McAdam: As Bogaerts reaches milestone, he takes stock of how far he's come

It came on a getaway matinee game against a forgettable opponent, without a lot of fanfare.

Which, when you think about it, is kind of fitting.

The 1,000th game in a Red Sox uniform for Xander Bogaerts sort of came and went: underpublicized and without calling attention to itself. In other words, in typical fashion for Bogaerts.

Only 29 other players in franchise history have done what Bogaerts accomplished, and only nine others have done it before the age of 29, and of those nine, four -- Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, Tris Speaker and Bobby Doerr -- have gone to be elected to the Hall of Fame. It may be premature, but it's not exactly outlandish to suggest that Bogaerts could one day join them.

Certainly, it's not difficult to say that he is trending in that direction. Barring something unforeseen, he will finish this season second on the franchise's all-time list of games played at shortstop. Later this month, he'll pass Nomar Garciaparra; later this season, he's eclipse Rick Burleson, too, for second place on the list.

As for career milestones, Bogaerts, by virtue of the early start he got (he was 20 at the time of his debut), he'll almost certainly be halfway to 3,000 hits before he celebrates his 30th birthday. Three-hundred career homers would seem to be in his sights.

But before getting ahead, it's wise to appreciate what Bogaerts is accomplishing in the moment.

"It definitely means a lot,'' he said. "I know for sure that I've come a long way since the day I signed (as a 16-year-old in Aruba)  -- growing up as a kid, trying to learn to play the game, be successful and get to the big leagues. Now, I've got a lot of games and it's pretty impressive for a little kid just trying to get to the big leagues. So I'm extremely proud of myself and I'm thankful for everyone, especially my family, for always being there for the support. I had a bumpy road in the beginning, but I'm happy with where I am right now.''



However reluctantly, he's the face of the franchise now. The trade of Mookie Betts saw to that. Bogaerts is the longest tenured person in the organization, with his origin story dating back to the final month of the 2013 season. He's already been part of two world championship teams, something few players in team history can say.

Bogaerts may not be terribly comfortable in that role, but it is his nonetheless. Humble and unassuming, he doesn't seek the spotlight, but he's inarguably the team's best overall position player in addition to his senior status.

"I've been saying all along,'' said Alex Cora Thursday morning, "I believe he's the most consistent person in this organization. Off the filed, on the field, physically, what he does in the offseason, the way he takes care of himself during the season, the way he goes about his business. Everything's about winning for him.

"He doesn't take a day for granted. He's not as vocal or as loud as Dustin (Pedroia), but he's always ready, he's always prepared. I've really learned to appreciate him. We have a lot of (shortstops in MLB) that we love, but I'm happy that my shortstop is Xander Bogaerts and hopefully, he can play here for a long, long time.''

Where Bogaerts stands among the rest of the game's shortstops is less obvious, but nonetheless an intriguing exercise. While few would put him in the class of, say, Francisco Lindor or Carlos Correa when it comes to defense, he's certainly in the conversation for the game's best offensive shortstop.

Only Lindor and Corey Seager can match him as a hitter. As MLB Network noted earlier this year when it ranked Bogaerts as the third-best overall shortstop in the game, Bogaerts, using the 2019-2020 seasons, began this year with the second-most homers, and was first among players at his position in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging and third in WAR.

Nothing he's done in the first five weeks has changed that. Bogaerts entered Thursday leading all players in hits and was sixth in average. He ranked in the Top 10 in doubles, slugging percentage, OPS, extra-base hits and total bases while leading every player at his position in hits, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, doubles, extra-base hits and total bases.

And there's this: Since the start of 2019, only Mike Trout (12.9) has a higher offensive WAR than Bogaerts (10.8).

Defensive metrics suggest Bogaerts has rather limited range at short. But he's become more sure-handed in the last few years and converts the balls he gets to into outs with increasing regularity. If you can live with some balls getting by him up the middle, his game has few other weaknesses.

But Thursday wasn't a day for assessment and classification. It was time for reflection, and the company that Bogaerts now keeps. And, maybe, just maybe, an opportunity to take some pride in what he's accomplished.

"It hasn't sunk in,'' said Bogaerts. "A thousand games in the same organization, you have to be productive and be a guy they can rely on. I'm happy with the player I've become.''

And so, it should be obvious, are the Red Sox.