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 shortstops.
Shortstop is one of the most important positions not only in baseball but in all of sports. It’s no coincidence the best player you played with growing up played the position.
The same can be said at the highest levels of the sport, too, and the Boston Red Sox have been no different over the course of their storied existence. Some of the franchise’s best, most unforgettable players maneuvered the spot, and the spot looks to be well-occupied for years to come, too.
Here are some of the best shortstops in Red Sox franchise history.
Red Sox Fantasy Draft: Breaking Down Top Third Basemen In Franchise History
Nomar Garciaparra
Few players at the heights of their careers ascended as high as Garciaparra did in the mid- to late-90s. In a four-season run between 1997 and 2000, Garciaparra hit a staggering .337, winning a pair of batting titles with a .357 average and an eye-popping .372 mark in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Garciaparra showed plenty of pop in that run, too, averaging nearly 30 home runs and more than 100 RBIs per season — out of a traditionally defensive-minded position. He was on the way to becoming the next Ted Williams before injuries and contract disputes took him off that path, but his spot in franchise history is well-earned.
Joe Cronin
Cronin is a Hall of Famer and has his number retired at Fenway Park. Kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it? The San Francisco native spent the final 11 seasons of his historic career in Boston, hitting .300 with an OPS of .878 while earning five All-Star selections in his first seven seasons with the Sox. Oh, and there was also this: Cronin spent his entire Red Sox tenure as player-manager, with the Red Sox winning at least 88 games in three of those seasons.
Rick Burleson
Was Burleson ever one of the sport’s best players? No. But you certainly could do a whole lot worse than the 1970 first-round pick. Burleson spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Red Sox where he provided sound offensive production atop some very good Boston batting orders. He was an unsung member of the 1975 pennant-winning club, setting the table atop a dynamic lineup while playing borderline elite defense at short. His near-flawless defense earned him a Gold Glove award in 1980.
Rico Petrocelli
Petrocelli is listed as a shortstop in this draft, although he essentially split his career at short and third base. From 1965 to 1970, when Petrocelli was playing shortstop primarily, he hit .256 while averaging 22 home runs and 67 RBIs. One of his best seasons came in 1967 where Petrocelli starred on the Sox’s “Impossible Dream” team, starting at shortstop for the American League in the All-Star Game. His best season came in 1969 when he hit 40 home runs and drove in 97 runs while posting a .992 OPS, a season that was among the very best from a shortstop for another 30 years.
Xander Bogaerts
It’s hard to imagine Bogaerts has been in Boston for the better part of a decade already. The three-time Silver Slugger winner has very much come into his own, and at just 26, he might still have his best years ahead of him. That’s impressive for someone who took a giant leap in his progression in 2019 when he registered nearly 200 hits, 33 of which were home runs to go along with 52 doubles while driving in 117 runs. He’ll have a chance to be the best when it’s all said and done, too, as he’s signed at least through the 2025 season.
The NESN Red Sox Fantasy Draft Show is presented by Cross Insurance: Your Team, Your Choice. Check out more at nesn.com/soxfantasy.
