Red Sox: Top five third basemen in franchise history
By Sean Penney
Youk already appeared in our ranking of the top Red Sox first basemen, but considering he spent nearly half his time in Boston at the hot corner we’re including him again.
Youkilis quickly established himself as a fan favorite for his gritty style of play and ability to grind out at-bats to wear out the opposing pitching staff. The “Greek God of Walks” is third among Red Sox third basemen with a 12.4 BB% and .388 OBP, while ranking second in the more advanced metrics of wOBA (.381) and wRC+ (130).
The three-time All-Star finished third in MVP voting in 2008 when he hit .312 with a .958 OPS, 29 home runs and 115 RBI. He was arguably even better the following season when he posted a higher OBP and OPS, but dropped to sixth on the ballot that year – likely due to a slight dip in home run and RBI production.
Debuting in 2004, Youkilis is one of the forgotten members of that historic championship team. He appeared in 72 games that season, but his 0-for-2 showing in the ALDS was the only impression he made on the postseason that year. By 2007, Youkilis would become a force in the middle of the lineup. He would finish his career with an overall slash of .306/.376/.568 in the postseason and a pair of World Series rings, all accumulated in a Red Sox uniform.