Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia’s amazing achievements prove he’s among the best
Dustin Pedroia accomplished a lot during his career with the Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia‘s career came to an unceremonious end with his surgically repaired knee refusing to cooperate. Fading into retirement in the wake of three seasons that were nearly entirely wiped out by injury isn’t how he wanted his final chapter to be written but the story of Pedroia’s tenure with the Boston Red Sox remains an incredible journey.
Rather than focus on the tragic ending, let’s reflect on the years when Pedroia established himself as one of the best second basemen to ever wear a Red Sox uniform. For over a decade, Pedroia was a vital part of this team’s core. He didn’t have the letter “C” patched on his uniform but there was a time when the veteran second baseman was viewed as the unofficial captain. He was a leader and a strong voice in the clubhouse who was respected by his teammates on and off the field.
The fairly lengthy gap between the time when Pedroia was last seen as a productive everyday player and the announcement of his retirement may have led some to forget how great he was before the devastating knee injury. Let’s refresh our memories.
Pedroia earned his fair share of hardware during his career with the Red Sox.
- Four-time All-Star (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)
- 2007 AL Rookie of the Year
- 2008 AL MVP
- 2008 Silver Slugger award
- Four Gold Glove awards (2008, 2011, 2013, 2014)
In 2008, Pedroia joined Ryne Sandberg (Chicago Cubs, 1984) as the only second basemen in major league history to win an MVP, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in the same season.
The four Gold Glove awards set a franchise record for the most earned by a Red Sox infielder.
We can’t talk about hardware without mentioning the rings. Pedroia can decorate his fingers with three of them for the World Series titles he won with the Red Sox. He only played three games during the historic 2018 championship season but that was enough to receive a ring. Considering how much he meant to the championship runs in 2007 and 2013, nobody can say he doesn’t deserve that third ring.
How Dustin Pedroia ranks in Red Sox history
Pedroia wraps up his prolific career as one of the best hitters this franchise has ever seen, ranking among the top-10 in Red Sox history in several categories.
- Hits – 1805
- Doubles – 394
- Stolen Bases – 138
- Runs Scored – 922
- Extra-Base Hits – 549
- Total Bases – 2649
- At-Bats – 6031
FanGraphs values Pedroia at 46.6 WAR for his career, ranking ninth in Red Sox history among position players. Only Bobby Doerr (53.3) ranks higher among Red Sox second basemen. Pedroia is 25th all-time among major league second baseman in fWAR.
During his MVP campaign in 2008, Pedroia set the single-season franchise record for second basemen in the following categories.
- Batting Average – .326
- Doubles – 54
- Runs Scored – 118
- Total Bases – 322
- Hits – 213
- Extra-Base Hits – 73
He’s the only second baseman in Red Sox history to record 100+ runs scored and 200+ hits in the same season, an accomplishment he achieved twice (2008, 2016).
Pedroia is joined by Wade Boggs, Tris Speaker, and Rafael Devers as the only players in franchise history with 50+ doubles and 200+ hits in the same season.
Pedroia, Carl Yastrzemski, and Mookie Betts are the only players with 100+ home runs and 100+ steals with the Red Sox.
Streaks, stats and Red Sox records
There’s no question that Pedroia earned all those Gold Glove awards and he has the franchise records to prove his worthiness. He fielded 439 consecutive chances without committing an error during a stretch from 2009-10 and played 114 consecutive errorless games from 2016-17, both Red Sox records at second base, per the Twitter account Red Sox Notes.
Pedroia recorded 5+ hits in a game five times in his career, the most by any player in franchise history.
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His 25-game hit streak in 2011 is the longest ever by a Red Sox second baseman. In 2016, he had six separate hitting streaks of 10+ games, setting a franchise single-season record.
Pedroia was the Opening Day starter at second base in 11 consecutive seasons from 2007-2017. In the 11 seasons prior to that (1996-2006), Boston started 10 different second baseman on Opening Day.
In Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS, Pedroia drove in five runs, setting a rookie record for the most RBI in an ALCS game.
Pedroia became the only rookie to ever lead off a World Series with a home run when he took Colorado Rockies starter Jeff Francis deep in the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 in the 2007 Fall Classic.
Pedroia started at second base for the Red Sox in all 51 postseason games from 2007-2017. Mark Lemke (Braves, 55) and Robinson Canó (Yankees, 51) are the only other second basemen to start 50+ consecutive playoff games for the same team.
Dustin Pedroia’s legacy with the Red Sox
The debate over the best second baseman in franchise history is as tightly contested as any position. Doerr might have a slight edge based on his consistency over a longer period but Pedroia had the greater peak. His final three seasons that were spoiled by injury may ultimately cost him that battle but Pedroia is undoubtedly in the conversation for the best Red Sox second baseman and one of the best in major league history to field the position.
At some point in the near future, the Red Sox will honor Pedroia by enshrining him in the franchise Hall of Fame. A case can be made that his No. 15 should be retired and placed on the right field facade at Fenway Park along with Doerr’s No. 1.
The call to Cooperstown will be a tougher task with injury cutting his career short but if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Pedroia throughout his career, it’s to never bet against him.
Pedroia began his career as a scrappy player who many assumed got by on pure grit and determination. He proved those who doubted that a player of his stature could make it in the big leagues wrong by emerging as a legitimate superstar. Pedroia was a fiery competitor with a dirt-dog style that endeared him to Boston’s passionate fan base.
Next. Pedroia had no regrets. dark
His career was cut tragically short but his legacy will live on as one of the best Red Sox players of his generation and arguably the best to field his position for this franchise.