Kike Hernandez is a living, breathing example that things often don't work out as planned. And sometimes, that's not a bad thing.
When the Red Sox signed Hernandez last winter -- the only free agent to whom they guaranteed more than one season -- it was with the idea that he would, more or less, be the team's everyday second baseman. Of course, Hernandez's versatility -- his ability to also play shortstop and the outfield -- was also part of the attraction at a time when the Sox, like many teams around the game, were looking to maximize their roster flexibility.
But as the All-Star break approaches, Hernandez has started just 16 games at second while manning center field for 52 games.
Hernandez was initially attracted to the Sox by the opportunity to play every day. The fact that the Sox didn't have an established starter at either second or center made the choice that much easier.
Early in the year, the Sox began experimenting with various combinations in the infield and outfield. The Sox began using a combination of Marwin Gonzalez and Christian Arroyo at second, and when no one emerged to take over center, Hernandez was the obvious choice.
"We fell into this rotation and it felt good for us,'' said Alex Cora of the decision to settle on Hernandez in center. "It's a testament to who he is. We're very happy with the way he's playing. He's been a game-changer out there.''
Center field in Fenway has its challenges, with a lot of ground to cover in right center and the triangle further complicates matters. But after three months, Hernandez is more comfortable and the numbers reflect as much: Hernandez all center field with nine defensive runs saved at the position.
"I'm a lot more confident now than I was at the beginning of the season, playing center field,'' said Hernandez, "just because new stadium and the everyday role in the outfield was kind of new. I've always considered myself an infielder who can play the outfield. This stadium can get tricky at times. I'm starting to get to know the stadium better and starting to get to read balls better and understand what throws I can make and what throws I can't.
"Center field has started to become a lot of fun for me.''
It's become less fun for baserunners attempting to advance a base against him. Last weekend in Oakland, Hernandez saved a Red Sox win with a late-game strike to the plate, cutting down an A's baserunner. The next day, he came within a split-second of doing it again, on a ball hit even deeper to center. For the season, he's produced five outfield assists, including three at the plate to save runs.
It took some time for Hernandez to get adjusted to center at Fenway. Left-center was relatively easy, since anything over his head is either going out or coming back to him. But the area in right center, including the home bullpen barrier which juts out, has taken some getting used to.
Even as the advanced defensive metrics show him playing superbly in center, his preparation at the position is highly unorthodox. During batting practice, he'll eventually move to the outfield to get some live reads on balls and shag some. But the majority of his time is spent at second, where he takes ground balls and makes throws.
"I just don't think there's any (worthwhile) drills in the outfield,'' said Hernandez. "For me personally, I get more out of working in the infield and then getting live reads off the bat (in the outfield). Because at the end of the day, you're taking balls off the bat in the game, so you want those live reads off the bat. Pre-game work, I get my ground balls, but when the hitters are hitting, I go to the outfield and I shag.
"That's just how I've done it my whole career. I benefit the most out of staying sharp by taking ground balls in the infield. Then, when it comes to live reads, that's when I do my outfield work because that I feel that's the most realistic work I can get.''
It may be a coincidence, but Hernandez's hot stretch at the plate came after he felt more comfortable in the outfield. He sputtered enough in the first two months that, on a few occasions, Cora was forced to drop him out of the top spot and place him in the lower third.
Lately, that's changed. In his last 18 games, dating back to mid-June, he's hitting .294 with a 1.059 OPS. And over his last 12 games, he's racked up a .430 on-base percentage with five homers. That extra-base pop is what initially convinced Cora that Hernandez was suitable for the leadoff role.
Hernandez has recently made good on that dynamic element, helping to jump-start the offense. Of his 11 homers, five -- including one Friday night in the Red Sox' 11-5 romp over the Phillies have come to lead off a game, ranking him third in MLB in that category. In Red Sox history, dating back to at least 1916, only two players have amassed more leadoff homers in a single season -- Mookie Betts (six in 2016 and Nomar Garciaparra (seven in 1997)
"When you're moving around a lot, it can get to the point where you're almost not comfortable anywhere,'' he said. "It can affect your hitting if you overthink it. But I just feel like when I'm hitting well, my defense plays better just because I'm impacting the game on both sides of the ball and it's more noticeable.''