Chavis slugs way to top of leaderboard

Like most Minor Leaguers, the buzzword in a conversation with Michael Chavis is consistency. And there's no doubt about it -- Chavis has been one of the Minor Leagues' most consistent hitters this season with the numbers to prove it.
The No. 3 Red Sox prospect went 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, three RBIs and a walk to help lead Double-A Portland to a wild 11-10 win over Richmond on Thursday afternoon at Hadlock Field. The home run was his 27th of the season between Portland and Class A Advanced Salem, tying him with Triple-A Nashville's Renato Núñez for the Minor League lead.

For a player who began 2017 with 25 career home runs over three seasons, Chavis might be a surprise candidate to take home this year's Joe Bauman Home Run Award, given to the Minors' top home run hitter at the end of the season. But it's hardly something he thinks about with every swing -- though he won't complain if you let him know where he stands on social media.
"None at all, really," he said. "The only time I'll find out about it is when I see a tweet regarding it after the game. It's kinda funny that realization that you're near the Minor League lead in something. But on the field, it never crosses my mind. I'm paying too much attention to my process, but it's very cool to see after the game."
Batting third as the designated hitter, the 21-year-old slugger wasted no time in catching Nunez on the MiLB leaderboard. Hoping to plate leadoff hitter Joseph Monge, who doubled and stole third in the first inning, Chavis worked a full count against left-hander Nate Reed before going yard for his 10th long ball in 38 games since joining Portland on June 22.
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"It was a long at-bat," he said. "With the second pitch, he got me with a changeup low and later I was able to foul off another one. So when the seventh pitch came around, I had already seen it twice, and when I got it 3-2, I was just trying to get something deep for a sac fly or something, and thankfully, it got over the wall in left center."
Chavis wasn't done. He walked and scored on Henry Urrutia's grand slam in the third and added an RBI double to begin a four-run fifth inning. 
The right-handed-hitting slugger's home run was his fourth in his last eight games, and the two hits extended his hitting streak to 11 contests. During his run, Chavis has gone 18-for-44 (.409) with four homers, six doubles, 12 RBIs and an even 7/7 K/BB ratio. After seeing his Double-A slash line fall to .247/.279/.474 before the hitting streak, he's now raised those numbers to .298/.353/.582 through 38 games. Including his production in the Carolina League, Chavis' .993 overall OPS on the season ranks sixth among full-season Minor Leaguers.
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A 2014 first-round pick, Chavis had seen his stock drop after he tried to play through a broken middle finger last season at Class A Greenville. Now fully healthy, he's able to make the adjustments necessary to thrive.
"I started off real hot until this -- I won't say rough patch -- but I was a little bit off," he said. "That's something I voiced to my hitting coach [Lee May Jr.] because I just love talking about hitting. I can learn a lot by listening alone sometimes, so he told me to watch video. I watched some from earlier in the season when I was doing well in Salem and some early here in Portland.
"Our hitting coach talks about our swings in that when something feels weird, it's a puzzle that needs to be put back together. The more you do that, the better you remember the process to put it back together, like a real puzzle. I've been really focusing on that every time something feels different or off."
The Georgia native's stock is rising once again. He moved up from No. 11 on MLB.com's preseason ranking of Red Sox prospects to No. 3 in the midseason update. He's also now considered the No. 8 third-base prospect in the game, breaking into the top 10 for the first time. He is, however, in the same organization as top third-base prospect Rafael Devers, who is fitting in quite well with the big club since his Major League debut on July 25. For now, Chavis is happy to see Devers, with whom he was teammates for roughly three weeks this summer, tear it up in the big leagues without worrying about what it means for his own future.

"Seeing him in Boston, you feel like it's closer than it might normally be," the Georgia high school product said. "There are definitely times when Boston feels far away, but when you think about it, it's not so far. It was the same feeling last year with [Andrew Benintendi]. I played with him [in Greenville in 2015] and then he was up in the Majors just last year. I just know if I take care of my work on the field, all of the rest will take care of itself too."
If Chavis keeps on hitting like he has, Boston may start thinking about a position change for either him or Devers. Right now, that doesn't seem to be a concern as Chavis has played third base exclusively since moving to the Eastern League, including when he and Devers were on the roster. Right now the slugger -- who hadn't produced an OPS above .682 at a full-season level before 2017 -- is just enjoying hearing his name among the best his system and the Minors has to offer.
"It's definitely a different feeling," he said. "It's nothing I think about. One thing I've been saying this year is that I'm not playing [general manager] anymore. I'm not worried about trades or promotions or anything like that. If I hit .500 and start looking to get promoted, that doesn't change anything. The same as if I hit .200 and actually do get called up. It doesn't change what I can control. If I do what I know I'm capable of, the time will come when it comes."
On Thursday, Chavis played a major role in a thriving Portland offense. Batting fifth, Urrutia finished 2-for-5 with a game-high five RBIs while cleanup hitter and reigning Eastern League Player of the WeekJeremy Barfield hit the go-ahead solo homer in the eighth, breaking a 10-10 tie.
"It's fun to be a part of," Chavis said. "I like that I'm in the three-hole here. I feel comfortable in it. But on days like today, there's not a weak part of this lineup. When things are going our way, we're dangerous, and that frees up hitters because there's no pressure on us when we know everyone else can produce."