Boston Red Sox: Ranking the top 10 players from the 1990s

Nomar Garciaparra

Probably the most obvious player on this list and the one whose inclusion should surprise no one is Nomar Garciaparra. A member of the Holy Trinity of Shortstops in the mid-to-late 1990s, Nomar along with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez helped to revolutionize the position going into the twenty-first century.

Nomar spent the first nine seasons (1996-2004) of his 14-year career with the Red Sox and although injuries started to take their toll on him after 2003, his 1990s seasons are still among the best any Sox shortstop has ever had. Between 1996 and 2000, Nomar put up the following numbers:

.320 BA, 117 HR, 436 RBI, 184 BB, 451 R, .366 OBP, .924 OPS

While Rodriguez hit for more power and was the slickest fielder, Nomar combined hitting for high average with power in a way the Red Sox hadn’t seen since Ted Williams. Like Pedro Martinez, it was Nomar’s 1999 and 2000 seasons that were utterly superlative.

1999: .357 BA, 27 HR, 104 RBI, 51 BB, 103 R, .418 OBP, 1.022 OPS (135 games)

2000: .372 BA, 21 HR, 96 RBI, 61 BB, 104 R, .434 OBP, 1.033 OPS (140 games)

He won the batting title in both of those years and flirted with .400 in 2000, hitting over the mark as far into the season as late July before tailing off. His .372 average was the highest for a right-handed hitter in the post-World War II era and he became the first right-handed hitter in either league to win consecutive batting titles since Joe DiMaggio.

Unfortunately, wrist and leg injuries slowed Nomar down in the early 2000s and while still very good, he was never quite the same. He became famously grumpy and at odds with the Red Sox front office and was eventually traded at the deadline in July 2004, which many think spurred the team as they eventually won the World Series that year.

Regardless of what happened over the remainder of Nomar’s career, his time in Boston in the 1990s as one of the top shortstops and hitters in the game makes him a no-brainer for this list.