Red Sox: Top-5 left fielders in franchise history
By Sean Penney
The BoSox Injection staff ranks the top handful of players in Boston Red Sox history at each position. Up next is left field.
When evaluating the position players that have graced the field in a Boston Red Sox uniform, left field is undoubtedly the position loaded with the most talent.
Dominant production in left field can be traced all the way back to the days of Babe Ruth, who started drifting away from his role as a starting pitcher to become a regular in the outfield during his final years in Boston. Ruth spent little more than a full season’s worth of time in the outfield before he was sold to the New York Yankees. That wasn’t long enough to warrant inclusion on this star-studded list, but Red Sox fans of the early 20th century were fortunate to catch a glimpse of his path to becoming one of the greatest hitters ever.
In 2017, the Red Sox will turn the starting left field spot over to rookie Andrew Benintendi, who impressed during his brief stint in the majors late last season. The 22-year old has a bright future with the potential to develop into a star.
Perhaps one day we’ll discuss Benintendi was one of the top left fielders to play for the Red Sox, but it won’t be easy to crack this group.