Second Base: Dustin Pedroia
It’s disheartening to watch as a devastating knee injury has forced Dustin Pedroia to limp to the finish line of his career. The veteran second baseman has appeared in only nine games over the last two seasons and it’s anyone’s guess if we’ll see him at all in 2020. Despite this injury-plagued downward spiral, we can’t forget about Pedroia’s outstanding performances from earlier this decade.
Pedroia made two All-Star appearances and won three Gold Gloves from 2010-2014. He received MVP votes in two of those seasons, finishing as high as seventh in 2013.
While he never managed to replicate his stellar MVP campaign from 2008, Pedroia steadily produced at the plate and in the field for many years before his knee stopped cooperating. From 2010-2017, Pedroia hit .297/.365/.435.
Boston has struggled to find consistent replacements to fill in for the injured Pedroia over the last few years. Eduardo Nunez provided a sparkplug late in the 2017 season but his production dwindled until he was designated for assignment this year. Super-utility player Brock Holt covered the bulk of the second base duties while the club also experimented with rookie Michael Chavis at the position. Barring a miraculous recovery from Pedroia, second base remains a mystery heading into 2020.
The last few years have been a bust for Pedroia but no Red Sox second baseman can match what he accomplished in the first half of this decade.