A week or so ago, it looked like Torsten Boss could be one of those guys who plays here until the end of the first half but returns to Aberdeen for the second half to get more seasoning – surprising, because the Michigan State product was an 8th round pick last season. Naturally, being drafted that high is no guarantee of success but Torsten did well enough at Aberdeen to grab a two-game cup of coffee with Frederick near the tail end of last season.
But over the last few games, Boss has raised his average from .180 to .267 as he’s in the midst of a 14-for-36 tear over his last 10 games, a stretch where he clouted his first two home runs in a Delmarva uniform in back-to-back games at Savannah and Greenville. Those two games began a run of 8 RBI in his last six games, including the lone tally in last night’s 3-1 loss.
As I mentioned, Torsten made his debut with Aberdeen last season, hitting .257/5/27/.774 OPS in 57 games before going 1-for-7 in two August games for the Keys. But while he played exclusively at third base for the IronBirds, the 22-year-old Michigan native is now starting exclusively at second base with Delmarva. (Joel Hutter, his Aberdeen teammate who played shortstop there, is now manning third for the Shorebirds.)
There’s no doubt that versatility is the stock and trade of most major league players – as pitching staffs expand, those players who man the bench are well-served to be able to play several positions. Eventually it’s likely that Boss will have his turn around the infield and might even see duty in the outfield. But as long as Boss can keep improving his average and batting ability, a position will open up for him.