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Things haven't exactly gone as planned for Blake Swihart this season. In a good way.

The rookie catcher was thrown in the fire early in the season when he was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill in for injured catchers Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan. Swihart has had his ups and downs, but for the most part, he's been pretty impressive for a 23-year-old kid.

Not only is Swihart improving behind the plate, he's also starting to swing a hot bat, posting a .365 average in the month of August with nine RBIs and a .931 OPS. His hitting prowess certainly was on display Friday night, as his inside-the-park homer in the 10th inning lifted Boston to a 6-4 win over the New York Mets.

Swihart still needs to develop in some areas, but former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield thinks he has the tools to be the real deal. Watch Wakefield and Tom Caron discuss Swihart on "Red Sox Gameday Live" in the video above.

Thumbnail photo via Anthony Grupposo/USA TODAY Sports Images