1B – Kevin Youkilis
Youkilis was one of the premier first basemen in the league for a period. ‘Youk’ contributed largely to the 2004 and 2007 World Series wins, the second of which saw him emerge into a great player.
He was named to the AL All-Star team on three separate occasions in 2008, 2009 and 2011, all as a member of the Red Sox. Here he reached his prime, finishing third and sixth in AL MVP voting in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
He was a talented player with a persistence to get on base, which he became known for. His career OBP of .382 reflects the problem he caused for pitchers over his career, bringing a dominant force in the Red Sox line up.
While the Red Sox have been lucky enough to have talent at first base on many occasions – including players of Jimmy Foxx’s caliber, to the Mo Vaughn’s, Youkilis remains the best the Red Sox have seen this century.
His time as a Boston player saw his talent underlined. ‘Youk’ was one of the greater hitters a pitcher could come up against and his defensive ability at first was important for the Sox as they strived towards many successful seasons, during Youkilis’ time in Boston, which he was integral to.