BoSox Injection
Fansided

Boston Red Sox best rookies in franchise history at each position

By Rick McNair

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 05: The sun sets behind Fenway Park during the second inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins on September 05, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 05: The sun sets behind Fenway Park during the second inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins on September 05, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 26: 2009 inductee Jim Rice looks on at Clark Sports Center during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 26, 2009 in Cooperstown, New York. Rice played his entire sixteen year career with the Boston Red Sox, was the 1978 American League most valuable player and was a eight time All-Star. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 26: 2009 inductee Jim Rice looks on at Clark Sports Center during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 26, 2009 in Cooperstown, New York. Rice played his entire sixteen year career with the Boston Red Sox, was the 1978 American League most valuable player and was a eight time All-Star. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Outfield

The easy one is Ted Williams who in 1939 led the AL in RBI (145) and total bases (344) while hitting 31 home runs and .327. You may think of Teddy Ballgame as a left fielder but he was strictly a right-fielder that season and the following. After 1939, Williams really started to hit.

When you break in with a ROY Award and an MVP there is no denying Fred Lynn deserves a spot. The mercurial center fielder hit .331 and knocked in 105 RBI. The defense was exceptional as was the clutch hitting.  Lynn led the AL in runs (103), doubles (47), slugging (.566), and OPS (.967).

The second gold-dust Twin of 1975 was Jim Rice. Rice hit .309 with 22 home runs and 102 RBI. A late-season broken wrist kept the right-handed slugger out of the World Series and that curse may have been busted if the wrist was not.

Honorable mention:

Gator or Mike Greenwell looked like a batting champion in waiting hitting .328 in 1987 with 19 home runs and 89 RBI. Jacoby Ellsbury led the AL in steals (50) in 2008 and hit .280 and scored 98 runs. Tony Conigliaro was only 19-years-old slamming 24 home runs and hitting .290 in 1964.

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