Boston Red Sox All-Decade team 2010s: The starting infield

By Gio Rivera | Dec 30, 2019

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 09: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox catches the ball in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros during game four of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 9, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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Boston Red Sox Mike Napoli (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

First-Baseman: Mike Napoli (2013-15)

December 2012- The Boston Red Sox and Mike Napoli agreed on a three-year deal worth $39 million, establishing Boston’s next first-baseman after Napoli caught over 70 games for the Texas Rangers in the season previous.

Napoli partook in one postseason run during his tenure in Boston following a .259/.360/.482 season with 23 home runs and 92 runs batted in for the 2013 season.

This proved to be one of the top-tier free agency signings within the past decade for Boston. Napoli instantly embedded himself within the Boston culture, partaking in the birth of the unforgettable and forever cherished “Band of Bearded Brothers”, making number 12 a household staple within the roster.

Whether it was taking Justin Verlander deep in Detroit in game three of the American League Championship Series, tagging Kolten Wong in the Koji Uehara World Series game four pickoff, or getting drunk with the locals of downtown Boston following the Red Sox clinching their eighth franchise title, Napoli just seemed born to be a Red Sox.

His hard-nosed, gritty demeanor which he carried alongside himself day-in and day-out will keep his name forever present in the Boston Red Sox memorable books.

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