FORT MYERS, Fla. — If it wasn’t the best play made in the outfield last season, it was at least in the conversation.
Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi ran to the foul line at Tropicana Field and flung his upper body over a 5-foot wall to steal a home run away from Tampa Bay’s Steven Souza Jr.
What made the play even more remarkable was that Benintendi had started playing left field only a few weeks before.
But the play Benintendi has thought about more in recent days came against Arizona at Fenway Park. When Jean Segura led off the game with a single, Benintendi fired the ball to second base only to see it sail all the way to first baseman Hanley Ramirez.
Segura went to second on the error, the only one Benintendi was charged with last season.
“That’s what I need to fix,’’ Benintendi said on Saturday.
As the Red Sox prepare for the season, their left fielder is focused far more on his glove than his bat. Benintendi is determined to improve his play in left field and bring it up to the high level where center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and right fielder Mookie Betts reside.
Benintendi played only four games in left field with Double A Portland before the Sox called him up. Prior to that, he was a center fielder and a good one.
It is a widely held belief in baseball that a center fielder should be able to move to a corner spot and succeed. But in a place such as Fenway Park, that’s not so automatic. Benintendi had to learn unusual angles and how to play a ball off a 37-foot Monster behind him. There were a few rocky moments.
“A full spring will help. I’ll get a lot of reps and I’ll improve because of that,’’ Benintendi said.
Outfield coach Ruben Amaro Jr. already has started the process, working with Benintendi on his throws and discussing how best to play in the gap with Bradley.
“The actual mechanics of making a throw from left field are different than center. It’s a matter of getting acclimated because he’s so athletic,’’ Amaro said. “You hear, ‘Andrew Benintendi, he’s a superstar.’ The fact of the matter is he has less than half a year in the big leagues and still has some things to learn.’’
In left field, throws are usually shorter and not always to a cutoff man, especially at Fenway. Benintendi has been coached on adjusting his release point to take some loft out of his throws.
A shorter throw does not mean reducing velocity. It’s more having better command, almost like a pitcher.
“You have to get the ball down. It will take repetition,’’ Benintendi said. “I don’t think my throwing was good. I wasn’t terrible but it was different. I need to get better at it.’’
That a 22-year-old player recognizes a flaw is a big first step.
“He’s very aware,’’ Amaro said. “He sees Jackie, Mookie, and [Chris Young]. He sees them working to improve their game. That’s a great lesson to learn. He has them right there in front of him. He knows what’s expected. We don’t have to push him. He knows we’re here to get things right.’’
As a group, Red Sox outfielders were fourth in the majors with 48 runs saved. Betts was credited with 32 for his stellar play in right field and Bradley with 11. Betts won the Gold Glove and Bradley was a finalist.
“It’s a benefit to me, being a part of a group like that. I don’t know how Jackie hasn’t won one yet,’’ Benintendi said. “Everybody out there can do the job. I think we can have one of the best defensive outfields in the game.’’
Benintendi will play some center field in spring training and the plan is for him to back up Bradley at that spot once the season starts. But much of his spring will be working on the details of playing left field.
“There’s no question it’s going to help him a lot,’’ manager John Farrell said. “What he learned last year — the speed of the game, the need to get rid of the ball maybe a little bit quicker so alert or heady base runners don’t take advantage. Those are the normal progressions for a young outfielder coming to the big leagues.
“It’s more the finer points of the game now where Andrew has to maintain the level of play that’s going to be required.’’
A crowd of 5,000 fans turned out at JetBlue Park on Saturday to watch the Sox practice and attend the annual open house. As he went from station to station, cellphone-wielding fans snapped photographs of Benintendi and beseeched him for autographs.
One had a photo of the Souza catch he was hoping to get signed. Maybe next year there will be a photo of Benintendi throwing a runner out at the plate in a key situation.
“I’m not a great left fielder yet,’’ Benintendi said. “But I’ll get there. That’s the goal.’’
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
