Red Sox-Cubs Player Rankings: 17 Best Players From Two Star-Studded Teams

The Boston Red Sox host the Chicago Cubs this weekend at Fenway Park in a series that’s intriguing on so many levels. Even if you cast aside the obvious storylines, like Jon Lester and Theo Epstein returning to Boston or the history of each organization, there’s a good chance you’ll be entertained.

Mostly, it’s because both of these teams feature an abundance of studs.

The Red Sox and Cubs entered this season as popular World Series picks. Chicago, of course, snapped a 108-year championship drought last season, while Boston, which last won the Fall Classic in 2013, has earned three titles since breaking an 86-year skid in 2004.

There’s also plenty of reason to believe these teams will be competitive beyond 2017, as each boasts a solid young core that seemingly is built for sustained success. Pieces inevitably will come and go, but both the Red Sox and Cubs have players who they can reasonably consider franchise cornerstones.

Since there are so many stars playing for these two teams, we decided it would be fun to rank the best of the best, taking into account each player’s track record, apparent skill and room for growth. Essentially, we’re dumping the teams’ rosters onto a table and choosing the cream of the crop right now, with no regard for picking certain positions or limiting the number of players we choose from either team.

Why did we choose to pick the 17 best? Well, it’s 2017. And we can do whatever we want.

Anyway, here goes…

1. Kris Bryant, 3B, Cubs
Bryant is the reigning National League MVP and one of the best players in Major League Baseball at age 25. He has amazing power, already is a proven run-producer and is going to do a lot of damage for many years.

2. Mookie Betts, RF, Red Sox
Betts has been nothing short of incredible since bursting onto the scene in 2014. He was the runner-up in American League MVP voting last season, finishing right behind the otherworldly Mike Trout, and is a five-tool player who already is a superstar at age 24.

3. Chris Sale, SP, Red Sox
Sale is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s the best pitcher between these teams. If Bryant and Betts weren’t so damn good, he’d have a very strong case to occupy one of the top two spots.

4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Cubs
Rizzo, who’s still just 27 years old, has been incredibly consistent over the past three seasons, earning an All-Star nod, hitting at least 31 home runs and posting an OPS of at least .899 in each. He also plays Gold Glove defense, making him arguably the best first baseman in all of baseball.

5. Andrew Benintendi, LF, Red Sox
Yes, Benintendi is a rookie playing in his first full season at age 22. But I’ve already seen enough. This kid is the real deal and has “superstar” written all over him. Like Betts, he can impact the game in so many ways. To think, he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.

6. Jon Lester, SP, Cubs
Lester is the ace of Chicago’s solid rotation, and he’s a postseason legend. The Cubs certainly are happy they signed him to a lucrative contract in December 2014, while the Red Sox probably are wishing they made more of an effort to bring back the battle-tested left-hander.

7. Jake Arrieta, SP, Cubs
Arrieta regressed last season. But that’s mostly because he won the NL Cy Young Award in 2015 after winning 22 games and posting a sparkling 1.77 ERA. The guy’s still filthy, and he can put himself in a position to cash in big in free agency with a good 2017.

8. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox
It was between Bogaerts and our next pick for this spot, and we went with the Red Sox shortstop because his offensive ceiling is higher. We’re still trying to figure out exactly what kind of hitter Bogaerts is at the major league level — he hit 21 home runs last season after hitting seven in 2015 — but it’s fairly obvious he’s really good.

9. Addison Russell, SS, Cubs
As mentioned, it was a toss-up between Bogaerts and Russell. Russell, who actually matched Bogaerts’ 21-homer total last season while driving in 95 runs, is the superior defender and could be an elite shortstop if he cuts down on the strikeouts and improves his average.

10. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox
Pedroia is in his 12th season and will turn 34 in August, but you try and tell him he shouldn’t crack the top 10 on this list. The four-time All-Star remains an elite defender, is coming off a season in which he hit .318 with an .825 OPS (his best mark since 2011) and is the Red Sox’s de facto captain.

11. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF, Red Sox
Bradley is a very streaky hitter, but his final offensive numbers last season were impressive, especially considering he’s long been known for his elite defense. Bradley ranked third on the Red Sox in WAR in 2016, trailing only Betts and Pedroia and sitting ahead of Boston legend David Ortiz.

12. Kyle Schwarber, LF, Cubs
Schwarber remains somewhat of an unknown quantity given that he missed all but two regular-season games in 2016. But his return for the World Series was the stuff of legends, and his 2015 stint in the majors suggests he’s an above-average hitter, which offsets any questions about his defense.

13. David Price, SP, Red Sox
Price was a tricky one to place on this list because he’s hurt and it’s unclear when he’ll return. But when healthy, there’s no question he’s one of the 17 best players between these teams, and anyone who says otherwise is a hater who’s focused more on his up-and-down 2016 than his overall track record.

14. Rick Porcello, SP, Red Sox
Porcello is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He might not reach that level this season or any other season moving forward, but his 2016 campaign was a reminder the Red Sox acquired a talented pitcher from the Detroit Tigers who is far better than his shaky 2015.

15. Kyle Hendricks, SP, Cubs
Hendricks, much like Porcello, doesn’t really jump off the page, but you can’t argue with the results. He posted an NL-best 2.13 ERA last season en route to finishing third in Cy Young voting. He then thrived in October, cementing his place in Cubs history regardless of what he does from here on out.

16. Craig Kimbrel, RP, Red Sox
Kimbrel long has been one of the best closers in baseball. And even though he had a down season in 2016 (relatively speaking), thanks in large to some control issues, him on a bad day still is better than most on a good day. The five-time All-Star throws hard and gives Boston stability in the ninth inning.

17. Wade Davis, RP, Cubs
The Cubs’ closer is no slouch, either. Acquired from the Kansas City Royals this past offseason, Davis brings quite a track record to Chicago. The 31-year-old had a 1.18 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP over 185 appearances between 2014 and 2016. He recorded 47 saves in that span.

… There you have it. The above list features nine players from the Red Sox and eight players from the Cubs, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Boston is better than Chicago. The Cubbies are the defending champs, after all.

Apologies to some of the other good players who didn’t make the list — Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward, Hanley Ramirez, John Lackey and Javier Baez, to name a few — but hey, that’s life.

Enjoy the series, everyone.