Boston Red Sox top 25-man roster in franchise history
By Sean Penney
Third Base
Wade Boggs
(1982-1999)
Career Stats: .328/.415/.443, 118 HR, 1014 RBI, 24 SB, 88.3 WAR
With Red Sox: .338/.428/.462, 85 HR, 686 RBI, 16 SB, 70.8 WAR
When you think of Red Sox third baseman, the first one that comes to mind is Wade Boggs. Sure, the Red Sox have had some solid 3B in the past, but no other that could hit like Boggs. He was a solid player in the field (he actually won 2 gold gloves late in his career), but his bat is what got him on this list.
Boggs was not only one of the best hitters in the Red Sox lineup throughout the 80’s, he was arguably the best all-around hitter in all of baseball during his career, next to Tony Gwynn. While he did hit 24 home runs for the Sox in 1987, he routinely hit less than 10 home runs per season. Boggs also didn’t rack up a ton of RBI (1014 total; 89 RBI in 1987 was his best), but he was on base constantly and was an incredibly difficult out for opposing pitchers.
Boggs was known for his incredible batting averages, hitting over .360 four times in his first seven seasons in Boston, and hitting under .300 only three years in his 18 year career. He was a singles machine – in 1985 he had 240 total hits and 187 of them were singles. Wade currently has the 33rd best career batting average of all time at .328. He also has 3,010 career hits, and he holds the record for best career average at Fenway Park at .369.
Boggs was voted to the All-Star game twelve straight times, eight of which were with the Red Sox. He entered the MLB Hall of Fame in 2005.
While the break-up was tough for some Sox fans, especially when he departed for the rival Yankees, Boggs was loved during his time with the Sox. He was known for being incredibly superstitious, eating a ton of chicken before every game, having an affinity for beer and his friendship with wrestler Mr. Perfect.
There is no doubt that Wade Boggs is one of the best hitters in Red Sox history, which he was finally recognized for when the franchise retired his No. 26 at Fenway Park in May 2016.
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