BOSTON — David Hamilton owns both Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester’s single-season stolen base records. He swiped 70 bases in 119 games for Portland in 2022, then 57 bases in 103 games for Worcester last year.
Speed is his calling card.
“I like to think I have more than just one tool,” Hamilton said. “That’s definitely my best tool but I’ve got a couple others.”
Hamilton continued to show that he’s more than just a speedster Wednesday when he helped Boston overcome a four-run deficit and win 8-6 over the Phillies here at Fenway Park.
The 26-year-old rookie began the Red Sox’ five-run fifth inning rally with a leadoff hit vs. left-handed starter Christopher Sánchez who entered with a 2.71 ERA in 12 starts. The left-handed hitter connected on a 93 mph sinker from Sánchez and ripped a 104.8 mph single to right field.
Hamilton, who batted eighth in the order, then crushed a 399-foot, 104.2 mph two-run homer to right field in the sixth inning against righty reliever Spencer Turnbull who entered with a 2.64 ERA in 44 ⅓ innings. Hamilton connected on a 92.3 mph four-seam fastball.
“I was really trying to hit it back up the middle but hit it pretty good,” he said.
Hamilton went just 4-for-33 (.121 batting average) in 15 games for Boston last year. He went just 10-for-49 (.204) to start off this season after Boston recalled him from Worcester on April 6 to take injured shortstop Trevor Story’s spot on the active roster.
But he has gone 27-for-76 (.355) with a .395 on-base percentage, .592 slugging percentage, three homers, seven doubles, one triple and nine steal in 24 games since May 17.
“I love it. The guy works his but off every single day,” Jarren Duran said. “It’s just like the behind-the-scenes stuff that nobody else sees but we all see it. He’s always been a really hard worker and it’s starting to show. And it’s so awesome to see.”
BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS
STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.
Duran said he sees Hamilton feeling more comfortable in the big leagues.
“He’s starting to realize like, ‘Hey, man. I can be up here,’” Duran added. “We all go through those bumps and bruises, man. The big leagues will beat you up and spit you out and not even care. So it’s so awesome to see him come out of his shell and be the guy that we know he can be.”
Hamilton added, “It feels like some of the work I’ve been putting in is paying off.”
Hamilton worked a lot on his swing in the cage when he started only three games from April 19-May 14. He received just 14 plate appearances during that stretch.
“I wasn’t playing that much. So I was just trying to learn as much as possible,” Hamilton said. “Get in people’s heads, see what they were thinking.”
Manager Alex Cora mentioned both before and after Wednesday’s game that Hamilton is able to catch up to fastballs because of good bat speed.
“He can hit a fastball,” Cora said. “And against a lefty he got one and got another one later on for the homer. … He’s understanding what he needs to do. The more he plays, the better he is, the more confidence he’s gaining. It’s been fun to watch.”
