BOSTON — Romy Gonzalez’s OPS against left-handed pitchers (1.030) is 294 points higher than the average among American League right-handed hitters (.736).
The Red Sox infielder can’t put a finger on exactly why he’s been this good against lefties but he has one simple theory.
“My dad’s lefty, so I took lefty BP my whole life and did a lot of work with him,” Gonzalez said.
Historically, batters have more success against pitchers who throw with the opposite handedness. For years, managers have stacked their lineups with right-handed batters when they face a lefty starter and left-handed hitters against a righty starter.
But Gonzalez’s numbers are exceptionally better than most of his peers. Among qualified right-handed hitters, Gonzalez’s 1.030 OPS against lefties ranks third, behind only Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge (1.277) and Paul Goldschmidt (1.188).
In the American League, right-handed hitters have combined to bat .252 with a .319 on-base percentage, .417 slugging percentage and .736 OPS vs. lefty hurlers. In the NL, right-handed hitters have a .241/.309/.385/.694 line vs. lefties.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, is 35-for-103 (.340) with a .389 on-base percentage, .641 slugging percentage, six homers, nine doubles and two triples against southpaws.
Gonzalez’s father, Gus, was a former football player, not a baseball player. But Gus got a lot of work in pitching to Romy, who played QB through his sophomore year of high school before stopping to focus primarily on baseball.
Maybe it was all those BP sessions. Maybe it’s his pregame and in-game work now. Maybe it’s a combination of factors.
“His preparation, it’s really, really good,” Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse said. “And I think he takes a lot of pride in being prepared for those situations, being prepared for those at-bats. Spends a lot of time off the shapes, especially at home on the Trajekt.”
Trajekt pitching machines simulate any major league pitcher’s windup and entire repertoire, including pitch shapes, to help hitters prepare.
“Obviously he’s had a lot of success, but it’s been great to see his process kind of take full (effect) these last few months,” Fatse said.
The work begins pregame and continues throughout the game.
“Having understanding of shapes, but also like putting himself in situations to see the shapes before the game starts,” Fatse said. “Building his approach off of that, taking it into the at-bat and then kind of the evaluation as the game goes.”
In a July 7 postgame interview, Gonzalez was asked how locked in he feels against left-handed pitchers.
“Tremendously locked in,” Gonzalez replied. “Me and Rob (Refsnyder are) constantly grinding, working together.”
His teammates pounced on the “tremendously locked in” saying, having T-shirts made with the phrase. But something else he said that night that was even more interesting. He said “he wasn’t proud” of his career before arriving in Boston.
“Ever since I got over here, just working with the hitting guys and Rob, it’s been tremendous for my career and it’s been awesome,” he said.
Gonzalez said that Refsnyder, Alex Bregman and Trevor Story have all helped him.
“Just feeding off each other and constantly talking about approaches and what to look for, whatnot,” he said. “Yeah, those three guys and obviously our hitting staff’s great. So working with them has been huge.”
The Red Sox claimed Gonzalez off waivers from the White Sox on Jan. 31, 2024. He played in 86 major league games for the White Sox from 2021-23, batting .222 with a .239 on-base percentage, .361 slugging percentage and .600 OPS.
“I had 220 career at-bats or plate appearances with the White Sox and they weren’t good,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of that I think attributes to my health. I wasn’t healthy for most of my time there. But, yeah, being healthy and being here, it’s just so different, man. Playing at Fenway Park every day with this group of guys is special, and it just brings a different level of, I don’t want to say focus, but it just means a little more.
“I always go back to health because when your body’s not doing what you want it to do, it’s kind of tough to go out there and perform and put yourself in the best position,” he added. “So, yeah, I think health always is No. 1.”
Gonzalez also mashed against left-handers in 2024, batting .302 (35-for-116) with a .362 on-base percentage, .517 slugging percentage, .879 OPS, six homers and seven doubles. Even after that performance, though, he did not enter spring training 2025 thinking he had a spot secured on the Opening Day roster.
“In my mind, I was battling for a spot,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve always had that mindset. I didn’t think I had a ticket to being on this team. I felt like I had to earn a position.”
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