:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/661758/GYI0060374752.jpg)
I just wanted to give you a quick update on something very important:
Kevin Youkilis is back to kicking ass again.
After batting just .270 in 23 games in April, Youkilis is hitting .400 in May. His stats are now looking quite MVP-like:
Batting average, of course, is only part of the game. Look all the way across his stat line (more importantly, his ever-extended stat line) and you can see that he's back to the Youkilis that we all know and love. Hitting in the cleanup spot, Youk is getting on base a .431 mark. In the month of May alone Youkilis is getting on base at a .587 clip. Small sample size, sure, but even if he averages out, May is going to be a great month for Youk.
It all looks good, especially when compared to what he's done the last two seasons:
| YEAR | BB% | K% |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10% | 20.1% |
| 2009 | 13.1% | 25.5% |
| 2010 | 15.4% | 20.2% |
Walk rate is up while strikeout rate is down. That's nice to see, even if it is still early in the season.
I'm still fed up Youkilis didn't get more recognition last season for his amazing 2009. Despite Joe Mauer being the clear MVP favorite, Youkilis should have finished second in the American League -- but he was nowhere close.
With that said, 2009 is in the past. It's 2010, but Youkilis is on pace to put up numbers that are as good and maybe even better. This bodes well for him and the Red Sox -- hopefully -- becoming a much better team.