Boston Red Sox: Ranking the top 10 players from 2010s
By Drew Athans
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia is the other Red Sox player in addition to David Ortiz who also appeared on the list of best players of the 2000s. Pedroia has played more seasons this decade although it’s arguable that his best seasons came in the last one. Still, until injuries derailed his career during the 2017 season he was a vital part of the team and one of the best second basemen in the league.
After winning Rookie of the Year in 2007 and the American League MVP in 2008 Pedroia continued to put up very good seasons at the plate in the 2010s while playing excellent defense. He won three more Gold Gloves (in 2011, 2013, 2014) while compiling a .297 average, 86 home runs, 471 RBI, 1135 hits, 543 runs, 406 walks, a .363 OBP, and an OPS of .791 between 2011 and 2017.
During the 2017 season, Pedroia took spikes to the knee from Manny Machado during a play at second and has barely played since, only appearing in three games in 2018 and six in 2019. Each injury setback makes it seem more and more likely as though we’ve seen the last of Dustin Pedroia on the field, but even if that’s the case, there’s no denying that he was one of the best Red Sox players of both the last decade as well as this one.