How an adjustment triggered Kiké Hernández’s hot streak for the Red Sox

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Hernández has dominated opposing pitching in the off-season thanks to adjusting his placement in the battery box, according to Red Sox coach Tom Hyers.

Kike Hernandez drives homemade wagon in Red Sox excavation after homering by Gerrit Cole in June. Jim Davis / Globe staff

Red Sox midfielder

Kiké Hernández does things that no one has had in the Major League Baseball off-season, which, mind you, has been going on for a couple of decades. And boy, has it been fun to see him do that.

In his last five games, Hernández has set records for hits (15), extra-base hits (9) and overall bases (34) and has hit 16-for-32 (.500) with five home runs and nine RBIs.

It already darkened his previous highlight of eight races, hitting under 13 playoff games in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Especially, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal,

Hernández has wiped out pioneers he has traditionally struggled with. A career .196 hits against breaking balls in the regular season, the striped all-rounder hitting 7-on-10 with three homers from such spots in the post-season 2021.

So how did Hernández become the greatest baseball player in Red Sox history in a few games?

Apparently just a willingness to think outside the “box” – literally – according to Red Sox coach Tom Hyers.

“He has picked up a hair [in the batter’s box], trying to get the ball maybe a hair closer to him, ”Hyers, who trained

Hernández, while the two were with the Dodgers, revealed to Rosenthal. “The little bit has helped him. His plan is to see the ball close to him, get it up and not chase the breaking ball away. He’s just not missing it right now … His upper body and lower body are just so well synchronized. Getting the ball close to him, it has worked for him. ”

Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez found out the hard way when he tried to turn a curveball over to

Hernández in game 1 only to see it leave the planet.

Hernández has hit all five of his home games in his last four playoff games, including two in the Red Sox ‘Game 1 loss. He has also played a fantastic baseball in midfield with both his arm and his bat.

Suffice it to say that Boston has gotten its money out of the $ 14 million two-year contract that the former Dodger player played with them this season.

If he continues to wear the Red Sox this way, he could even get a chance to earn his second World Series ring in as many seasons.

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