HOW GOOD CAN MIKE NAPOLI BE?

MIKE NAPOLI

RED SOX : BASEBALL 2014
April 10,2014.













c/o Rob Bradford
      WEEI.com

He knows the deal. He wants to change the deal.

Mike Napoli can talk about getting fired up when those intentional walks are issued to David Ortiz just a few feet away. The first baseman can come away from such moments with the kind of results last Wednesday night presented -- ripping a two-run, bases-loaded single to punctuate the Red Sox' 6-2 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

But what Napoli really wants is to change the narrative.

"I love it. I don't shy away from the pressure," he said. "I want to do good, and that's because maybe they'll pitch to [Ortiz] a little bit more. If I keep coming through, they might have to think twice; maybe he's going to get an at-bat to hit rather than getting walked."

He continued on the topic of hitting behind Ortiz, "It's my job. it's a role on this team to protect David. That's one of my jobs to be able to come through in key situations where they're not going to give in. And I know they're not. I would rather face me than face David. It is what it is."

The quest for Napoli is to keep closer to what Ortiz is offering. It's a tough task -- asking someone to match the hitter with the majors' fourth-best OPS in 2013 -- but if there was ever a time to take a whack, it's this time around for the 32-year-old.

What Napoli has been is already fairly unique, averaging 32 home runs per 162 games with an OPS of .860. Last season it was 23 homers in 139 games with an .842 OPS. There is also that propensity to see a boatload of pitches, 4.33 per plate appearance, to be exact.

But he was viewed as imperfect enough to keep dancing around the strike zone with Ortiz. Case in point: Of the qualifying No. 3 or 4 hitters in '13, Ortiz saw the highest percentage of pitches away (57.6). And when he did have an opportunity with men on base, the DH saw the fewest pitches in the strike zone of all middle-of-the-order hitters.

Judging by Ortiz's comments to WEEI.com in spring training, the reality of going through another season of watching pitchers nibble was weighing heavy heading into the series at Camden Yards.

"I saw last year. Last year, game on the line, late in the game, go to first base," he said in a March 13 interview. "They pitch around you to see if you chase. Nope? Go to first base. I've been through that since Day 1. But last year was even more different. How long am I going to be able to do what I do and be that locked? I don't know. It wears you out -- in my case, I know I do nothing but hit, but to stay that focused and not try to get out of the strike zone."

This time around, however, might be different.

"I think there's a comfort level, for sure," said Red Sox starter John Lackey, who played with Napoli for four big league seasons with the Angels. "He had a normal spring training. He got a multi-year deal. There's things to be said for that. Being comfortable and just being able to perform and not put too much pressure on himself."

Napoli concurs.

"I feel great," he said. "My mind is free. I'm worrying about winning. I don't have anything else to worry about. It's just a different feeling."

Whether it's because of the health (gone is the plantar fasciitis, while all leg/hip ailments check out OK), or his new two-year, $32 million contract, there is an air of confidence surrounding each at-bat.

It started in spring training, but it has already manifested itself in his first regular-season games. The opponents' approach might not have changed -- Ortiz garnered his first intentional walk of the season, loading the bases in the seventh last week -- but Napoli's has.

Napoli has reached base five times in nine plate appearances, striking out just once. It's a start.

Asking Napoli to be what Manny Ramirez was for Ortiz is a bit much. After all, the cleanup spot for the Red Sox had the second-highest OPS of any team other than the Barry Bonds-led Giants from '03-'08. They also possessed the third-best OPS for the No. 3 spot during that span.

But what he can be is someone who puts a serious dent in those career-high 27 intentional walks of season ago.

This might just be Napoli's year to start shifting the respect down one spot in the batting order.

"I never try and get too high. I had a good game [Wednesday] but I'm not buying into, 'This is going to be the greatest year ever,' " he said. "I'm going to play [Thursday] and do my best."