Top 5: Boston Red Sox most dominant pitching seasons since 2000
By John Hynes
No. 4 – Derek Lowe during the Boston Red Sox 2002 season
The first few years in the majors were up and down for Derek Lowe. He was a starter, then moved to the bullpen, and had some struggles.
In 2000 he found success closing games for the Red Sox, but he couldn’t hold the job and eventually was led back into a starter role.
In 2002, Lowe locked it in. His first year back in the rotation he posted a 2.58 ERA in 219.2 IP. Lowe finished third in Cy young Voting and truly was a pleasant surprise for the Sox.
He had by far the best WAR of his career with a whopping 7.2. He was a breakout and a menace on the mound that year for Boston.
Despite his best efforts, the Red Sox won a pedestrian 93 games and missed the post season. Had he made a playoff run of the same caliber as his regular season numbers, he might be higher on this list.