In his backyard in Milton, Mass., when Alex Hassan played whiffle ball with his buddies, they aimed at a replica Green Monster made of plywood. There was also the Citgo sign and Pesky Pole.
But Hassan didn’t emulate any Red Sox players when he took his swings in his Fenway fantasyland. Nor did he copy the style of his favorite player.
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“I liked Vladimir Guerrero growing up,” Hassan said. “But I’m, like, the complete opposite of his approach.”
For that the Red Sox are grateful.
Hassan, 23, features the batting approach the Red Sox crave — a grinding-out style, taking pitches while waiting for a good pitch to hit, or accepting a walk.
Hassan, who played Wednesday night in the Eastern League All-Star game, has emerged as a top Red Sox prospect.
In his second full pro season, Hassan is batting .309 with eight home runs and 45 RBI in 85 games. He leads the league in on-base percentage (.434) and is second in walks (59).
So you can forget Guerrero. Think more of Kevin Youkilis.
The Youkilis comparison works, when looking at his time with the Sea Dogs.
Youkilis was 24 when he came to Portland in 2003, the first year the Sea Dogs were a Red Sox affiliate.
Youkilis was in his second full pro season and already had a month of Double-A under him, finishing the 2002 season in Double-A.
Youkilis played in the 2003 Eastern League All-Star game. (Trivia note: Youkilis played second base in the game.) At the break, Youkilis was batting .319 with four home runs and 37 RBI through 82 games. He had a .465 on-base percentage and 74 walks.
By the end of July, Youkilis was in Pawtucket and in 2004, was included on the World Series roster.
Hassan may not rise that quickly. For one thing, the Red Sox minor league system has grown leaps since 2003 and is full of prospects (outfielders named Reddick, Kalish, Linares, Lin, Nava and even teammate Chih-Hsien Chiang to name a few).
For another thing, Hassan is still a new prospect. He was both an outfielder and pitcher at Duke, and the Red Sox drafted him as a pitcher in 2009 (20th round). Hassan showed in the Cape Cod League he could hit, so Boston changed its mind and focused on Hassan’s bat.
But at the start of last year at advanced Class A Salem, Hassan was not on anyone’s radar.
“Last year he was a fourth outfielder,” said Sea Dogs Manager Kevin Boles, who was in Salem last year. “That’s what people forget. He was a part-time player.
“He had the chance to start (after an outfielder was injured in early June) and he took off.
“He’s building a resume that’s pretty impressive so far.”
That resume is highlighted by two words: advanced hitter.
“He does not give away at-bats,” Portland hitting coach Dave Joppie said. “He grinds and grinds and grinds. He fouls off tough pitches. He finds a way to stay in and get the job done.
“He’s a polished hitter.”
Hassan is smart — along with Duke, his final college choices included Notre Dame and Boston College. But he doesn’t get overly cerebral when it comes to batting.
“I just swing when my eyes say that’s a good pitch to swing at. And when they don’t, I don’t swing,” Hassan said. “I don’t go up there looking for a certain pitch, just something that my eyes say that’s a good pitch to hit hard.”
And don’t analyze Hassan’s grip too much or why he occasionally chokes up.
“I don’t really know,” he said. “Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t. No real reason. Sometimes it feels good to do it.”
Hassan talks in a monotone, showing little emotion. He has handled his success with a shrug.
“The game will really humble you quickly if you get too high,” he said. “It’s a really tough game. Better to stay on an even keel.”
Despite growing up around Boston, Hassan showed no interest in winter sports. He never played hockey and tried basketball only as a high school freshman.
He played Little League, high school, American Legion and AAU baseball before entering Duke.
Hassan opened eyes last year, and now he’s an All-Star with a future for more.
“This guy coming into just his second full professional season, it’s been extremely encouraging,” said Mike Hazen, the Red Sox director of development. “He has a really good approach. He has some power. He’s been consistent all year long. Great makeup and he plays the game really hard.
“The defensive side is what we want him to continue to focus on.”
A part-time outfielder in college, Hassan is still working on his reads. He’s not a speedster but also isn’t lumbering. He has the arm for the outfield.
Hassan has played mostly in left field and some center. He should see time in right field sometime this year.
“Being able to play all three (outfield positions), you add value at the major league level,” Hazen said.
And having a resume that resembles Kevin Youkilis’ doesn’t hurt, either.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: ClearTheBases
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