Option C – 5x All-Star, 0x MVP, 9 Playoff Appearances, 2 Championship Titles
Player Comparison: Jason Varitek
Option C illustrates someone who was a good player on an excellent team over a long period of time but never made the jump to MVP status.
There were a couple of decent options to fit this description: Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, but I had to go with the captain on this one. Jason Varitek spent the most time with the Red Sox and unlike Lester and Beckett, earned all his accolades in Boston.
Varitek was never the best player on the team, overshadowed by the likes of Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Dustin Pedroia during his 15 seasons with the Red Sox, but he was a fan favorite and an integral part of both the ’04 and ’07 championship teams.
He was a solid player in his own right, making 3 trips to the All-Star game. He also holds the distinction of having caught the most no-hitters, with 4 (Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester).