Nick Sogard was one of the 13 non-roster invitees the Red Sox added to their 2024 major-league spring training roster on Friday.
Sogard, 26, is entering his fourth season as a member of the Red Sox organization after being acquired from the Rays alongside catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez in the February 2021 trade that sent pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs back to Tampa Bay.
A former 12th-round draft selection of the Rays out of Loyola Marymount in 2019, Sogard spent his first two years as a Red Sox minor-leaguer bouncing around between affiliates. After receiving his first-ever invite to big-league spring training around this time last year, however, the California native settled in with Triple-A Worcester in 2023.
In 112 games (which was good for second on the team behind only Bobby Dalbec’s 114) for the WooSox last season, Sogard batted .266/.370/.391 (97 wRC+) with 20 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 47 RBIs, 74 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 63 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 460 plate appearances. Though he cooled off in the second half some, the switch-hitter still proved particularly effective against left-handed pitching, as he slashed a stout .319/.441/.517 with four of his seven homers coming off lefties from the right side of the plate.
Among 83 qualified hitters in the International League, Sogard ranked 25th in walk rate (13.7 percent), 16th in strikeout rate (17.2 percent), 24th in on-base percentage, 20th in speed score (6.5), 21st in line-drive rate (26.2 percent), and second in swinging-strike rate (6.5 percent), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Sogard put his utility on full display by making starts at five different positions for Worcester last year. The versatile 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged 328 innings at third base, 276 innings at second base, 164 innings at shortstop, 80 innings in right field, and 68 1/3 innings in left field. He committed a total of 10 errors in 322 chances, which translates to a .969 fielding percentage.
For his professional career, which spans 380 affiliated games, Sogard has made at least one start at every defensive position besides pitcher, catcher, and first base. To that end, SoxProspects.com describes Sogard as having soft hands, solid instincts in the field, and an advanced feel for the game.
“I love it. I think it kind of keeps things fresh,” Sogard recently told Liam Skiffington on the Sox Stack Podcast. “Being an impact defender at multiple positions is not something that’s super common, so I relish the role.”
Sogard, who does not turn 27 until September, is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 season, though it certainly would not be surprising if he played his way into a big-league opportunity at some point this year.
If Sogard were to debut for the Red Sox this season, he would become just the latest member of his family to make it to the show. Sogard is, of course, the younger cousin of longtime MLB infielder Eric Sogard and nephew of both Steve and Dave Sax.
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