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Red Sox: Which Boston player’s career would you choose?

By Tom Cloutier

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 14: A Rawlings leather baseball glove and a hat sit on the bench in the dugout before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 14, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Red Sox won 2-1. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 14: A Rawlings leather baseball glove and a hat sit on the bench in the dugout before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 14, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Red Sox won 2-1. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 08: Starting pitcher Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox pitches at the top of the first inning of the game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on September 08, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 08: Starting pitcher Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox pitches at the top of the first inning of the game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on September 08, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

Option D – 3x All-Star, 1x MVP, 3 Playoff Appearances, 1 Championship Titles

Player Comparison: Rick Porcello

The final option paints a picture of both a player and a team that reached the zenith of the sport but was unable to sustain success. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

Rick Porcello‘s tenure in Boston conjures mixed feelings from fans. He did win a Cy Young in 2016, albeit controversially. Not that Porcello wasn’t good in 2016, but the only major statistical pitching categories he led the league in that year were wins, and K/BB ratio. Meanwhile, the second-place finalist, Justin Verlander, bested him in nearly every other category including 1st place Cy Young votes.

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Porcello nabbed the award but wasn’t able to replicate his 2016 performance in his final three seasons in Boston. He went from leading the league in wins in 2016 to leading in losses in 2017.

2018 was a bounce back to form for him en route to a World Series title, but the team made it clear they weren’t interested in extending his contract.

He became a free agent after the 2019 season and would eventually sign with the Mets. Unlike the other players on this list, Porcello is still active and very well could win more individual awards and championships. While I wish him all the best, it seems his best years are behind him and the Mets certainly aren’t the club to be at if you want to win a title.

Next. Who's the best second baseman in Red Sox history?. dark

Verdict: There’s only one correct choice of the options above and that’s option A. Sure it was probably frustrating for Williams to never win it all in his storied career, but he’s also the only player from the above list that is enshrined in the Hall of Fame and has his number retired (although I hope 33 gets added to that list one day). Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.

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