Jul 16, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) grounds into fielders choice to shortstop allowing a runner to score during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The BoSox Injection staff ranks the top handful of players in Boston Red Sox history at each position.
The search for the best Red Sox lineup of all time has gone through starting pitchers, catchers, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman and now turns its attention to short.
While other positions, mostly third base, could be black holes for the team in 2017, the Red Sox are set with Xander Bogaerts at the moment. He won’t be making the present list, but with two Silver Slugger awards at just 24-years-old, he has a great chance of making a climb up the rankings.
A quick look throughout the history of the franchise shows that the Red Sox have been familiar with great players at short. Between all-star nominations and having parts of the stadium named after them, some of the greatest Red Sox of all time have been shortstops.
Keep clicking to see our top-5 in franchise history.
The predecessor to Nomar Garciaparra, John Valentin played 991 games for the Red Sox and is third among shortstops in career fWAR (31.2).
On July 8th, 1994, Valentin became the 10th player in MLB history to turn an unassisted triple play during a game against the Seattle Mariners. During the 1996 season, Valentin hit for the cycle while battling with Garciaparra for the starting role.
His best season came in 1995 when he hit .298 with 27 home runs and 102 RBI. His performance that season earned him the Silver Slugger award at shortstop in the American League. In 10 seasons with the Red Sox, Valentin hit .281/.361/.460 with 121 home runs and 1043 hits.
The two-time all-star spent his entire career with the Red Sox, playing more games at shortstop than any other player in team history. His 39.4 fWAR is also tops at the position, edging out greats like Joe Cronin and Nomar Garciaparra.
Petrocelli was part of the Red Sox’ “Impossible Dream” team in 1967, alongside hall-of-famer Carl Yastrzemski. During the World Series that year, he hit two home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6, though the team would go on to lose in 7.
Two seasons later, Petrocelli set the major league record for single-season home runs by a shortstop with 40. The record has since been broken, but his 1969 season stands out among his great career. His .297 average, .998 OPS, 92 runs and 159 hits were all personal bests.
His career with the Red Sox ended in 1976 after he retired at the age of 31, but his contributions hold up to this day – earning him a spot among the best shortstops in team history.
September 28, 2008; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox former player Johnny Pesky (6) is all smiles during the pregame celebration to retire his number before the game against he New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE /
One of the most beloved players in team history, Johnny Pesky was honoured by the Red Sox in 2008 when his number 6 was retired. Of course, he was also immortalized after having the right-field pole in Fenway Park named after him.
Pesky’s best season came in 1946, after missing the previous three to serve in World War II. The diminutive shortstop hit .335/.401/.427, leading the MLB in hits and plate appearances. His performance that season earned him a spot on the American League All-Star Team, his only career appearance.
Pesky’s playing career with the Sox came to an end after he was traded to the Detroit Tigers part way through the 1952 season. Among shortstops in franchise history, his career .401 OBP is the highest among qualified players. Pesky’s association with the organization didn’t end after his playing career, however, as he spent nearly 60 years as a Manager and Ambassador for the Red Sox.
A breakout star with the Washington Senators, Cronin was able to put up some of the best numbers among shortstops in franchise history despite playing the tail end of his career with the Red Sox. Posting an impressive .300/.394/.484 slash line during his time in Boston, Cronin was a 5-time all-star and had his number 4 retired by the team.
He was also elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956, after spending 24 seasons with the Red Sox as a player/manager, manager and general manager. A legend on the field, he also holds the team record for wins as a manager with 1071. His best season in a Red Sox uniform came in 1938 when he hit .325 with a .964 OPS, with 17 home runs, 94 RBI, and a league-leading 51 doubles. His performance earned him a top-10 finish in MVP voting and an all-star nod.
Cronin’s career on the field is among the best of any shortstop’s in team history. His 737 RBI and 122 wRC+ have held up at second all-time among Red Sox shortstops.
Spending nine seasons with the Red Sox, Nomar Garciaparra earned his spot on this list by competing for the distinction of best shortstop in baseball during his time with the team.
Nomar was Boston’s answer to the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter and the Seattle Mariners’/Texas Rangers’ Alex Rodriguez. At a time when shortstops were dominant, Nomar was arguably the best.
A 5-time all-star while a member of the Sox, Nomar’s slash line of .323/.370/.553 also earned him Rookie of the Year and Silver Slugger distinctions. He would also finish top-10 in MVP voting five times, placing as high as second in 1998.
However, his best season with the Red Sox came in 2000 when he hit .372/.434/.599 with 21 home runs, 96 RBI and OPS+ of 156. His .372 average and 20 intentional walks were tops among the MLB.
Nomar is second in career fWAR among Red Sox shortstops, trailing Rico Petrocelli by just half a win above replacement despite playing 587 fewer games. He is the team’s all-time leader in average, slugging and wRC+ among shortstops, earning his spot as number one on this list.
