Ryan Lavarnway Mashing in June
On June 6, here’s what PawSox catcher Ryan Lavarnway told me during a pre-game interview:
“I finally remembered my mindset from last year. I’m feeling comfortable and have the right aggression level [at the plate] right now.”
Obviously those were more than just words, as Lavarnway has been on fire so far this month and his numbers prove the point:
- Since June 1, Lavarnway is batting .360 (17-for-46) and is the 6th leading batter in the International League.
- Of his 18 hits this month, over half have been for extra-bases (6 doubles, 4 homers).
- His 10 extra-base hits in 12 games are tied for the 3rd-most in the league, but he has the highest ratio of extra-base hits/game played.
- His .720 SLG is the 2nd-highest among active players (Ryan Kalish is at .757).
- Lavarnway has more home runs in 12 games this month (four) than he had in 41 games during April and May combined (three).
- Furthermore, with already 14 runs batted in this month, he’s likely to surpass his combined total from the first two months of the season (17).
Overall this year, Lavarnway is batting .291 with seven homers and 31 RBI in 53 games. (Kelly O’Connor).
A quick look back to previous years shows that this isn’t the first time the PawSox catcher has heated up in June:
- Lavarnway split June of 2011 between Double-A Portland (nine games) and Pawtucket (15 games).
- He combined to hit .347 (33-for-95) while belting seven doubles, seven homers, and driving in 23 runs.
- With High-A Salem in June of 2010, Lavarnway hit .337 (32-for-95) in 25 games with nine doubles, 3 homers, and 20 RBI.
What’s the major difference between June 2010, June 2011, and June 2012? This is the first June of his career where Lavarnway is mashing and catching everyday.
-AG
@aaronmgoldsmith
agoldsmith@pawsox.com
I thought the difference was the high socks….