The top 25 Boston Red Sox of all time

Pesky didn’t have a terribly long career, as he lost three seasons to military service due to World War II breaking out soon after his rookie season (when he finished third in MVP voting). However, his impact on the franchise is undeniable, as he’s one of only a handful of players to have his number retired by the Red Sox. Plus, the right field foul pole is known to this day as Pesky’s Pole.

We’re going very old school in selecting Hooper, as he played with Boston from 1909 through 1920, before ending his career with the White Sox. He didn’t have power — few players did then — but he could steal a base and played a fine right field. The Veteran’s Committee put Hooper in the Hall of Fame in 1971. Based purely on his numbers he would be higher, but we’re adjusting for era and for the fact few people remember his name.

Wakefield was a lot of fun, wasn’t he? Who doesn’t love a knuckleballer? However, the longtime Red Sox pitcher was more than just a novelty. He spent 17 seasons hurling (slowly, but still) for Boston, and due to that longevity he ranks sixth in WAR for Red Sox pitchers.

Smith’s best couple of seasons came with the Dodgers, but he began his career with the Red Sox and spent eight years with them. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and made two All-Star games. Though his time between Boston and Los Angeles was pretty evenly split, he put up much better overall numbers with the Red Sox, including leading the American League in doubles twice.

Betts already ranks 21st, and he will definitely climb up these rankings before his career is over. He seems primed to win his first MVP, and he’s already won two Gold Gloves and made three All-Star teams. Betts is one of the best hitters in baseball and perhaps its best right fielder. And he’s only 26!

Manny’s time in Boston had its ups and downs. He could do weird things in the field, and his career was marred by PED suspensions. All that being said, few people were better hitters in his generation. He hit 274 homers in eight seasons with the Red Sox and made the All-Star game ever year. Give him some bonus points for personality, and you have yourself a top-20 player.

Say, did you know that Ruth played for the Red Sox once upon a time? We joke, of course. The trade that brought the Babe to the Yankees is one of the most monumental moments in baseball history. Before becoming arguably the greatest hitter of all time, Ruth was a great pitcher for Boston, which is how he managed to become a top-20 player for two different, iconic franchises.

Tiant played for several different franchises, but that’s what happens when you play for 19 years. Eight of those years were spent with the Red Sox, and the three times he finished in the top six in Cy Young voting were when he was with Boston. He also once led the majors with a 1.91 ERA. He’s 40th in career WAR for pitchers, and yet he didn’t manage to make the Hall of Fame.

If you weren’t a Red Sox fan in the ‘60s and ‘70s, you may not remember Petrocelli. If you were, however, you likely have fond memories of the lifelong Red Sox shortstop and third baseman. He would have likely had a better legacy if advanced stats had been created earlier. In 1969, he led the American League with 10.0 WAR but finished seventh in the MVP voting.

Foxx is a legendary baseball player, and if he had spent his entire career with Boston he would be much higher on this list. The slugger played in Philadelphia for 11 years before spending seven seasons with Boston. In one of those years he hit 50 homers, picked up 175 RBI and won the MVP. That alone will get you in the top 25 for any franchise.

Like Foxx, Grove split his career between Philadelphia and Boston. Four times with the Red Sox he led the American League in ERA, and he’s got some of the best numbers ever for a pitcher. However, he also pitched from 1925 until 1941. It was a different era, which is why he’s a little further down in the rankings.

Fisk is probably thought of more as a White Sox player, but the catcher spent 11 years with the Red Sox as well. He has an iconic moment in Boston history, waving at the air in an attempt to urge a ball to go fair in the 1975 World Series. The Hall of Famer’s number was retired by the Red Sox, and he held the record for homers by a catcher until Mike Piazza came along.

Nomah! For several years, Garciaparra was the face of the Red Sox and a truly beloved player for the franchise. He won Rookie of the Year in 1997, and he never had a bad year with the team. Nomar had a sharp eye, as he led the American League in batting average twice, and he had a 20-20 season once. He’s not a Hall of Famer, but he’s a Red Sox legend nevertheless.

Pedroia’s time in the sun is coming to a close. Age and his tenacious style of play have caught up to the longtime second baseman. However, it’s that tenacity and intensity that have made him so beloved. The results have been there as well. Pedroia, who won Rookie of the Year and MVP in back-to-back seasons, will have his number retired in time, perhaps sooner rather than later.

For the longest time, Jim Rice was one of those perennial borderline Hall of Fame cases that the analytically inclined were cooler on than most. But his legacy with the Red Sox isn’t entirely based on that. He made eight All-Star teams and won an MVP, and most importantly spent his entire 16-year career in Boston. That’s partially why he’s so high on this list. Rice was great (he made it into Cooperstown on his last try), but just as importantly he was a Red Sox icon. 

Like Rice, Doerr spent his entire career with the Red Sox. He played 14 years with Boston, though he lost a year to World War II. He made nine All-Star teams, and his number was retired by the Red Sox. He’s an old school name but one that belongs in the pantheon.

Big Papi! Ortiz was certainly the face of the Red Sox during his tenure with the team. He was the big, beloved personality, but he had a bat to back it up. He hit 483 homers and had a .956 OPS with the team. Sure, he didn’t play in the field, but that’s fine when your bat is this potent. It’s Papi and Edgar Martinez vying for the title of best DH of all time.

Speaker spent more seasons with Cleveland, but he spent the first nine years of his career with Boston. That includes when he won the MVP with a staggering .464 OBP and led the American League in homers with…10. It was a different game back then. He played his final season with the Red Sox before World War I ended, which makes it hard to have him too high on this list even if he was one of the best players of his era.

Speaking of different eras, Young won 511 games in his career. That’s a record that seems fairly safe. He had a 2.00 ERA with the Red Sox, and he’s second in team history in pitcher WAR. There’s no denying his excellence, even if you’re Old Hoss Radbourn, but he played his last season with the team in 1908. Baseball was a very, very different sport.

Are there Red Sox fans who fawn over Cy Young? Not really. Pedro, on the other hand? He’s a living legend in Beantown. In addition to his effervescent personality, he was a dominant pitcher. He won two Cy Youngs with the Red Sox and finished second in an MVP vote. The only thing keeping him out of the top five is that he played only seven seasons with the Red Sox. What a great seven years it was, though.

Why hasn’t Dwight Evans’ number been retired? He played 19 seasons with the Red Sox, making three All-Star Games and winning eight Gold Gloves. His 66.5 WAR with Boston is ranked fourth among all batters. He was a great hitter whose on-base skills (career .370 OBP) were overlooked in a different era. Now’s the time to start the Dwight Evans Appreciation Society.

Clemens is arguably the best pitcher of his era, and is, by WAR, the best pitcher in Red Sox history. He put up a staggering 81.0 WAR with Boston, and his numbers are truly amazing. Then of course, he got himself traded to Toronto and ended up as a Yankee. That has soured some Red Sox fans on him, and the steroid stuff doesn’t help. Otherwise, he might be even higher on this list.

Much like Evans, Boggs’ skills were less recognized in his era. He led the American League in OBP six times when he was with Boston. He finished in the top 10 in WAR eight times as well. The Hall of Famer had an OBP of .428 in his time with the Red Sox, and he was so well liked that the fact he ended up joining the Yankees didn’t completely kill the admiration he got from Boston fans. Plus, he ended his career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays right after they became a team, which is fun.

Yaz is the greatest living Red Sox player — a combination of longevity and excellence. He won the Triple Crown in his MVP season of 1967, which you may recall was the last time that happened for a good, long while. However, he also played a whopping 23 years in the majors, all with Boston. On 18 occasions he represented the Red Sox in the All-Star Game, and he’s the best Boston player whom a lot of people who are still alive can fondly remember.

Who else could it be? There are those who say that Williams was the best pure hitter in baseball history. The guy has 123.1 career WAR with the Red Sox, which dwarfs even Yastrzemski. He did this despite missing time to serve in World War II AND Korea. There aren’t enough positive things you can say about the Splendid Splinter as a hitter. He batted .400 in a season! His .482 OBP in his career is the best ever! Williams isn’t just the best Red Sox player. He’s one of the 20 best players of all time, perhaps top 10.