Xander Bogaerts knows the reality of these final few weeks of the 2022 season.
There is the Red Sox' quest to finish their campaign with some semblance of optimism. He also now suddenly has a batting title race in front of him. But, at top of mind - as exhibited with his postgame interview Sunday with Will Flemming and Joe Castiglione - is Bogaerts' future with the only organization he has ever known.
Listen to Xander Bogaerts at the 6:20 mark
"I can’t lie. Right now I’m extremely focused," said Bogaerts after supplying the game's only run in the Sox' 1-0 win over Baltimore via a sacrifice fly. "Right now we have 21 games left, or whatever the calendar says. I’m just being extremely focused, one pitch at a time, trying to swing at strikes. I know it’s coming down to the finish line and obviously, stuff might get a little emotional. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment. Like I said, I feel like I really need to be locked in, really need to be focused. I’m not saying just to get hits, but to focus. I have to be on point I feel if I want to perform good with everything going on."
Then, in response to Castiglione relaying hope that Bogaerts remains a Red Sox beyond this season, the shortstop said, "Yeah. I do. We’ll see what happens."
While the increased focus could be construed as part of his quest to finish with the highest batting average in the American League - a status he currently holds, sitting at .319 (four points better than Minnesota's Luis Arraez) - the contract uncertainty clearly remains at the forefront of Bogaerts' mindset.
The 29-year-old - who currently carries the third-best WAR in the AL - will undoubtedly opt-out of a contract that is slated to pay him $20 million a season in each of the next three years. Listening to Bogaerts, there remains absolutely no doubt who he would prefer to be living that new contract with.
"I don’t want to say that, but who knows what happens," he said when asked by Flemming if the possibility of this being his last few days with the Red SOx were top-of-mind. "I just want to enjoy these 20 games as much as possible. As I said, I just need to be extra focused and hopefully, I’m here for a long, long time. But I guess that’s not in my control."
Bogaerts has certainly gone a long way over the last few weeks toward putting the ball back in his court.
In his last 16 games, Bogaerts is hitting .468 with a 1.217 OPS with three homers. It is easily the best streak of any Major League Baseball player over that stretch, with Atlanta's Michael Harris (.444) the only one coming close.
"A couple of weeks back I was far from the situation that I’m in right now," Bogaerts said. "As I said, I’m a guy who is very realistic and aware. I know what’s going on and that’s why I need to be extra focused. I wouldn’t call it pressure, but pressure sometimes is a good thing. Pressure is only if you put that on yourself. Just try and swing at good pitches and take what the other team gives me."
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