Five Greatest Starting Pitchers In Red Sox History

If the Boston Red Sox could put together an all-time starting rotation, they would have plenty of options to fill the five spots.

Several Cy Young Award-winning pitchers, and Cy Young himself, have toed the rubber in a starting role throughout the over 100-year history of the Red Sox. It feels as though each decade the Red Sox have an elite hurler leading the charge from the mound.

But with only room for five pitchers in this rotation, here are the best to have ever donned a Red Sox uniform:

5. Luis Tiant (1971-78)
Don’t let Tiant’s array of wild deliveries distract you as it did opponents. He bounced back from a bumpy first season with the Red Sox to have an exceptional tenure with Boston. He was a two-time All-Star and put together an ultra-impressive campaign in 1972 when he toggled back and forth between a starter and reliever. He made 43 appearances that season — 19 of which were starts — going 15-6 with a league-best 1.91 ERA and three saves.

Tiant, or better known as El Tiante by the Fenway Faithful, became a full-time starter beginning in the 1973 season and won 20-plus games three times. The Cuban native ranks fifth in career wins for the Red Sox at 122.

He also has a performance that in all probability will never be replicated again. In Game 4 of the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, Tiant went the distance to earn the win and threw an eye-popping 155 pitches.

4. Smoky Joe Wood (1908-15)
The talented right-hander owns the best career ERA in Red Sox history at 1.99 ERA. Wood, who earned his nickname due to his blazing fastball, took off on the mound in 1911 after three seasons already with Boston. That year, Wood won 23 games.

He followed that up with the most impressive season of his career. Wood went a ridiculous 34-5 with a league-best 10 shutouts and a 1.91 ERA. Wood was immense in the 1912 World Series as well, pitching four times in the eight-game series. He started Games 1, 2 and 7 before coming on relief in the final game of the series, tossing three innings of relief and earning the win as the Red Sox secured their second title.

Wood’s best ERA season at 1.49 came in his final showing with Boston in 1915, but injuries ultimately prevented Wood from reaching an even higher level.

3. Cy Young (1901-1908)
The MLB pitching award is named after Young, so he has to be on this list. Young was already well-established before joining Boston, having spent nine seasons with Cleveland and two with St. Louis.

In his first two seasons with Boston, who were still known as the Americans then and not the Red Sox, he won 33 and 32 games, respectively. He followed that by winning a mere 28 games in 1903. The right-hander actually had an under .500 record in 1905 at 18-19, but boasted a 1.82 ERA. In his final season with Boston, Young went 21-11 with a mind-boggling 1.26 ERA.

Young left the Red Sox setting the franchise record for career wins at 192 and he also accumulated 275 complete games — well over 100 more than the second pitcher on the list. That record could really stand the test of time.

2. Pedro Martinez (1998-04)
In one of the greatest trades in Red Sox history, Boston acquired the Hall of Fame pitcher for Tony Armas and Carl Pavano in November of 1997. Martinez was nothing short of dominant during his stint with Boston, winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 1999 and 2000.

In 1999 — he also put together a memorable performance at the All-Star Game at Fenway that year — Martinez went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts in 213 1/3 innings. He led the league in ERA in five out of his eight seasons with the Red Sox.

Before Martinez departed following the 2004 season, he might have accomplished an even greater feat by helping the Red Sox win their first World Series title in 86 years.

1. Roger Clemens (1984-96)
The Red Sox selected one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball history at 19th overall in the 1983 draft. Clemens’ incredible career began with 13 seasons with the Red Sox and he left the organization with his name plastered throughout the franchise’s record book.

The sturdy right-hander is tied for first in career wins with 192 and shutouts with 38. Not to mention his 2,590 strikeouts are 500 more than the next closest pitcher. He also has the highest war of any pitcher in Red Sox history at 80.8.

Clemens won three of his seven Cy Young awards in a Red Sox uniform and won American League MVP honors in 1986 with a 24-4 record and a 2.48 ERA. He also tossed two 20-strikeout games 10 years apart.