Boston Red Sox All-Time Starting Lineup/Roster

This is likely one of the best All Time lineups as the Boston Red Sox are armed with one of the best, if not the best hitters of all time. Around him, there’s some great speed at the top and bottom of the lineup as well as two other very feared left-handed bats. However, don’t forget about their other bats who have great power numbers and can get on base at a fairly effective clip.

Starting Lineup

1. Wade Boggs, 3B (R)
2. Carl Yastrzemski, 1B (L)
3. Nomar Garciaparra, SS (R)
4. Ted Williams, LF (L)
5. David Ortiz, DH (L)
6. Dwight Evans, RF (R)
7. Bobby Doerr, 2B (R)
8. Carlton Fisk, C (R)
9. Mookie Betts, CF (R)
Roger Clemens, P (R)
Manager: Terry Francona

Catcher

Carlton Fisk
1969-80: 627 Runs, 162 HR, 568 RBI, 61 SB, .284 BA/.356 OBP/.481 SLG

During his tenure with the Red Sox, Carlton Fisk was fairly inconsistent offensively. He had great seasons with power and average, seasons with only one, and some with none. If he was only a bit more consistent with his playing, we might’ve been a bit more impressed by his stats. However, Fisk was fairly efficient defensively and earned himself a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season. The Hall of Famer and 1972 Rookie of the Year would end his 11 year career with the Red Sox and play for the White Sox in the latter part of his career.

Honorable Mentions: Jason Varitek

First Baseman

Carl Yastrzemski
1961-83: 1,816 Runs, 452 HR, 1,844 RBI, 168 SB, .285 BA/.379 OBP/.462 SLG

If Carl Yastrzemski had dominantly played at any other position besides that of Ted Williams, there’s no reason he would be placed here at first. However, Yaz’s bat simply needed to be in this lineup and we’ll have to play him at his secondary position of first base where he played mainly during the latter parts of his career. The 18 time All Star and 7 time Gold Glove Award winner was a great on both sides of the ball. During his prime, Yaz was known to be a great power hitter and had the great ability of getting on base at a very high clip. He’s another great bat in the middle of the order that we’ll rely on to hit and play solid defense.

Honorable Mentions: Jimmie Foxx, Mo Vaughn

Second Baseman

Bobby Doerr
1937-51: 1,094 Runs, 223 HR, 1,247 RBI, 54 SB, .288 BA/.362 OBP/.461 SLG

This was the toughest call on the entire lineup as both players are very well deserving of a starting job. Bobby Doerr is a Hall of Famer who gave the Red Sox a great combination of average and speed at a position traditionally known for great defenders. Dustin Pedroia is another second baseman that broke the stereotype though his recent stretch of injuries has likely ended his career. However, he was one of the best fielding and grittiest players you could ever ask for. With that being said, the pick at second base goes to Doerr who will give this team a steady bat and second baseman who can knock in a bunch of runs behind its power hitters.

Honorable Mentions: Dustin Pedroia

Shortstop

Nomar Garciaparra
1996-04: 709 Runs, 178 HR, 690 RBI, 84 SB, .323 BA/.370 OBP/.553 SLG

Nomar Garciaparra played 9 years for Boston and it’s always fun looking back and imagining what would’ve happened if he had stayed longer. During his time with the Sox, Garciaparra was one of the best young shortstops to watch in the league. He had tremendous power for the position and his ability to hit the ball was spectacular to watch. He led the league in back to back seasons by hitting .357 and .372 in 1999 and 2000. However, injuries eventually got to the star shortstop and likely cost him a chance at the Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mentions: John Valentin, Johnny Pesky, Everett Scott

Third Baseman

Wade Boggs
1982-92: 1,067 Runs, 85 HR, 687 RBI, 16 SB, .338 BA/.428 OBP/.462 SLG

A player who wore many different hats for various Al East teams, Wade Boggs is the pick here to suit up for the All Time team. The Hall of Famer was very well known at getting on base on a very historic clip and sported averages that are almost ridiculous. During his prime, Boggs was getting on base nearly 45% of the time which is unheard of. While not much of a power or speed threat, he played good enough defense to earn him a pair of Gold Gloves. The hitting ability earned him 8 Silver Slugger Awards and 5 Batting Titles to make him an ideal leadoff man for the Red Sox.

Honorable Mentions: Rico Petrocelli, Kevin Youkilis, Larry Gardner

Left Fielder

Ted Williams
1939-60: 1,798 Runs, 521 HR, 1,839 RBI, 24 SB, .344 BA/.482 OBP/.634 SLG

Ted Williams might not only be one of the best players in Boston history but possibly of all time. Throughout his 19 year career with the team, he was a major power hitter and could seemingly do everything offensively. He consistently led the league in on-base percentage and slugging and never had a problem getting walked. Just think about this, from 1946 to 1949, he was walked a total of 606 times and struck out only 180 times. Nowadays, it might take an entire career to accumulate 606 walks and a single season to record 180 strikeouts. If Williams didn’t miss three years due to military service in his prime years, there’s no doubt Williams would’ve likely gone down as the best hitter of all time.

Honorable Mentions: Jim Rice, Manny Ramirez, Mike Greenwell

Center Fielder

Mookie Betts
2014-19: 587 Runs, 130 HR, 453 RBI, 122 SB, .299 BA/.373 OBP/.514 SLG

After winning MVP honors in 2018, Mookie Betts has seemingly taken a step back in 2019 and doesn’t look to be the same player. In just 6 years with the team, Betts has already put up great numbers. He’s shown his ability to be a five tool player who can hit for average, power, steal, and play very good defense. During his tenure, he’s already played at second, center, and now, right field. The 4 time All Star and 3 time Gold Glove Award winner can be placed anywhere in the field and should have no problem fielding his position. While there’s already plenty of good hitters on this Boston team, it might be best to place Betts in the #9 spot to provide another leadoff hitter for the second time around the lineup.

Honorable Mentions: Fred Lynn, Reggie Smith, Dom DiMaggio

Right Fielder

Dwight Evans
1972-91: 1,470 Runs, 379 HR, 1,346 RBI, 76 SB, .272 BA/.369 OBP/.473 SLG

Dwight Evans was a staple of the Red Sox lineup ever since his sophomore year in the league and He won a multitude of Gold Gloves in the right field spot and a pair of Silver Slugger Awards. While he might not be a household name or especially special, Evans was one of the most solid players of his Red Sox teams and will be used as somewhat of a swiss army knife. He can do a bit of hitting, provide valuable defense, and will simply do his job. Unfortunately for him, most of Boston’s lineup will feature some very dangerous power hitting sluggers which makes Evans unable to hit in the upper half of the lineup. Nevertheless, he’ll provide great value and has a chance to rack up great RBI numbers.

Honorable Mentions: Harry Hooper

Designated Hitter

David Ortiz
2003-16: 1,204 Runs, 483 HR, 1,530 RBI, 13 SB, .290 BA/.386 OBP/.570 SLG

During his time in Minnesota, David Ortiz wasn’t thought of much more than a decent prospect who could didn’t have a great line of path to playing time. In just his second year as a Red Sox, his entire career changed and he became one of the most dangerous power hitters of his generation. While his batting average did fall off midway into his career with Boston, he was rejuvenated in 2010 and was right back to his old ways. There’s no doubt that Ortiz is still beloved in Boston and will continue being one of their most important players during their playoff runs. There’s a chance Ortiz could’ve played more and improved his stats as he actually led the league in RBI and OPS in his farewell season.

Pitcher

Roger Clemens
1984-96: 192-111 Record, 3.06 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9

While he did play for the rival Yankees later in his career, Roger Clemens was possibly the most dominant Red Sox pitcher in history. However, this pick doesn’t come without controversy. It’s been widely speculated that he used performance enhancing drugs which could keep him ultimately out of the Hall of Fame and off this list. However, if we assume he didn’t use them, Clemens was one of the best players of that entire era. He took home 3 CY Young Awards during his time with Boston and even won the MVP Award in 1986 as a pitcher. Clemens was sensational on the mound and the ideal pitcher for Boston.

Honorable Mentions: CY Young, Pedro Martinez, Tim Wakefield

Manager

Terry Francona

Though he currently manages for the Cleveland Indians, Boston’s best manager was Terry Francona. During his time at the helm from 2004 to 2011, he led the team to a pair of World Series victories in 2004 and 2007. He famously led the first 0-3 comeback in playoff history and even more memorable, was against the rival New York Yankees. He currently holds the lead among all Red Sox managers with a career 57.4% winning percentage and the second most wins as Boston’s manager.