Boston Red Sox All-Decade team from 2010-2019 seasons
By Sean Penney
Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts
The shortstop position was a revolving door in Boston for most of the previous decade but that changed once Xander Bogaerts cemented his role in 2014.
Bogaerts has hit .288/.350/.451 over the course of his career. He’s made two All-Star appearances and won three Silver Slugger awards.
He proved capable of hitting for a high average early in his career when he batted .320 in 2015. His power took a bit longer to develop but he’s finally put it all together.
2019 saw Bogaerts emerge as a true superstar. He set career-highs with 52 doubles, 33 home runs, 117 RBI, and a .939 OPS to finish fifth on the AL MVP ballot. He was arguably the best player on the Red Sox this year and the only member of this club to be named to the 2019 All-MLB team.
Before Bogaerts arrived, the Red Sox cycled through forgettable journeymen such as Marco Scutaro and Stephen Drew. Now they have an elite option anchoring the position. His six-year, $120 million contract extension that kicks in next season is already looking like a bargain and he’ll continue to be a key cog in the lineup well into next decade.