FORT MYERS, Fla. - Where do you start with Ryan Fitzgerald?
The undrafted kid out of Creighton University who had to console his parents that it was OK no team selected him in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. His dream wasn't going to die just because of baseball's bad decision.
The Independent League infielder who kept his dream alive by playing for $800 a month.
The affable Illinois native who finally got his chance after a 2018 tryout with the Red Sox, getting signed by the organization.
The then 24-year-old minor-league newbie whose second day included taking on the task re-lacing the glove of then-rehabbing Dustin Pedroia, who would surprise Fitzgerald with $200 the next day for the glove-fixing artistry.
And, now, this.
"It's incredible," Fitzgerald told WEEI.com, "but at the same time, I have nothing to lose. No one expected me to be here. No one has any expectations of me. I have the highest expectations of anybody in myself, so whatever anybody expects out of me can't compare what I expect of me."
The 27-year-old Fitzgerald (he turns 28 in June) may just be on the verge of actually making the major leagues thanks to what has been the best spring training performance of any Red Sox player.
Playing second base, shortstop, third base and left field, the lefty hitter went up to Sarasota Thursday night and popped his team-leading fourth Grapefruit League homer.
Fitzgerald is 5-for-13 with a pair of walks and just two strikeouts, capably playing each of the aforementioned defensive positions.
It's the kind of production he has been delivering throughout what has been an evolving minor-league career. Fitzgerald finished last season with Triple-A Worcester, holding his own in 13 games with a .911 OPS. Prior to that he hit .271 with an .856 OPS at Double-A Portland.
As for making this Red Sox team, the reality that clubs will be allowed to carry 28 players in April certainly helps Fitzgerald's cause. Right now, the closest the Sox will have to super utility player will be Christian Arroyo, who is still easing his way into learning outfield.
"I’ve been around him for a month and versatile, strong kid," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "It's a guy that we think in ‘18 or ’19, I think, he’s come here and got my attention and little by little is becoming a player that those guys, they're gonna have value. You know, versatile guys that can play good defense and they can give you enough offensively, they're important. He’s a good athlete. Strong kid.
Understands the game understands where the game is, but at the same time he can hit a ground ball to second with a man at third and less than two outs with two strikes and that was awesome yesterday. That was great. So everybody talks about him. The way he plays the game. Everybody talks about Cas (Triston Casas), the way he plays the game and to see them perform yesterday, I understand now. You know, one thing is in the backfield and all that but to see that yesterday that was impressive. You know, like shit. I was like, drive him in , it doesn’t matter here, but he got to two strikes and he got on top of the fastball and he hit a groundball to second and Baldy hit the flyball, and we scored one run. That’s good baseball. That’s really good baseball. So we'll give him every shot to get a bats and then keep getting better and time will tell. It's a kid that I really like. Those guys are very, very valuable to the organization, to what we trying to accomplish and so far for a month and a half that we've been able to see him, I know everybody's impressed.”
To learn about Fitzgerald's story, click here ...