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| (Getty Images) |
Maybe we should call him
'The Sneaky Chicken' or '
The Fluorescent Show'. As he turns 33 today,
Dustin Pedroia is having a 'quietly' dominant season—and, trust us, he doesn't usually do
anything quietly. Through last night, Pedroia has played in 114 of the team's 118 games and is hitting .307—with an on-base percentage of .372. Recently, he comfortably plunked himself down in the lead-off spot—allowing MVP contender
Mookie Betts to hit in the middle of the order. He has 12 HRs and 53 RBIs—to go along with a .451 slugging percentage and an .823 OPS. Most of these 2016 stats are
above his career averages. It's easy to forget that he only played in 93 games last year—battling nagging injuries that have hobbled him over the last few years. This year, fully healthy, he is back on track as a vital everyday force both offensively and defensively. He can tend to get a little overshadowed by the dynamic young guys on the 2016 squad—but make no mistake, he is as indispensable as ever to a winning team. Happy birthday, Pedey!
