Key Takeaways
- This ranking celebrates the 30 greatest Boston Red Sox players across the franchise’s 125-year history and four 21st-century championships.
- Ted Williams tops the list as baseball’s last .400 hitter, followed by postseason icon David Ortiz, longtime legend Carl Yastrzemski, and dominant ace Pedro Martinez.
- The countdown spans early champions like Cy Young and Babe Ruth, modern stars such as Mookie Betts and Manny Ramirez, and fan favorites including Johnny Pesky and Tim Wakefield.
The Boston Red Sox have long ago shed the lovable losers label that they wore for over eight decades. In fact, the Sox have more World Series championships in the 21st century than any other team in Major League Baseball. Boston has raised the Commissioner’s Trophy four times since 2000, winning it all in 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018.
Their quest for a fifth championship this century begins tonight in the Bronx as they face their heated rivals, the New York Yankees, in a best-of-three American League Wild Card series.
The iconic franchise has been around for 125 years now, and many of the game’s all-time greats have donned the Boston uniform.
It can be argued that the Red Sox have had the greatest hitter of all-time (Ted Williams), the greatest pitcher of all-time (peak Pedro Martinez), and the most clutch player of all-time (David Ortiz).
Then it should come as no surprise that those three names are among the 30 Best Boston Red Sox of All Time.
Johnny Pesky
Seasons: 1942, 1946-52
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1946 AL All-Star
Pesky is so revered in Red Sox nation that there is a piece of Fenway Park named after him. The right field foul pole is known as “Pesky’s Pole.” Pesky was never known for his power, but during one game he belted a home run off the right field pole and teammate Mel Parnell—as legend has it—coined the term. Pesky’s Red Sox career began brilliantly as he led the American League in hits in 1942 with 205. He finished third in AL MVP voting that year behind Joe Gordon and teammate Ted Williams. The shortstop and third baseman missed three seasons due to World War II but did not miss a beat upon his return. He led the AL in hits in 1946 and 1947.
Pesky was a Red Sox lifer as he wore many hats in the organization following his retirement as a player. He served as manager in 1963-64 and again (briefly) in 1980. He also served as a bench coach and TV announcer. Pesky was always around Fenway Park, well into the 1990s and 2000s. He was granted special access as a Special Assignment Instructor for the Red Sox in 2004 when they finally broke the alleged “Curse of the Bambino.” He was present on the field during the celebration at Busch Stadium following the final out.
Derek Lowe
Seasons: 1997-04
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 2000 AL Saves Leader, 2x AL All-Star
Lowe was known for his nasty sinkerball during one of the most notable periods in Red Sox history. The Mariners draft pick, along with catcher Jason Varitek, was traded to the Red Sox on July 31, 1997 in exchange for closer Heathcliff Slocumb. The swap is considered one of the best trades in Red Sox history. Lowe initially made his mark with the Red Sox as a closer as he led the American League in saves in 2000 with 42. By 2002, he was moved back to the starting rotation—where he thrived. Lowe no-hit the Devil Rays at Fenway Park on April 27, 2002. In a crucial spot in the deciding Game 5 of the 2003 ALDS against the A’s, Lowe pitched a memorable scoreless ninth inning to close out Oakland.
Chris Sale
Seasons: 2017-18, 2021-23
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 2017 AL Strikeout Leader, 2x AL All-Star
The amount of velocity that Sale gets on his pitches is incredible given his beanpole of a frame. While that skinny frame did not hold up too well during his time in Boston, almost every time he was able to take the mound for the Sox proved to be special. Sale made an immediate impression with Sox fans as he began the 2017 season by striking out 10 or more batters in eight consecutive starts. It tied the MLB record that he already shared with Pedro Martinez. Sale was injured down the stretch of the Red Sox’s 2018 World Series-winning season, but he was able to make several appearances. He recorded the final out of that year’s Fall Classic against the Dodgers, getting longtime Sox foe Manny Machado to whiff on a nasty slider before he was embraced by catcher Christian Vazquez.
Tim Wakefield
Seasons: 1995-2011
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 1x AL All-Star
The knuckleballer pitched 17 seasons for the Red Sox, making him the longest-serving pitcher in franchise history. Wakefield played every role imaginable for Boston during those years— excelling as a starter, in middle relief, and as a closer. He baffled hitters, many of whom had never seen a knuckleball before, particularly in his first season with the Red Sox in 1995. “Wake” began the season with a sparkling 1.65 ERA and a 14-1 record. The former Pittsburgh Pirate wound up finishing that season third in AL Cy Young voting. Wakefield had multiple career resurgencies. He recorded 17 wins in 1998, went three straight seasons with less than 10 wins, then rattled off four straight seasons of double-digit victories. In 2007, at age 40, Wakefield incredibly tied his career mark for victories in a season with 17. He made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2009 at the age of 42.
Jonathan Papelbon
Seasons: 2005-11
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 4x AL All-Star
Papelbon brought a youthful energy to the Red Sox early in his Boston tenure. He sported a mohawk for a period of time and was the dean of locker room and on-field celebrations involving adult beverages. One of his top celebrations took place on October 28, 2007 in Colorado when the Red Sox won their second World Series of the 21st century. Papelbon closed out the series against the Rockies in Game 4, throwing 23 pitches while not allowing a hit, run or walk. Papelbon was a lights-out closer, particularly early in his Boston tenure. On June 7, 2011, he became the quickest player in MLB history to reach 200 saves—breaking Mariano Rivera’s record. By the time Papelbon left the Red Sox, he was the franchise’s all-time saves leader.
Mo Vaughn
Seasons: 1991-98
World Series Appearances: 0
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1995 AL MVP, 1995 Silver Slugger, 1995 AL RBI Leader, 3x AL All-Star
“The Hit Dog” was one of the biggest Red Sox stars of the 1990s. He was David Ortiz before David Ortiz—a big, lovable lefty slugger. Vaughn’s season-long home run totals jumped from 13 to 29 from 1992 to 1993. In the strike-shortened season of 1994, he belted 29 home runs. The next season, 1995, was arguably Vaughn’s finest as he won the American League MVP award. That season he smashed 39 home runs with a league-leading 126 RBI. The Connecticut native was known for crowding the plate while wearing a massive elbow pad, which often blocked out the top half of the strike zone.
Josh Beckett
Seasons: 2006-12
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 2007 MLB Wins Leader, 2007 ALCS MVP, 3x AL All-Star
Beckett was the Red Sox’s ace during one of the best seasons in franchise history (2007). The flame-thrower from Texas posted an American League-best 20 wins and finished second in Cy Young voting. Beckett was outstanding in a dogfight of an ALCS against the Cleveland Indians in 2007. In the seven-game series, Beckett went 2-0, posted a 1.93 ERA, and allowed just three runs in 14 innings. After that series, then-Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell said that Beckett was “the best pitcher I’ve ever seen.” Beckett made the most of his one start in the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies, as he allowed just 1 run on 6 hits in 7 innings pitched in Game 1. Boston would win the game 13-1, and wound up sweeping Colorado.
Jon Lester
Seasons: 2006-14
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 3x AL All-Star
Lester inspired the city of Boston and Red Sox fans around the globe by overcoming lymphoma early in his MLB career. Following successful treatment, the lefty was able to work his way into an extremely talented Boston rotation late in 2007. He wound up starting the clinching Game 4 of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies. Lester worked 5 ⅔ shutout innings against Colorado, allowing just three hits and three walks. He became only the third pitcher in World Series history to win a series-clinching game in his first postseason start. On May 19, 2008, Lester threw the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history. He threw 130 pitches against the Kansas City Royals, striking out 9 batters and allowing only 2 walks.
Jason Varitek
Seasons: 1997-2011
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 2005 Gold Glove Award, 2005 Silver Slugger, 3x AL All-Star
Varitek was the Red Sox’s stoic, powerful leader during a time in which the team had boisterous, loud characters like Kevin Millar, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, and Johnny Damon. At the height of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in the early 2000s, Varitek delivered one of the more memorable moments. With Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez gesturing towards Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, Varitek shoved his glove into the face of A-Rod, starting a bench-clearing brawl. It seemingly sparked the Red Sox, who came back to win that July game, 11-10. Later that season, Varitek and the Sox would come back from an 0-3 deficit in the ALCS to stun the Yankees. One week after vanquishing their rivals, the Sox would win the World Series for the first time in 86 years in a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Nomar Garciaparra
Seasons: 1996-2004
World Series Appearances: 0
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 2x AL Batting Champion, 1997 AL Rookie of the Year, 1997 Silver Slugger, 5x AL All-Star
“Nomahhh” was one of the more popular Boston athletes of all-time for a period of time in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The AL Rookie of the Year in 1997, and a back-to-back batting champion, Garciaparra provided Sox fans with some wonderful moments. One of the highlights of his incredible 1999 season was when he hit two grand slams, and drove in 10 runs in a May 10 game against the Seattle Mariners. In the 2000 season, Garciaparra was hitting over .400 in mid-July as speculation grew that he could possibly become the first person to hit over .400 in a season since Ted Williams did it decades earlier. The Sox shortstop did not ultimately hit .400 that season, but he did wind up finishing with a .372 average. It was the highest batting average by a right-handed batter in the post-war era.
Fred Lynn
Seasons: 1974-80
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1975 AL MVP, 1975 AL Rookie of the Year, 4x Gold Glove, 6x AL All-Star
Lynn burst onto the scene in 1975, becoming the first player in MLB history to win both the Rookie of the Year award and MVP award in the same season. The 23-year-old, who was raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, hit .331 that season as he led the American League in runs, doubles, slugging percentage, and OPS. He and rookie Jim Rice were known as the “Gold Dust Twins” in 1975, as the young duo helped power the Sox to the 1975 pennant. One of Lynn’s biggest moments in a Boston uniform came in the bottom of the first inning in the famed Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against the Reds as he smashed a three-run home run.
Luis Tiant
Seasons: 1971-78
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 2x AL ERA Leader, 2x AL All-Star
“El Tiante” was one of the most adored Red Sox players of all-time. The fan-favorite won an average of 17 games per year from 1972 to 1978. Tiant had one of the more unique windups in Major League history as he would completely turn his back to the hitter before whipping his torso around and firing it in. The Cuban hurler was a clutch performer for the Sox, particularly in the 1975 postseason. In Game 1 of the ALCS against Oakland, Tiant pitched a three-hitter. He then threw a five-hit shutout in Game 1 of the World Series against the mighty Reds, followed by a 163-pitch complete game in Game 4 (a 5-4 Boston victory). He also started Game 6, arguably the greatest World Series game ever played.
Curt Schilling
Seasons: 2004-07
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 2004 AL All-Star, 2004 MLB Wins Leader
Schilling proved to be the difference-maker from 2003 to 2004. A few weeks after the Red Sox lost an absolute heartbreaker in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to the Yankees via an Aaron Boone home run, then-Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein showed up at Schilling’s Arizona home on Thanksgiving to convince him to waive his no trade clause in order to be dealt to the Red Sox. Schilling eventually obliged and he made an immediate impact. The big righty actually had a better 2004 season than incumbent ace Pedro Martinez, as Schilling went 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA. Schilling came up huge in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees as he pitched brilliantly despite a severe ankle injury. The game went on to be known as the “bloody sock” game, as blood seeped through his sock while he pitched 7.0 innings, allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run in a 4-2 Red Sox victory at Yankee Stadium.
Dwight Evans
Seasons: 1972-1990
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 8x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, 1981 AL Home Run Leader, 3x AL All-Star
“Dewey” was something of an iron man for the Red Sox. In 19 seasons in a Boston uniform, Evans played 2,505 games, second in franchise history behind only Carl Yastrzemski. For most of those 19 years, Evans manned right field at Fenway—one of the trickier right fields in all of baseball. In Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against the Reds, Evans made one of the greatest defensive plays in Fall Classic history as his leaping grab robbed Joe Morgan of a go-ahead home run in the 11th inning. Evans peaked offensively in the 1980s, as his 265 home runs and 605 extra-base hits were the most of any player from 1980-89.
Carlton Fisk
Seasons: 1969, 1971-80
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1972 AL Rookie of the Year, 1972 Gold Glove, 7x AL All-Star
In terms of iconic images, the shot of Fisk waving the ball fair in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against the “Big Red Machine” Reds is up there with the most memorable in baseball history. Pudge’s unforgettable dinger off the left field foul pole at Fenway gave the Sox a 7-6 win and tied that year’s Fall Classic, 3-3. The Sox would go on to lose the Series in 7, but the euphoria from Fisk’s homer in Game 6 was so great that many Red Sox old timers like to say that the Red Sox won the 1975 World Series 3 games to 4. Fisk was known as a tough-as-nails player, one who rarely missed a game. When Fisk retired in 1993, the New England native had caught more games in MLB history than any other player.
Dustin Pedroia
Seasons: 2006-19
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 2008 AL MVP, 2007 AL Rookie of the Year, 4x Gold Glove, 2008 Silver Slugger, 4x AL All-Star
Standing at just 5-foot-9 (on a good day), Pedroia immediately made a name for himself in the Majors, winning the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year award while helping the Sox win that year’s World Series. Just one year later, the scrappy Pedroia became one of the more unlikely MVP winners in baseball history as he led the AL in runs, hits, and doubles while playing a Gold Glove second base. According to MLB.com, Pedroia’s career Baseball Reference WAR of 51.9 is higher than many players who are already in the Baseball Hall of Fame, including: Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Gil Hodges, Ralph Kiner, Chuck Klein, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, and Ted Simmons.
Jim Rice
Seasons: 1974-89
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1978 AL MVP, 2x Silver Slugger, 3x AL Home Run Leader, 2x AL RBI Leader, 8x All-Star
Left field at Fenway has been occupied with some of the greatest players in MLB history. Ted Williams roamed left for years, then there was Yaz, and after Yaz there was Rice.An outstanding power hitter, Rice belted 20 or more home runs in 11 of his 16 seasons in MLB. From 1975 to 1986, Rice’s prime years, he was regarded as one of the most feared hitters in baseball. During that 12-season stretch, Rice ranked first in the AL in runs, hits, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, total bases, extra-base hits, and go-ahead RBIs. During an era where Red Sox players routinely came up short in the postseason, Rice proved to be a terrific October performer, highlighted by his .333 average in the 1986 World Series.
Bobby Doerr
Seasons: 1937-44, 1946-51
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 9x AL All-Star
Doerr was dubbed “The Silent Captain” of the Red Sox by his friend and teammate Ted Williams. Doerr, Williams, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio are immortalized outside of Fenway Park as a statue of the four men together stands in front of Gate B. “The Teammates” were the subject of a book by famed author David Halberstam. The book highlighted the tight bond, which lasted over 60 years, shared by the four Sox teammates. Doerr was an exceptionally clutch hitter and played an outstanding second base. He led the AL in fielding percentage among second basemen four times.
Jimmie Foxx
Seasons: 1936-42
World Series Appearances: 0
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1938 AL MVP, 1938 AL Batting Champion, 1939 AL Home Run Leader, 1938 AL RBI Leader, 6x AL All-Star
Foxx was one of the greatest power hitters of his generation. Former Yankees and Senators pitcher Lefty Gomez once quipped of Foxx that the Red Sox slugger was so strong that he “had muscles in his hair.” In his first season with the Sox, in 1936, Foxx bashed 41 home runs and drove in 143 runs. In 1938, Foxx led the American League in RBI with a whopping 175. Foxx was nicknamed “The Beast” because of his intimidating presence between the lines, but he also had a reputation for being one of the most caring and generous men in the Big Leagues. After the Red Sox let Foxx go in 1942, Charlie Wagner said, “When Jimmie was released it was a shock to us all, because he was greatly admired by every one of his teammates.” (According to BaseballHall.org).
Mookie Betts
Seasons: 2014-19
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 2018 AL MVP, 2018 AL Batting Champion, 4x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, 4x AL All-Star
This is still a sore spot for modern-day Red Sox fans. Betts was poised to land in Pedro/Big Papi territory on this list before he was unceremoniously traded to the Dodgers on February 10, 2020. Betts made an impression on Boston fans early in his tenure, as he hit a grand slam against the Rays on August 29, 2014. He was just 21-years-old at the time, making him the youngest Red Sox player to hit a grand slam in 49 years. Betts’ masterpiece in a Red Sox uniform came in the 2018 season when he won AL MVP and led the Sox to a franchise-record 108 wins. That season, Betts led the AL in batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.640), runs (129), and WAR (10.7).
Wade Boggs
Seasons: 1982-92
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 5x AL Batting Champion, 6x Silver Slugger, 8x AL All-Star
Boggs was much like Ted Williams in that he treated hitting as a science. Number 26 claims that Williams’ book, The Science of Hitting snapped him out of a slump in high school. “At the beginning of my senior year I was struggling, and my father checked out ‘The Science of Hitting’ by Ted Williams. Friday night, [my father] said, ‘Read it cover to cover for the weekend and let me know what you think on Monday,” Boggs told PBS. “[My father] said, ‘What’d you get out of it?’ And I said, ‘patience and discipline’. And from then on I went on to hit .485 my senior year and I got drafted by the Boston Red Sox.’” The five-time American League batting champion was a doubles machine for the Sox. Boggs, who had a unique lefty batting stance, led the AL in two-baggers in both 1988 and 1989.
Cy Young
Seasons: 1901-08
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 3x Wins Leader, 1901 ERA Leader, 1901 Strikeout Leader
Young was such a dominant hurler that they wound up naming baseball’s most prestigious pitching award after him. The Gilmore, Ohio native is credited with having thrown the first pitch in modern World Series history (1903 vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates). While Young also played with the Boston Rustlers, the Cleveland Naps, the St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals, and the Cleveland Spiders, he did his finest work as a member of the Boston Americans/Red Sox. In 1901, Young won the American League’s pitching Triple Crown as he led the league in strikeouts (158), wins (33) and ERA (1.62). Young’s crowning individual achievement as an Americans/Red Sox pitcher came on May 5, 1904 when he threw a perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics at the Huntington Avenue Grounds. It is noted as the first perfect game of the 20th century.
Manny Ramirez
Seasons: 2001-08
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 2004 World Series MVP, 6x Silver Slugger, 2004 AL Hank Aaron Award, 2002 AL Batting Champion, 2004 AL Home Run Leader, 8x AL All-Star
“Manny being Manny” was a popular phrase in Boston in the 2000s as Ramirez made plenty of curious decisions both on and off the field. One thing that was never in doubt with Manny was his ability to bash the baseball. On June 23, 2001 at Fenway Park against the Blue Jays, Man-Ram hit a pair of tape-measure shots. His second blast struck the top of one of the light towers above the Green Monster, while still rising. It is estimated to have traveled 501 feet, just one foot shy of Ted Williams’ infamous “red seat” dinger in 1946. Another one of Manny’s most iconic home runs came in Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS against the Angels. In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, and the game tied 3-3, Manny slammed the ball over the Monster and onto Lansdowne Street to win the game. His pose—hands raised in the air—after hitting the moonshot is burned in the minds of Red Sox fans forever.
Tris Speaker
Seasons: 1907-15
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 2
Accolades: 1912 AL MVP, 1912 AL Home Run Leader
Speaker was the center fielder for the Red Sox’s early 1900s dynasty. The Texas native earned the 1912 American League MVP award as he had a superb all-around year. That season, Speaker had three different hitting streaks of at least 20 games. He hit .383 and led the league in OBP with a .464 mark. Speaker was a menace on the basepaths as he swiped 52 bags in 1912. That stood as a franchise record for over 60 years. The Red Sox’s “Golden Outfield” during the early 1910s was made up of Speaker in center, Duffy Lewis in left, and Harry Hooper in right. Famed sports writer Grantland Rice called the group the “greatest defensive outfield I ever saw”.
Roger Clemens
Seasons: 1984-1996
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1986 AL MVP, 3x AL Cy Young, 2x MLB Wins Leader, 4x ERA Leader, 3x AL Strikeout Leader, 5x AL All-Star
Only four MLB pitchers have ever recorded a 20 strikeout game. Kerry Wood did it. Randy Johnson did it. And Max Scherzer did it. Clemens did it … twice. On April 29, 1986 on a chilly night at Fenway, The Rocket became the first MLB pitcher to ever record 20 strikeouts in one game as he fanned exactly 20 Seattle Mariners. Over 10 years later, on September 18, 1996, in his third-to-last start as a member of the Red Sox, Clemens incredibly did it again as he struck out 20 Detroit batters at Tiger Stadium. While his favorability among Red Sox fans is slowly improving as the years go by, Clemens was an ultimate Boston villain for the latter half of his MLB career. There is no denying just how dominant he was for the Sox in the first half of his career, however.
Babe Ruth
Seasons: 1914-1919
World Series Appearances: 3
World Series Wins: 3
Accolades: 2x AL Home Run Leader, 1919 AL RBI Leader, 1916 AL ERA Leader
Babe Ruth did not become BABE RUTH until he was a member of the Yankees, but what the Bambino accomplished in a Red Sox uniform was nothing short of incredible. The Babe made his bones as a pitcher in Boston, as he was the top left-hander in the American League. During five-plus seasons with the Sox, Ruth won 89 games and lost 46 and sported a perfect 3-0 record in the World Series with Boston. In his final season with the Sox, Ruth was a latter-day Shohei Ohtani as he switched between pitching and playing the outfield, while belting a then-record 29 home runs.
Pedro Martinez
Seasons: 1998-04
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 1
Accolades: 2x AL Cy Young Award Winner, 4x MLB ERA Leader, 3x AL Strikeout Leader, 4x AL All-Star
A great debate when it comes to sports legacy is in regard to peak performance versus longevity. One could very well make the case that peak Pedro (in the 1999 and 2000 seasons) was the greatest pitcher to ever play the game of baseball. Pedro won the AL Cy Young award in both of those seasons, at the height of MLB’s steroid era. The slight righty from the Dominican posted a 2.07 ERA with 313 strikeouts in 1999, and then had a 1.74 ERA with 284 Ks in 2000. Pedro was a key member of the 2004 Red Sox team that broke the supposed “Curse of the Bambino”. In Game 3 of the 2004 World Series against the Cardinals, he allowed 0 runs and just 3 hits in 7 innings of work.
Carl Yastrzemski
Seasons: 1961-83
World Series Appearances: 2
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 1967 AL MVP, 1967 AL Triple Crown winner, 3x AL Batting Champion, 1967 AL Home Run Leader, 1967 AL RBI Leader, 18x AL All-Star
Yastrzemski replaced Williams in left field in 1961, and the son of a potato farmer became a Boston legend over the course of his 23 years in a Red Sox uniform. Yaz is one of just three players in MLB to record at least 1,800 runs scored, 1,800 RBI, and 1,800 walks. Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds are the other two. Yastrzemski provided Fenway Park with one of its most emotional moments on October 2, 1983. Immediately after playing in his final MLB game, he jogged along the right field wall, embracing Boston fans. He then jogged to center field, and then past the Green Monster, tipping his cap to an adoring Fenway crowd the entire way.
David Ortiz
Seasons: 2003-16
World Series Appearances: 3
World Series Wins: 3
Accolades: 2013 World Series MVP, 2004 ALCS MVP, 7x Silver Slugger Award, 2x AL Hank Aaron Award, 2011 Roberto Clemente Award, 2006 AL Home Run Leader, 3x AL RBI Leader, 10x AL All-Star
There is clutch, and then there is what Ortiz accomplished in his incredible Red Sox career. Ortiz was the perfect man to anchor the offense to beat the “Curse.” Whenever he stepped to the plate in a big situation, there was a feeling that something special was going to happen. Big Papi cemented himself into Boston sports lore in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees when he bashed a 2-run, walk-off home run in the 12th inning over the right field fence at Fenway. Just hours later in Game 5 at Fenway, Ortiz hit yet another game-winner against the Yanks—this time a single to center that plated Johnny Damon and gave the Sox a 5-4 victory. One of the many other memorable Papi postseason moments was his grand slam in the 8th inning of the 2013 ALCS against the Tigers. The home run, which sent Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter flying over the right field wall at Fenway, led to the Sox coming back to beat the Tigers in the series, and eventually win the 2013 title.
Ted Williams
Seasons: 1939-42, 1946-60
World Series Appearances: 1
World Series Wins: 0
Accolades: 2x AL MVP, 2x Triple Crown winner, 6x AL Batting Champion, 4x AL Home Run Leader, 4x AL RBI Leader, 19x All-Star
Williams went by many nicknames. The Splendid Splinter. The Kid. Teddy Ballgame. The Thumper. But the only nickname he ever truly wanted to be called was, The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. The Red Sox legend more than earned the moniker, as he is the last player in MLB history to hit over .400 in a single season. The US Marine Corps aviator never took a shortcut in life or on the field. On the final day of the 1941 MLB season, the Red Sox had a double-header against the Philadelphia A’s. Williams entered the double-dip with a batting average of .3995, which could have been rounded up to .400. Williams insisted on playing both games, however, to leave no doubt. He went 4-for-5 in the first game to raise his average to .404. In the second game, he went 2-for-3 to finalize his average for the season at .406.
