May 4, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of Fenway Park during the third inning of the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Ranking the 10 greatest starting pitchers in the long history of the Boston Red Sox.
With an obvious need for an ace to lead the staff, the Boston Red Sox went all-in on the best available option. The recent signing of David Price undoubtedly makes Boston a strong post season contender for 2016 and beyond.
Price will make an impact for the Red Sox, that much is for sure. With an already impressive resume, there is little doubt that Price will come in and at least be rock solid. For the next few seasons at least, he will probably be great. With obvious pitching talent, Price could easily make himself an important part of Boston Red Sox history.
The Red Sox are one of the oldest franchises in all of Major League Baseball, and have a long and rich history of success. In particular they have a history of having among the most legendary starting pitchers in the history of the game.
Price is good enough to be ranked among most of these guys, but if he is truly going to make a dent as one of the greatest pitchers in Red Sox history, he has an incredibly tough road ahead of him.
These guys are legends in the highest degree.
Counting down from ten to one, who are the greatest pitchers in Boston Red Sox history?
Next: Model of Consistency
#10: Mel Parnell
Mar 22, 2014; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat, sunglasses, and baseballs sit in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports
Never as dominant as the others on this list were, Mel Parnell enjoyed an impressive 10-year career spent entirely in the Boston Red Sox organization. The selection of Parnell at number 10 on this list, has a lot to do with his impressive longevity with the Red Sox.
Primarily a starter, Parnell finished his career 123-75 record, and a rock-solid 3.50 ERA. The left-handed pitcher was a solid force in the Red Sox rotation throughout his career from 1947-1956.
Parnell was extremely consistent throughout most of his career. Throwing out his five appearance debut in 1947, Parnell almost always finished with an ERA between 3.00 and 4.00. Sometimes on the high-side sometimes on the low side, but almost always right where you want to be. There were only two exceptions to this in Parnell’s career.
The first came in 1949, which was the best season of his career. Parnell finished led the league in wins with a 25-7 record, while also showing a league-leading 2.77 ERA. He also showed great durability that season, leading the league in complete games (27) and innings pitched (295.1).
Parnell continued to pitch well for the next three years, before another 20 win season in 1953. After going 21-8 with a 3.06 ERA that season, Parnell began to fade, as injuries became an issue.
He was however able to come back strong with 20 starts in 1956. His 7-6 record and 3.77 ERA were nothing too spectacular, but his no-hitter in July of that season helped him go out on a high note.
Parnell retired following that 1956 season. He was never considered Baseball Hall of Fame worthy, but he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.
Next: Short, but Oh So Sweet
#9: Curt Schilling
While he does not bring much longevity, the four years that Curt Schilling spent with the Boston Red Sox late in his career will never be forgotten. Schilling is best known for his “Bloody Sock” performance in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, where he pitched magnificently despite needing surgery to repair the tendon in his right ankle.
The bloody sock became a phenomenon, and Schilling’s incredible performance was a massive reason why the Red Sox came back and beat the Yankees after being down 3-0 in the ALCS. Schilling then pitched six shutout innings in Game Two of the World Series to help the Red Sox sweep the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Series victory since 1918.
Schilling will always be best remembered in Boston for his post season heroics, but he was a strong regular season performer for the Red Sox as well. Especially in his debut season with the Red Sox in 2004. Schilling finished 21-6 in 2004 with a 3.26 ERA and 203 strikeouts to only 35 walks. His performance led to second-place voting in the Cy Young award that season.
2005 was an awful season for Schilling, as he missed the beginning of the year still recovering from his ankle injury. When healthy, the Red Sox brought him back as their closer, and eventually moved him into the rotation. Schilling did not perform well in either role.
Schilling returned to form in 2006 going 15-7 as a full-time starter, and had a league leading 6.54 strikeout to walk ratio. He had a solid 2007 regular season, but he really turned it on for the Red Sox in the post season. Schilling seemed to save his best for last in 2007, as he ripped through the post season with similar success that we saw in 2004.
With Schilling helping lead the way, the Red Sox won the World Series again in 2007, which marked the last moments of Schilling’s career. as he retired following the 2007 season at 40-years-old.
Schilling had such a short career with the Red Sox, and there were rough patches. However, he will always be remembered in Boston history for his major part in those two historic World Series victories, making him an obvious inclusion to this list.
Next: Absolute Bulldog on the Mound
#8: Jon Lester
Jun 12, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester (31) walks back to the dug out after being relieved during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Jon Lester made his debut with the Red Sox in 2006 as a 22-year-old rookie. He started only 15 games that season, going 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA, a mild contributor on a forgettable team.
He had some health complications late in his rookie season that were later revealed to be an early form of cancer. Luckily, Lester was diagnosed early, and doctors were able to give him the best possible treatment before the cancer spread. After intense chemotherapy CT scans showed the cancer to be in remission, in December of 2006.
With that behind him, Lester miraculously joined the team for Spring Training that season. They took it slow with his return, as he pitched in the minor leagues at the beginning of the year. In late July, Lester made his 2007 debut with the Red Sox, and continued to be a part of the rotation for the rest of the season.
Lester was added to the Red Sox 2007 post season roster, but ended up being a little-used reliever. That was, until the World Series.
With the Red Sox leading the series 3-0, they gave Lester the start for the World Series clinching game four. Lester pitched brilliantly, not giving up any runs in 5.2 innings of work. The Red Sox went on to win the game, clinching the 2007 World Series. Lester went from having a form of cancer to winning the clinching game in the World Series in one-year’s time.
Winning that game to clinch the World Series became a major turning point in Lester’s career. From that point forward, he became the true ace of the Boston Red Sox staff. He went 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 2008, and that was a start of four consecutive seasons with at least 15 wins and an ERA under 3.50.
Lester was the unquestioned ace of the staff during that time, including for their 2013 World Series championship run. He not only led the pitching staff through the regular season, but was an essential part of the post season run, pitching in the Red Sox biggest games and always coming through when they needed them the most.
His 2014 season was statistically the best of Lester’s career. He posted a strong 2.52 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 143 innings pitched in the first half, before the Red Sox traded him away to the Oakland Athletics.
The Red Sox did not appear to be competitive, and Lester was set to get a huge pay-day in free agency at the end of the season. It is always hard to watch your team’s stars leave, but it made sense for the Red Sox to deal Lester. They made a strong push to get him back that off season, but Lester decided to take a larger deal, signing a massive six-year, $155 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
He was a huge part of two World Series championships, and over-came the largest obstacle anyone can ever imagine. Lester deserved his huge pay-day, and will always have an important place in Red Sox history.
Next: THE Big Game Pitcher
#7: Luis Tiant
Nicknamed El Tiante, Luis Tiant only spent eight of his 19 MLB seasons with the Red Sox, but his time in Boston was almost in-arguably the most memorable time period of his career.
Arguably the best year of his entire career came with the Red Sox in 1972, when Tiant went 15-6 with a league-leading 1.91 ERA. He was sixth in Cy Young voting that season, and eight in the MVP ballots.
While with the Red Sox, Tiant was the team’s ace, and was best known for his ability to step up and pitch in the biggest games. Some pitchers simply cannot step up and take the ball when their team needs it the most. Armed with a strong arsenal and the most confident attitude on the mount, El Tiante was never afraid to make the biggest starts for the Red Sox.
Most memorably was Tiant throwing a complete game three hitter in the 1975 ALCS against the three-time defending World Series champion Oakland Athletics. Tiant allowed only one unearned run in that game, and was the driving force to send the Red Sox to the World Series.
He would follow-up that performance starting in Game 1 of the World Series by beating the Reds 6-0 only allowing 5 hits while shutting out the likes Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Joe Morgan. The Red Sox could not win the World Series that season, but it was through no fault of Tiant’s, who pitched well in his following three starts of the series.
Tiant has not been inducted into the Cooperstown since his retirement following the 1982 season, but in 1997 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame as well as being inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
A true ace who with unlimited testicular fortitude, Tiant will always be remembered in Boston.
Next: Lefty
#6: Lefty Grove
Perhaps best known for his time with the Philadelphia Athletics to begin his career, Lefty Grove went on to continue his great run with an impressive stint with the Boston Red Sox from 1934-1941.
The Red Sox traded for Grove prior to the 1934 season, but his debut year was held back by a nagging arm injury. He went 8-8 with a 6.50 ERA that season, but clearly was not healthy. Grove got back in a groove in his second season with Boston, going 20-12 with a league-leading 2.70 ERA. Grove also led the league in ERA the very next season in 1936, with an impressive 2.81 mark.
Grove was a major part of the Red Sox in the late 30s and early 40s, but was never able to lead them to a World Series. However, Grove did win two World Series titles in three appearances with the Athletics.
Grove is arguably the best left-handed pitcher in Red Sox history, as he led the league in ERA four times, and was named an All Star five times in his eight-year Boston career. In his last season of 1941, Grove went 7-7 with a 4.37 ERA, but he won his 300th game late in the season. Grove lost his remaining three starts before retiring, so he finished his career with exactly 300 wins to 141 losses.
In 1947, Grove was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics. The Red Sox received the post-prime Grove, as he did not join the team until he was 34-years-old. Taking that into consideration makes him time in Boston even more impressive. Without eight seasons with the Red Sox, Grove is not a Hall of Fame player.
Next: Smoky Flamethrower
#5: Smoky Joe Wood
Given his nickname for throwing harder than any other pitcher of his generation, Smoky Joe Wood is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox. He joined the Red Sox as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 1908, before bursting onto the scene with the team in a more full-time role in 1909.
Wood pitched eight years with the Red Sox, and was arguably the most dominant pitcher of his era. The best year of his career was in 1912, which was one of the greatest seasons for any pitcher of all-time. Wood went an incredible 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA. He was an absolute force for the team, leading the league in wins, winning percentage complete games (35) and shutouts (10).
A pitcher having more than 30 wins has only happened 21 times since 1900, and Wood’s 34 wins in 1912 is the sixth most in a single-season of all-time.
He was also a huge contributor for the Red Sox in the World Series that season, pitching in half of the team’s games. He started three of the first seven games against the New York Giants, going 2-1. That included his dominant Game One performance, where Wood struck-out 11 batters, becoming the first pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts in a World Series game.
One day after getting shelled for six runs in his one inning Game Seven start, Wood was called on in relief late in the deciding Game Eight. While he did allow a run in his three innings of work, Wood was able to hold off the Giants enough, picking up the win as the Red Sox won the 1912 World Series.
He had another three great years with the Red Sox, although in a more limited capacity after injuring his thumb on a fielded bunt in 1913. His worst ERA with the Red Sox was a 2.62 put up in 1914 following the tough thumb injury, but he immediately bounced back the next year, going 15-5 with a league-leading 1.49 ERA.
Unfortunately, Wood sat out the entire 1916 season, and never pitched again.
Wood was also a strong hitting pitcher for the Red Sox, with a solid .244/.304/.351 during his time with the team. This allowed him to find a second career as an outfielder with the Cleveland Indians. Wood was never a star outfielder, but he put in a solid run of five seasons as an above average outfielder in Cleveland, even helping the team to a World Series championship in 1920.
He was one of the greatest pitchers of his era, but Wood was never able to fully recover from his thumb injury. His pitching career was cut far too short, as he was clearly heading down a strong Hall of Fame caliber career. Wood is sometimes remembered as a player struck down by injuries, but make no mistake, he was a dominant force at the top of the Red Sox rotation for many years.
Next: The Sultan of What?
#4: Babe Ruth
Before revolutionizing the game of baseball as the legendary Great Bambino with the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth was a dominant left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He is arguably the best player of all-time, and will obviously always be best remembered as a Yankees’ slugger. That being said, Ruth’s time in Boston was impressive and has an important place in Red Sox history.
Ruth made his big league debut with the Red Sox at 19-years-old in 1914, before really starting to make a name for himself in 1915. Ruth went 18-8 with a 2.44 ERA in 1915, and was a huge reason for the Red Sox winning the World Series that season.
Ruth’s best year as a pitcher came in 1916, when he led the league by making 40 starts, going 23-12 with a league-leading 1.75 ERA. The Red Sox won the World Series again in 1916, making Ruth the ace pitcher for back-to-back World Series championship teams.
He backed that season up with an equally impressive 24-13, 2.03 ERA campaign in 1917.
It was the next season when the Red Sox started to see Ruth’s value as a hitter in, allowing him to play other positions on days he did not pitch in 1918. He was an immediate star at the plate (leading the league in home runs and slugging percentage), but continued to star on the mound, going 13-7 with a 2.22 ERA.
With Ruth’s continued success on the mound, and powerful bat emerging, he led the Red Sox to another World Series title in 1918. The Babe pitched in only 17 games in 1919, as the Red Sox tried to get him into the line-up more and more. His pitching days were clearly coming to an end, as Ruth hit .322/.456/.657 in 1919, leading the league in OBP, SLG, runs scored (103), home runs (29) and RBI (113).
He had become far and away the best hitter in baseball in his first season in his first full season at the plate, and was only 24-years-old. Why the Red Sox sold him to the Yankees that very next off season, no one will ever know.
As you know, Ruth went on to become one of the best players in the history of the game as a power-hitting outfielder like no one had ever seen before.
When talking about Babe Ruth and is time with the Boston Red Sox, there is so much what could have been to imagine. But even the way it played out, Ruth is one of the best players in the history of the franchise, and a particularly notable mention when we are just talking about pitchers.
Next: He's a Major Award!
#3: Cy Young
Considering the award for the best pitcher in each league is named after him, I think it is fair to consider Cy Young as one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, regardless of team. So, with a nice portion of his career coming with the Red Sox, he is obviously under strong consideration when we talk about the greatest pitchers in Red sox history.
While already established as the best pitcher in baseball with the Cleveland Spiders and St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from 1890-1900, Cy Young did not join the Boston franchise until he was 34-years-old in 1901. His debut with the Boston Americans in 1901 was the debut season of the American League becoming part of Major League Baseball.
The Boston Americans signed Young away from the National League on a $3,500 contract, and he dominated more than ever before right off of the bat. In 1901, Young had arguably the greatest pitching season in professional baseball history, going 33-10 with a 1.62 ERA. He led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts (158), becoming the first ever player to win the Triple Crown for pitching.
Young went on to lead the league in wins again with a 32-11 record in 1902 and a 28-9 mark in 1903. He was obviously a huge part in Boston’s World Series championship in 1903. It was a different game back then, but Young pitched all of the time for the Americans/Red Sox, putting up ridiculous league-leading innings totals that would never even be considered in today’s game.
In his eight years with the Boston Franchise, Young only pitched less than 300 innings two times, 287.2 in a down 1906 season, and 299 at 41-years-old in 1908, going 21-11 with an career-best 1.26 ERA. That 1908 season was the last of Young’s career with the Red Sox as he was traded back to Cleveland prior to the 1909 season. Cy Young retired following the 1911 season.
He holds the major league record for career wins with 511, with nearly 100 more than Walter Johnson’s second place total of 417. With the incredible amount of work over the course of his career, Young also has the most losses of all-time with 316. His 815 career starts, 749 complete games and 7,356 career innings pitched are all far and away major league records as well.
Young is undoubtedly one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, and while all of his success did not come in Boston, a lot of it did.
Somehow, Young did not make the cut for the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1936, but he was inducted in 1937. While he was inducted as a member of the Cleveland Spiders, make no mistake, his time in Boston had a ton to do with him being placed in the Hall of Fame.
Next: Incredible, but What Could Have Been?
#2: Roger Clemens
With a blazing fastball that reached triple-digits at times, Roger Clemens made his big league debut with the Red Sox in May of 1984. While he immediately showed his elite stuff, Clemens’ first two big league seasons were up-and-down. However, it only took until 1986 when Clemens exploded onto the scene to begin a dominant MLB career.
Early in his incredible 1986 season, Clemens became the first MLB pitcher to record 20 strikeouts in a nine inning game, in an April match-up at Fenway Park against the Seattle Mariners. That was just the beginning of one of the most dominant pitching seasons of all-time.
At only 23-years-old, Clemens became the best pitcher in baseball in 1986, going 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 238 strikeouts for the World Series appearing Boston Red Sox. Clemens led the league in wins, winning percentage and ERA that season, and was not only named the Cy Young award winner, but was also the first pitcher to win the MVP award since 1971.
Clemens continued his domination in 1987, leading the league with 20 wins and taking home another Cy Young award.
Possibly one of the best pitching talents the game had ever seen before, Clemens continued to have a ton of success. He led the league in ERA for three consecutive seasons from 1990-1992, with his 21-6, 1.93 ERA performance in 1990 allowed for a second place Cy Young finish and third place in MVP voting.
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Clemens won his third Cy Young award with the Red Sox in 1991, when he led the league in ERA (2.62), innings pitched (271.1) and strikeouts (241). After another dominant 1992 season, Clemens had an up-and-down few years with the Red Sox. However, late in the 1996 season, Clemens put up another 20 strikeout performance, and is still the only player in MLB history to have accomplished that feat twice.
That 20 strikeout game ended up being the third to last start in Clemens’ career with the Red Sox, as he left the team via free agency in the off season. The Red Sox tried hard to resign Clemens, but he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays instead.
Clemens only spent two years with the Blue Jays, but he forced the Red Sox to have a close look at what they were missing. In arguably the best two-year run for a pitcher of all-time, Clemens won the pitching Triple Crown (league leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts) in back-to-back seasons with the Blue Jays. Obviously taking home his fourth and fifth Cy Young awards as well.
Clemens went on to have a dominant career with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros after his two years in Toronto, pitching well into his 40s and picking up two more Cy Young awards.
Clemens is commonly looked at as the one who got away from the Red Sox, and while he was incredible, it is not like he lead them to any success. The Red Sox only reached the post season four times in Clemens’ 13 years with the team, reaching the World Series only once. Clemens was obviously incredible, but does keeping him around really change the course of Red Sox history?
His 13 years with Boston were among the greatest of his career, and he left the organization tied as the team leader with 192 wins, and the lone all-time strikeout leader with 2,590. If you only consider statistics (obviously, I do not), Clemens is probably the best pitcher in the history of the Red Sox. His longevity of domination is unmatched, but his lack of post season success, and later controversy certainly comes into play.
Controversy clouded the later stages of Clemens’ career, and despite being arguably the best pitcher of his generation, he has yet to receive the Hall of Fame nod. It may be unlikely that he ever reaches the Hall, but if he does, based on body of work, Clemens should go in as a member of the Red Sox.
Next: The GOAT
#1: Pedro Martinez
Jul 28, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Hall of Fame player Pedro Martinez speaks to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony before the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Arguably the most dominant pitcher of his era, I think most would agree in naming Pedro Martinez the greatest pitcher in Boston Red Sox history. His seven-year stretch with the Red Sox was not the longest, but it carried the most impact.
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Let’s just put it this way. If you need to win one game, there may not be a better option that Red Sox era Pedro. I’m not talking about just Red Sox pitchers, that decision is easy, I am taking into consideration any pitcher in baseball history. It was for a relatively short period of time, but Pedro Martinez was basically un-hittable while he was in Boston.
Simply put, his ability to go in and completely shut down an offense during this time is unrivaled.
Martinez made his Boston debut in 1998, coming off of a National League Cy Young winning season with the Montreal Expos. Martinez immediately dominated for the Red Sox, finishing 19-7 with a 2.89 ERA. He finished second in the American League in ERA, strikeouts (251) and Cy Young voting.
Martinez probably had his best career season in 1999, winning the pitching Triple Crown by leading the American League in wins (23-4 record), ERA (2.07) and strikeouts (313). He unanimously ran away with the Cy Young, and finished second in MVP voting. Pedro won another Cy Young the next season in 2000, leading the league with a 1.74 ERA and 284 strikeouts.
Pedro’s dominance continued throughout his last four years with the Red Sox, capped off by leading the Red Sox to their first World Series championship since 1918 in 2004. Martinez left the Red Sox to join the New York Mets during the off season, but him leading the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years will always be fondly remembered.
Next: Signing David Price a Symbolic Change for Red Sox
Martinez was the best pitcher in baseball throughout his time with the Red Sox. His legendary number 45 is retired by the team, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (receiving 91% of the vote on his first ballot) as a member of the Red Sox in 2015.