Next up Franchise Phenoms is the All-Time Red Sox Team. Boston follows the White Sox, Phillies, and Rockies as fourth up in our series.
Franchise Overview
The Red Sox were founded in 1901 as a charter member of the American League. Only eight National League franchises have played more seasons than the Red Sox.
For much of the middle portion of their existence, Red Sox history was marked by disappointment and unfulfilled promise. Boston famously did not win a World Series from 1918-2004. They made the playoffs 10 times during that period, including four trips to the fall classic. Boston fans gradually became accustomed to having their hearts ripped out in the most dramatic and agonizing fashion.
The total picture of Red Sox history is actually much prettier than the heartache in the middle. The misery of Boston fans has been book-ended by two of the most impressive stretches of any franchise in history.
The Red Sox are tied for the third most World Series championships in history with nine (1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018).
Their .519 winning percentage is the fifth best all-time mark of any big league franchise.
Boston has made the playoffs in 20.3 % of their seasons, the seventh highest percentage in history.
Red Sox fans may always measure their franchise against the long-term dominance of their rivals in New York. Viewed in that context, there is still work to do. At the same time, Boston’s history would be the envy of nearly every other fan-base in America. Context is fun.
Hitters
| Starting Lineup | Name | Position | B/T | bWAR/ 650 | OPS+ | Years Played |
| 1. | Wade Boggs | 3B | L/R | 6.5 | 142 | 1982-92 |
| 2. | Ted Williams | RF (LF) | L/R | 8.2 | 190 | 1939-60 |
| 3. | Nomar Garciaparra | SS (1B) | R/R | 6.3 | 133 | 1996-2004 |
| 4. | David Ortiz | DH (1B) | L/L | 4.2 | 148 | 2003-16 |
| 5. | Carl Yastrzemski | CF (LF/1B) | L/R | 4.5 | 129 | 1961-83 |
| 6. | Jim Rice | LF | R/R | 3.5 | 128 | 1974-89 |
| 7. | Dwight Evans | 1B (RF) | R/R | 4.3 | 127 | 1972-90 |
| 8. | Carlton Fisk | C | R/R | 6.0 | 126 | 1969-80 |
| 9. | Dustin Pedroia | 2B | R/R | 5.0 | 113 | 2006-Present |
| Bench | ||||||
| OF | Harry Hooper | RF | L/R | 3.5 | 114 | 1909-20 |
| OF | Dom DiMaggio | CF | R/R | 3.3 | 110 | 1940-53 |
| IN | Bobby Doerr | 2B | R/R | 4.2 | 115 | 1937-51 |
| IN | Rico Petrocelli | SS/3B | R/R | 4.2 | 108 | 1963-76 |
| C | Jason Varitek | C | S/R | 2.8 | 98 | 1997-2011 |
Fenway Phenoms
Not surprisingly, for a team that has had the long-term historical success of the Red Sox, the All-Time Red Sox Team is one of the most impressive rosters in the entire exercise. The All-Time Red Sox hitters have the seventh highest average OPS+.
Boston’s all-time starting nine is an impressive collection of talent and names.
“The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived”
Any list of the greatest Red Sox in history has to begin with Ted Williams. A two-time MVP who twice won the Triple Crown, Williams is in a category all by himself in Boston lore. He was an All Star in 17 of the 19 seasons he played for the Red Sox.
His career bWAR ranks 14th in history despite missing significant time in his prime while serving in the military. Williams has the highest OBP in big league history (.482) and ranks second in slugging (.634). Any way you slice it, Teddy Ballgame is one of the greatest players in baseball history.
Red Sox Royalty
Like Williams, Carl Yastrzemski holds a special place in the hearts of Boston fans. Yaz spent his entire 23-year career in Boston, earning All Star honors in 18 of those seasons. In 1967, he propelled the Red Sox to the World Series. He won the MVP and the Triple Crown that year, captivating Red Sox Nation. He is probably more responsible for reversing the fortunes of one of the game’s great franchises than any other player.
Designated Hitter, David Ortiz is a similarly mythical figure in Boston history. A 10-time All Star, Big Papi was one of the most feared sluggers of his generation. The slayer of Boston’s postseason demons, his clutch-hitting feats are the stuff of baseball legend. Ortiz has a chance to break the stigma against players who were primarily designated hitters making the Hall of Fame.
Hall of Famers Galore
Third baseman Wade Boggs was an eight-time All Star during his 11 years in Boston. Perhaps the greatest pure hitter and on-base machine of his generation, Boggs won five batting titles, and led the league in OBP six times during his Red Sox career. He was a solid defender as well, winning two Gold Gloves to boot.
Carlton Fisk is one of the great catchers in big league history. In 11 seasons in Boston, Pudge was a seven-time All Star as one of the best offensive catchers the game has ever seen. His homer in Game Six of the 1975 World Series is one of the most iconic moments in baseball history. He made the All Star team five more times as a member of the White Sox, where he can also lay claim to the title of best catcher in their franchise’s history.
Left-fielder Jim Rice developed a reputation as one of the most feared sluggers of his day. In 16 seasons with the Red Sox, Rice was an eight-time All Star. He led the league in homers three times, and won the AL MVP in 1978.
The Rest of the Starters
Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra burst onto the scene as the 1997 AL Rookie of the Year. Nomar was a two-time batting champion, and five-time All Star in Boston. Nomar’s nine years in Boston represent one of the best offensive stretches for a shortstop in big league history.
Dwight Evans gets the nod at first base. Dewey played 19 of his 20 seasons in Boston. An excellent outfielder who won eight Gold Gloves in Boston’s difficult right field, Evans moves to first to accommodate Boston’s wealth of great outfielders. He was a three-time All Star and two-time Silver Slugger as well. A well-rounded player, he led the league in walks three times and homers, runs, and OBP once each.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia endeared himself to Red Sox fans the way few other players have. Listed at just 5’9″, 175 pounds, Pedroia’s “Laser Show” was one of the top attractions on two World Series teams. To date, Pedroia has made the All Star team four times. He has also won four Gold Gloves, and a Silver Slugger with Boston. He was the AL MVP in 2008 when he led the league in runs, hits, and doubles.
Bench
Hall of Fame right fielder Harry Hooper is part of a deep Boston bench. A speed/OBP oriented offensive player, Hooper spent 12 years in Boston. He received MVP votes in 1913-1914. He is Boston’s career leader in triples (130).
Center fielder Dom DiMaggio played his entire 11-year career with the Red Sox. He was a seven-time All Star despite missing his age 26-28 seasons in military service during World War II. DiMaggio received MVP votes six times, including a 9th place finish in 1946. He twice led the league in runs, and once each in triples and stolen bases.
Hall of Fame second baseman Bobby Doerr headlines the Boston bench. With more power than a typical middle infielder, Doerr racked up nine All Star selections in 14 seasons with Boston. He led the league in slugging in 1944. Doerr received MVP votes eight times, finishing third in 1946.
Rico Petrocelli spent 13 years in Boston, splitting his time between shortstop and third base. A well-regarded defensive player who as occasionally excellent at the plate as well, Petrocelli was one of the more underrated players of his generation. He was a two-time All Star, and received MVP votes three times. In 1969, he clubbed 40 homers en route to an incredible 10.0 bWAR to lead the American League, but finished just 7th in the MVP race.
Jason Varitek gets the nod as the backup catcher. As captain of the Red Sox for the final seven seasons of his 15-year career, Varitek was at the center of some of the best teams in Boston history including two World Series champions. The switch-hitter was a three-time All Star who also pulled in Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards in 2005. He received down-ballot MVP consideration three times.
Pitchers
| Starting Rotation | Name | B/T | ERA+ | Years Played |
| 1. | Cy Young | R/R | 147 | 1901-08 |
| 2. | Pedro Martinez | R/R | 191 | 1998-2004 |
| 3. | Roger Clemens | R/R | 145 | 1984-96 |
| 4. | Jon Lester | L/L | 120 | 2006-14 |
| 5. | Luis Tiant | R/R | 119 | 1971-78 |
| Bullpen | ||||
| LR | Tim Wakefield | R/R | 106 | 1995-2011 |
| RP | Bob Stanley | R/R | 119 | 1977-89 |
| RP | Derek Lowe | R/R | 128 | 1998-2004 |
| RP | Ellis Kinder | R/R | 135 | 1948-55 |
| SU | Dick Radatz | R/R | 147 | 1962-66 |
| CL | Jonathan Papelbon | R/R | 197 | 2005-11 |
Starting Rotation
The Red Sox carry a truly elite collection of all-time pitching talent. The 144 OPS+ average of their five starting pitchers is the best of any all-time team’s rotation.
All-Time Greats
The Name
The man whose name is synonymous with pitching excellence fronts Boston’s rotation. Cy Young started his career with nine seasons for the now-defunct Cleveland Spiders, then two in St. Louis before coming to Boston in 1901. In eight seasons with the Red Sox, Cy Young solidified his status as a big league legend.
Young won the Triple Crown while pitching for Boston in 1901. Overall, he led the league in wins three times, innings twice, ERA and strikeouts once each for the Red Sox. Modern metrics view him favorably as well. He led the league in FIP three times, WHIP four times, and strikeout-to-walk ratio five times during his time in Boston. He eclipsed nine bWAR an incredible four times during his Boston years alone. Cy Young remains baseball’s all-time leader in wins (511), starts (815), complete games (749), and innings (7356).
The Force
Name recognition gets Cy Young the ceremonial top spot in Boston’s rotation, but Pedro Martinez has a legitimate claim to the title of best Red Sox pitcher in history. Pedro’s seven-year run in Boston is considered among the best stretches of any pitcher, in any era, in history. His pinpoint control of some of the best stuff the game has ever seen often made him unhittable.
Like Cy Young himself, Pedro has a Triple Crown to his credit with the Red Sox in 1999. Pedro was a four-time All Star in Boston. He won back-to-back Cy Youngs in 1999-2000 and finished in the top-five four more times. He also received MVP votes five times, including back-to-back top-five finishes in his Cy Young seasons.
Martinez led the league in ERA, ERA+, WHIP, FIP, and K/9 in the same season four times with the Red Sox. In a loaded pantheon of Boston starting pitchers, Pedro has the top strikeout and strikeout-walk rates in team history. While he may not have the longevity of some of Boston’s other pitchers, there is little debate that he was the most dominant.
The Rocket
Roger Clemens spent the first 13 seasons of his 24-year career in Boston giving him the longest tenure of any member of the rotation. With some of the most explosive stuff the game had seen in its history, Clemens became an icon nationwide. He would go on to forge one of the most remarkable, and controversial, careers in big league history, and it all began in Boston.
Clemens won the first of three Cy Young awards with Boston at age 23 in 1986 when he was also the MVP. He backed it up with another Cy Young season in 1987 before winning his third in 1991. Clemens also had three other top-six finishes with the Red Sox. He earned MVP votes four times in Boston. He was a five-time All Star for the Red Sox.
Clemens led the league in FIP six times as a member of the Red Sox. He also paced in the A.L. in ERA, ERA+, and strikeout-to-walk ratio four times, and wins, strikeouts, and WHIP twice each. Clemens leads Red Sox pitchers in wins, strikeouts, and shutouts for his career. With the most pitching bWAR of any Red Sox hurler, we will dig deeper into his career in the Mount RushWAR series.
The Lefty
Jon Lester spent the first nine years of his career in Boston. Although rarely recognized as among the very best pitchers in the game, his steadiness in big games proved invaluable on the road to two World Series titles in Boston. Lester was a three-time All Star in Boston. He finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2010 and 2014. He led the league in K/9 in 2010.
The Cuban
One of the best Latin pitchers in history, Luis Tiant began his career in Cleveland before coming to Boston at age 30 in 1971. At a time in his career when it appeared his best days were behind him, Tiant’s eight years in Boston were his renaissance. In Boston, he was a two-time All Star who finished sixth or better in the Cy Young voting three times while earning MVP votes in each of those seasons. Tiant led the league in ERA in 1972, and WHIP in 1973.
Bullpen
As good as Boston’s all-time starting rotation is, the bullpen isn’t far behind. The average ERA+ for Boston’s all-time relievers is tied for sixth best.
Jonathan Papelbon gets the nod at closer for the Red Sox. His 197 ERA+ over seven seasons in Boston is the fourth best mark of any Franchise Phenom reliever. Papelbon made four straight All Star teams from 2006-2009. He earned saves in three of Boston’s four World Series wins, including the clincher, in 2007. His 219 saves are the most in Red Sox history.
In five years with Boston, Dick Radatz was one of the most effective relievers in baseball. He was utterly dominant for his first three seasons, and led the league in saves twice during that stretch. He was a two-time All Star who twice finished in the top-10 in the MVP voting. Radatz still has the lowest Hit/9 rate of any pitcher in Boston history.
Ellis Kinder began his Red Sox career as a starter, including a 23-win season in 1949. He ultimately shifted to the bullpen, and was primarily a reliever for five of his eight years in Boston. Kinder led the league in saves, and appearances, in 1951 and 1953. He finished 11th, or better, in the MVP race three times.
Acquired from the Mariners in the same trade that brought fellow Franchise Phenom Jason Varitek to Boston, Derek Lowe would go on to be one of the best pitchers in Red Sox history. Lowe began his career as a versatile, mult-inning arm before becoming closer, and eventually shifting to the starting rotation for the second half of his Red Sox career. He was a two-time All Star, once as a reliever, and once as a starter. He led the league in saves in 2000, and finished third in the Cy Young as a starter in 2002.
Bob Stanley spent his entire 13-year career in Boston, primarily as a reliever. A versatile pitcher who regularly threw multiple innings out of the bullpen, Stanley was one of Boston’s most trusted arms for more than a decade. He was a two-time All Star who twice finished seventh in the Cy Young voting, and earned MVP votes three times. He led the league in ERA+ in 1982. Stanley remains Boston’s all-time leader in games pitched (637) and games finished (377).
Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield rounds out the Boston pitching staff. Although he was primarily a starter in his 17 seasons with Boston, he did make 160 relief appearances. Wakefield finished third in the Cy Young voting in his 1995 Red Sox debut. He would go on to be a critical piece of two World Series teams. He was an All Star in 2009. Wakefield is Boston’s all-time leader in games started (430) and innings (3006).