Red Sox: Top-5 shortstops in franchise history
Nomar Garciaparra: 1996-2003
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.
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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.