Carter Making Good First Impression

Chris Carter came to the PawSox with an impressive minor league resume. And early in the 2008 season, he continues to put up some impressive numbers.

Carter is the only PawSox player to get at least one hit in each of the team’s first six games. He‘s batting .450, tied for third in the IL heading into Wednesday night’s slate of games. He leads the league in doubles with 5.

The soft-spoken left-handed hitting outfielder came to the PawSox last August to complete the trade that sent Wily Mo Pena to the Washington Nationals. He never played in the Nationals organization, as he was shipped to Boston the same day he was dealt to Washington from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Carter was a 17^th round pick by Arizona in the 2004 draft fresh out of Stanford University.

In the Diamondbacks organization Carter turned many heads at each minor league stop. His career minor league batting average is over .300 with 86 home runs and 370 RBI’s. His last two seasons at Triple A Tucson he averaged .313 with 18 homers and 91 RBI’s, solid numbers at any level.

“For me, it’s knowing myself. It’s knowing what I can do and what I’m good at.” Carter said, “It’s knowing how pitchers can get me out and how I can take advantage of the situation.”

One of Carter’s early successes so far this young season is his ability to hit left-handers.

“With lefties, I focus on staying on top of the plate not diving back, especially on a curve ball” he said.

Much has been made of Brandon Moss and his transition to first base. He’s not alone. Carter has spent much of his professional career at first base and is now asked to play more often in the outfield.

“I played outfield in college” he said, “I take early ground balls so I don’t lose that skill. All I can do is work as hard as I can and things will come.”

His offensive prowess will undoubtedly draw some attention from fans in Pawtucket and the front office in Boston. But like other players on the PawSox, making the leap to the big leagues will not be easy.

“My attitude is prepare for the game, do everything you can and hopefully it works out” Carter said, “My goal is to do well with what I can control.”

And so far Carter has been able to control quite a bit.