By Tiffany Williams –
On Tuesday night in Worcester, the 23-year-old rising star Matthew Lugo stole the show as he made his highly anticipated Triple-A debut with the Worcester Red Sox.
Hailing from Manati, Puerto Rico, Lugo honed his skills at the prestigious Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy.
Lugo, Boston’s second-round pick in the 2019 Draft, showcased his talent in his inaugural game at Polar Park, going 1-for-3 with a resounding double, drawing a hit by pitch, and crossing home plate twice.
The excitement only intensified on Lugo’s second night with Worcester, as he achieved a significant milestone by launching his first Triple-A home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. This crucial play helped the Sox tie the game, with the daring Nick Sogard adding another run.
Lugo’s ascent to Triple-A followed an impressive stint with Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, where he astounded fans with an awe-inspiring .315 batting average, and was leading the Eastern League while also ranking third in the league with 11 home runs, showcasing his prowess on the diamond.
Tuesday Lugo talked with Tommy Cassell from the Worcester Telegram and Katie Morrison-O’Day from MassLive, and when asked about being in Worcester, Lugo said, “Excited, you know, unexpected to be this early in the year. But, you know, the work that I’ve been putting in, the offseason, spring training throughout the year in Portland has paid off and just looking forward, you know, to get going here in Worcester.”
When asked about the offseason and work he’s put in at plate that he changed from last year to this year, Lugo said, “Yeah, it’s more of distinguishing yourself. I feel like last year, I got myself on a lot of pitches like on the corners and out of strike zone. So this year, I changed my goal a little bit to be consistent earlier, and, you know, I can pick up the ball a little bit earlier so I can make better decisions at the plate. And I think this year I’ve been doing a good job doing that, and hammering the ball is where I do damage.”
When asked if he’s gotten any advice from anybody about the transition to AAA and kind of what to expect, Lugo said, “Yeah, a lot of the guys say the strike zone here’s a little bit more narrow. So even more, you know, I have to look for pitches that I can do damage with and don’t worry about the corners too much. Because the guys here, the pitchers here are veterans, and they know how to pitch. They know how to, you know, work the corners. So give that to them and focus on where I do damage.
When asked about a tough year last year and what has it been like to be back this year and hitting so well, Lugo replied, “You know, I always knew that I had that in me. Last year, I knew that it was more approach-wise. I haven’t changed my swing. I haven’t changed, again, the essence of who I am as a player. I haven’t changed my aggressiveness, either. I just work in the offseason, and it just paid off this year. I’ve always believed in myself. I’ve always believed that I’m a good player, and it’s showing this year a lot.”