In an interesting feature for the Sports Daily, we will take a look at the top 10 starting pitchers all-time of all 30 Major League Baseball teams. In our fourth segment, we feature the Boston Red Sox. The list includes the Boston Americans from 1901 to 1907.
10) Clay Buchholz
The native of Nederland, Texas pitched 10 seasons with the Red Sox from 2007 to 2016. During 206 games and 1167 2/3 innings pitched, Buchholz had a record of 81 wins and 61 losses with 899 strikeouts, an earned run average of 3.96 and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.30. Buchholz had a spectacular earned run average of 1.59 in 2007. That year Buchholz threw a no-hitter in only his second MLB career game. It came on September 1, 2007 in a 10-0 Red Sox win over the Baltimore Orioles. An American League All-Star in 2010 and 2013, he had an amazing record of 12 wins and one loss with an earned run average of 1.74 in 2013. Also in 2013, Buchholz won a World Series with the Red Sox. In game four of the 2013 World Series, Buchholz threw four shutout innings in a 4-2 Red Sox win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
9) Jim Lonborg
The native of Santa Maria, California pitched seven seasons with the Red Sox from 1965 to 1971. During 204 games and 1099 innings pitched, Lonborg had a record of 68 wins and 65 losses with 784 strikeouts, 38 complete games, six shutouts, an earned run average of 3.94 and a WHIP of 1.31. In 1967, Longborg won the American League Cy Young Award and was an American League All-Star. He led the Major Leagues with 22 wins and the American League with 246 strikeouts.
8) Chris Sale
The native of Lakeland, Florida pitched the last six seasons with the Red Sox from 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023 before joining the Atlanta Braves in the offseason. During 115 games and 670 2/3 innings pitched, Sale had a record of 46 wins and 30 losses with 945 strikeouts, an earned run average of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.02. Sale was known for his strikeout frequency. He averaged 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and led Major League Baseball with 308 strikeouts in 2017. Sale’s best game with the Red Sox came on June 5, 2019. He threw a complete game three-hit shutout (struck out 12 and walked none) in an 8-0 Red Sox win over the Kansas City Royals. An All-Star with the Red Sox in 2017 and 2018, Sale was on the Red Sox team that won the 2018 World Series. In two World Series games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sale gave up three earned runs in five innings.
7) Bill Monbouquette
The native of Medford, Massachusetts pitched eight seasons with the Red Sox from 1958 to 1965. During 254 games and 1622 innings pitched, Monbouquette had a record of 96 wins and 91 losses with 969 strikeouts, 72 complete games, 16 shutouts, and an earned run average of 3.69 and a WHIP of 1.27. He won a career-high 20 games in 1963, and was an American League All-Star thrice in 1960, 1962 and 1963. Monbouquette also pitched a no-hitter for the Red Sox. It came on August 1, 1962 in a 1-0 Red Sox win over the Chicago White Sox.
6) Smoky Joe Wood
The native of Kansas City, Missouri won two World Series with the Red Sox in 1912 and 1915. During 218 games and 1416 innings pitched from 1908 to 1915, Wood had a record of 117 wins and 56 losses, with 121 complete games, 28 shutouts eight saves, 986 strikeouts, and an amazing earned run average of 1.99 and a WHIP of 1.08. Thrice Wood had an ERA under two. He was at 1.69 in 1910, 1.91 in 1912 and an American League best in 1.49 in 1915. During 1912, Wood led the Major Leagues with 34 wins (Red Sox single season franchise record), 35 complete games and 10 shutouts. When the Red Sox won the 1912 World Series, Wood beat the New York Giants thrice, including in two complete games in game one and game four of the series.
5) Luis Tiant
The native of Marianao, Cuba pitched for the Red Sox from 1971 to 1978. Tiant had a record of 122 wins and 81 losses with 113 complete games, 26 shutouts, 1075 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 3.36 and WHIP of 1.20. In 1972 with the Red Sox, Tiant led the Major Leagues with a 1.91 earned run average, in 1973 had the lowest WHIP in the American League at 1.09, and in 1974 led the Major Leagues with seven shutouts. When Tiant was an All-Star in 1974, he won 22 games, and when he was an All-Star in 1976, he won 21 games.
4) Jon Lester
The native of Tacoma, Washington, Lester pitched nine seasons with the Red Sox from 2006 to 2014. In 242 games and 1519 1/3 innings pitched, he had a record of 110 wins and 63 losses with an earned run average of 3.64, 940 strikeouts, 10 complete games, three shutouts, and a WHIP of 1.29. He was an All-Star with the Red Sox in 2010, 2011, and 2014. Lester won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013. In 2007, Lester won game four of the World Series, and pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings of spectacular baseball at the hitter-friendly Coors Field ball park in Denver, as Boston won 4-3. Then in 2013, Lester gave up only one earned run in 15 1/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in two Red Sox wins. On May 19, 2008, he threw a no-hitter in a 7-0 Boston win over the Kansas City Royals.
3) Pedro Martinez
The Hall of Fame native of Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic pitched seven seasons with the Red Sox from 1998 to 2004. In 203 games and 1383 2/3 innings pitched, Martinez had an amazing record of 117 wins and 37 losses with an earned run average of 2.52 and a WHIP of 0.98. He also had 22 complete games, eight shutouts, and 1683 strikeouts. In 1999 and 2000, Martinez won the Cy Young Award. In 1999, he led the American League in wins (23), strikeouts (313, a Red Sox franchise record), earned run average (2.07), and WHIP (0.92). In 2000, Martinez led the Majors in earned run average (1.74), shutouts (four), and WHIP (0.74), and the American League in strikeouts (284). In 2002, Martinez led the Majors in WHIP (0.92), and earned run average (2.26), and the American League in strikeouts (239). In 2003, Martinez led the American League in WHIP (1.04) and the Majors in earned run average (2.22). An All-Star with the Red Sox in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002, Martinez won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2004. He pitched seven shutout innings in game three of the World Series, a 4-1 Red Sox win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
2) Roger Clemens
The right-hander from Dayton, Ohio pitched 13 seasons with the Red Sox from 1984 to 1996. In 383 games and 2776 innings pitched, Clemens had a record of 192 wins and 111 losses with an earned run average of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.16. He also had a Red Sox franchise record 2590 strikeouts, 100 complete games, and 38 shutouts. Five times Clemens was an American League All-Star (1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992). Twice Clemens led the Major Leagues in wins (24 in 1986 and 20 in 1987). He also led the American League in earned run average four times (2.48 in 1986, 1.93 in 1990, 2.62 in 1991 and 2.41 in 1992), complete games twice (18 in 1987 and 14 in 1988), shutouts five times (seven in 1987, eight in 1988, four in 1990, four in 1991, and five in 1992), strikeouts thrice (291 in 1988, 241 in 1991, and 257 in 1996), and WHIP twice (0.97 in 1986 and 1.07 in 1992). Clemens won three Cy Young Awards in Boston (1986, 1987, and 1991), and won the 1986 American League Most Valuable Player Award. Clemens holds the MLB record for most strikeouts in a game with 20, an achievement he has done twice. The first time came in a 3-1 Red Sox win over the Seattle Mariners on April 29, 1986, and the second time came in a 4-0 Red Sox win over the Detroit Tigers on September 18, 1996.
1) Cy Young
It is only fitting that the name of the award for the best pitcher in each league each season is number one. A Hall of Famer from Gilmore, Ohio, Young pitched eight seasons with the Red Sox from 1901 to 1908. In 327 games and 2728 1/3 innings, Young had a record of 192 wins (tied with Roger Clemens for the most ever in Red Sox history), and 112 losses, with 275 complete games, 38 shutouts, nine saves, 1341 strikeouts, an earned run average of 2.00 and a WHIP of 0.97. In his first season with the Americans in 1901, Young won the American League triple crown. He led the American League in wins (33), earned run average (1.62) and strikeouts (158). Young also led the American League in shutouts that season with five. He also led the Major Leagues with a 0.97 WHIP in 1901, the Major Leagues with 32 wins in 1902, the American League with 41 complete games in 1902, the American League in wins (28), complete games (34), and shutouts (seven) in 1903, and the Major Leagues with 10 shutouts in 1904. In 1903, Young won a World Series with the Americans, as Boston beat Pittsburgh five games to three. In game five of the series, Young threw a complete game six-hitter (four strikeouts and zero walks), as Boston beat Pittsburgh 11-2. Twice Young threw a no-hitter with Boston. The first time came on May 5, 1904 in a 3-0 Americans win over the Philadelphia Athletics (a perfect game) and the second time came in an 8-0 Red Sox win over the New York Highlanders on June 30, 1908.
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