Red Sox Fantasy Draft: Breaking Down Top Second Basemen In Franchise History

Editor’s note: On Sunday, June 21 at 7 p.m. ET, NESN will air the “Red Sox Fantasy Draft.” Choosing from a pool of the top players at each position in Red Sox history, six of our MLB analysts will participate in a draft to build the best team they possibly can. In the lead up to that, we’ll be looking back at the top players at each position in franchise history. Today, it’s second basemen.

While there’s been somewhat of a revolving door at shortstop for the Red Sox over the years, second base has featured much more stability.

This is reflected in the franchise’s history, as there hasn’t exactly been a wave of superstar second baseman to come through Boston. This isn’t to say the club has overlooked or mismanaged the position, but rather a handful of players were able to lock down the title for the Red Sox for many years.

With this in mind, here are some of the best second basemen in Red Sox history.

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Dustin Pedroia
It would have been tough to project Pedroia becoming an all-time great Red Sox infielder as he labored through the beginning of his rookie season. But after battling through those early struggles, Pedroia took off.

Pedroia claimed the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, the second most important piece of hardware he garnered that year behind the Red Sox’s World Series championship. The four-time All-Star followed up his debut campaign with an MVP season in 2008 in which he set career highs in batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.493), hits (213), doubles (54) and runs scored (118).

No. 15 claimed his second World Series title in 2013, and while he wasn’t much of an on-field contributor for the 2018 championship-winning club, he’s been lauded for his locker room presence and leadership that year. Injuries very well could derail the end of Pedroia’s career, but his impact on his franchise cannot be understated.

Bobby Doerr
The debate over the greatest second baseman in Red Sox history is a two-horse race between Pedroia and Doerr. Doerr spent his entire 14-year MLB career in Boston, earning trips to the All-Star Game in nine of those campaigns. He was a career .288 hitter with 2,042 total hits and 223 home runs.

While Doerr was an above-average contact hitter, his glove might have been better than his bat. After his final season in 1951, his career 1,507 double plays served as the most in MLB history until 1963, per Bleacher Report. He led all AL second basemen in fielding percentage on four occasions.

Doerr was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. His No. 1 was retired by the Red Sox two years later.

Billy Goodman
Goodman came up with the Red Sox in 1947 and spent 10-plus seasons in Boston. He was named an All-Star in two of those campaigns, but the honor somehow evaded him in 1950 when he claimed the AL batting title after posting a .354 (!) average. He also finished second in AL MVP voting that year.

While Goodman fit the mold of an unsung hero given his utility-player role, his contributions to the franchise were not overlooked. Goodman was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004.

Marty Barrett
Barrett spent all but one of his 10 MLB seasons in Boston. A great contact hitter, Barrett put together a five-year run in which he collected 140-plus hits in each season. He also only struck out 209 times over the span of 3,833 career plate appearances.

He’s best known for his overall postseason performance in 1986. Barrett logged 24 hits over 14 total playoff games that year and was named MVP of the ALCS between the Red Sox and California Angels. And while Red Sox fans try their best to forget the ’86 World Series, it’s worth noting Barrett posted a .433 batting average (13-for-30) over seven games against the New York Mets.

Mike Andrews
After signing with the Red Sox in 1961 as an amateur free agent, Andrews broke into the big leagues in 1966. He became an All-Star three years later, batting .293 with 136 total hits in 1969. Andrews also was played a key role for the “Impossible Dream” 1967 Red Sox, who ultimately fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series in seven games.

Additionally, Andrews lives in Boston lore for his off-field work. He became chairman of The Jimmy Fund in 1984 and held the title until 2009.

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