s try and work through what we know and make an educated guess.

Facts about Boggs:
1.) He’s a switch-hitter, who earned a promotion after batting .309 with 7 extra-base hits (0 HRs), 6 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 18 games at Triple-A Oklahoma.
2.) Entering the 2008 season, Boggs had a .254 lifetime average in the minors (four seasons) and an .821 OPS.
3.) Works deep into counts, resulting in high strikeouts and walks totals. Despite the .254 average, he also had a .365 on-base percentage in the minors.
4.) Matching major league versus minor league numbers, Boggs is vastly overachieving in the batting average category, but not in power. He had an .887 OPS in stops at Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma last season, compared to a 1.060 OPS in his first 11 games with the Rangers.
5.) He has energized a struggling Texas lineup, something that cannot be ignored. Check out this discussion on the Dallas Morning News Rangers blog for more details.
6.) Here are some thoughts about Boggs’ approach at the plate, courtesy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

The outfielder, who has started nine of 10 games since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma, said pitchers have started trying to get him to chase balls off the plate and are pitching backwards to him.

Instead of starting him with a fastball, pitchers are throwing off-speed pitches early in the count and going with fastballs late.

That’s what Erik Bedard attempted to do, but Boggs ripped a high fastball into the left-field gap. The hit snapped a 0-for-14 slump, but Boggs is still hitting .313.

“It’s always good to hit the ball, no matter how good or how bad the last few games were,” he said. “I’ve been confident ever since I got up here. You just can’t lose it. You’ve got to stay with it.”

Judging by his career average in the minors, you can expect Boggs to go through slumps similar to the one mentioned above. My guess is that he does not get that opportunity. Marlon Byrd is set to return from the disabled list any day now, and Texas will look to audition him for possible trade suitors.

You know Josh Hamilton isn’t going anywhere, and you can presume that rookie David Murphy will continue to split time in right field and at designated hitter. So, that will likely leave Boggs to at least be relegated to fourth outfielder status, though he could find more time by filling in at center and right.

In terms of fantasy, just pay attention to the first few games that Byrd is activated and able to play. At that point in time, we should have a better feel for what Boggs can realistically do and how he fits into the Rangers’ future plans. If you’re desperate for a little spark to your fantasy lineup now, it’s safe to use Boggs and ride out his hot streak as long as it lasts.

More thoughts on Boggs …
The Dallas Morning News checks in with postgame thoughts on Boggs from Friday.

Richie Whitt of the Dallas Observer defends his news that manager Ron Washington is a dead man walking.

Lone Star Ball highlights the Kevin Mench trade to Toronto, a deal that freed up time for Boggs. Check out the post’s feedback for others’ thoughts on Boggs.

The Baseball Cube is an excellent source for minor league and college statistics. Here’s Boggs’ page.

Dustin Hockensmith is editor of ImaginaryDiamond.com. He can be contacted at dhockensmith[at]fantasysports101.net.