In 88 games for Pawtucket, he hit .266/.318/.306, but he only had 11 extra-base hits – nine of them doubles – and only drew 27 walks, raising concerns that he wouldn’t be able to hit enough to keep a job in the majors, despite his superb defensive play (he fielded .966 at short).
In 15 attempts, he stole 12 bases. Between Tim Beckham and Corey Kluber, he was chosen as the 2012 IL All-Star shortstop, and Baseball America ranked him as the league’s 11th-best prospect.
He only played 25 games for Boston, hitting .118/.200/.191, but he did smash his first major league home run. On September 20th, it was against J.P. Howell of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Concerned about Iglesias’ offense, the Red Sox acquired free agent Stephen Drew to play shortstop in 2013, but Drew suffered a concussion during spring training, opening the door for the youngster.
José hit .294 with seven extra-base hits in 68 spring at-bats, demonstrating a much more aggressive approach at the plate, and he got the start on Opening Day against the New York Yankees on April 1st, as Drew had not yet been cleared to return to action.
He continued his spring training success, hitting 3 for 5 with a run and an RBI in a 9-2 victory for the Red Sox.
When Drew returned from the injury list on April 10th, he was sent down to Pawtucket, where he hit.450 (9 for 20) in six games.
Why Was Jose Iglesias So Emotional?
On the field, José Iglesias broke down in tears as he thought about his late father, Candelario. Candelario had attended each and every one of his son’s MLB games.
All of the 979 games that have ever been played. In the meantime, José’s father passed away a few weeks prior, making this the first MLB game without him in attendance