That's a Wrap

Each year upon the closing of the season, we like to sort through the regular-season statistics compiled by the Red Sox, collectively and individually. No fancy introductions. We'll jump right in.

Let's start with Dustin Pedroia, who rewrote the team's record books this year:

• Positional record for hits (213).
• Positional record for runs (118).
• Positional record for doubles (54).
• Positional record for batting average (.326).
• Positional record for total bases (322).
• Positional record for extra-base hits (73).
• Third at position in runs produced (184), behind Bobby Doerr in 1946 and 1950.
• Tied for fourth at position in times on base (270), behind Billy Goodman (1955) and Pete Runnels (1958, 1959).
• Fourth at position in stolen bases (20), most since Jerry Remy in 1978.
• Top 10 at position in OPS+ (123), home runs (17), slugging percentage (.493), OPS (.869).
• Third all time in doubles, behind MLB record-holder Earl Webb (67, 1931) and Nomar Garciaparra (2002).
• Tied for fourth all time in hits with Jim Rice's 1978, behind Wade Boggs (1985, 1988) and Tris Speaker (1912).
• 9th all time in at bats (653).
• 14th all time in plate appearances (726).

He also surfaced near the top of the AL record books:

• 2nd in doubles at position, behind Charlie Gehringer (60) in 1936.
• 10th in total bases at position.
• 11th in hits at position, and most since Rod Carew in 1974.
• 11th in extra-base hits at position.
• 21st in runs at position, and most since Alfonso Soriano in 2002.
• Tied for 11th all time in doubles, most since Garciaparra and Garret Anderson in 2002.
• Tied for 37th in times on base at position, and most since Roberto Alomar in 2001.

And the MLB record books:

• Fifth in doubles at position, most since Craig Biggio (56) in 1999.
• Tied for 18th in hits at position, still most since Carew in 1974.
• Tied for 20th all time in doubles.

The rest:

• Nobody hit 30 home runs for the Sox, but six players hit at least 15 -- third time that's ever happened in Boston and the first since 1999.
• Kevin Youkilis was the only batter to drive in as many as 90 runs, with 115. That's the first time since 2001, when Manny Ramirez drove in 125 and Trot Nixon came next with 88.
  
• Nine players with at least 20 doubles ties the Red Sox record set in 1941 and tied in 1997, 2003 and 2005. Is Fenway a doubles park? The Sox have had at least eight batters hit 20 doubles in seven of the last eight seasons.
  
• The Sox had eight batters compile at least 200 plate appearances and post an OPS+ of at least 100, the first time since 2003 and just the seventh time in 108 years they've had at least that number of league-average-or-better hitters.
  
• Three players with at least 20 steals hadn't been seen since the Sox had three or four do it in seven straight seasons from 1908-1914. In fact, in only 46 seasons have the Sox had even one player with 20 stolen bases.
• Six pitchers with at least seven starts posted an ERA+ better than 100 -- most since 2001 (say what?). Only in 1936 and 1977 have more Sox starters been better than average. Among the full-time starters, four pitchers with 150 innings posted better than a 100 ERA+, first time since 2002. The Sox haven't swept all five principal starters since the dead-ball era.
  
• Ten pitchers, starters and relievers, with at least 39 innings pitched also were above average, tying the record set by last year's club.
• Individually, Kevin Youkilis' .569 slugging percentage and 145 OPS+ were the best seen by a Sox first baseman since Mo Vaughn in the mid 1990s. His 43 doubles is the third-highest total among Boston first basemen, most since Bill Buckner's 46 in 1985.
• Jason Varitek has three of the top 10 OPS+ seasons posted by Red Sox catchers. He also now has the fifth-worst, between luminaries Grover Hartley and Steve O'Neill.
• In 53 team games since being brought to Boston, Jason Bay has played in 49, hitting .293/.370/.527 for a 129 OPS+. Extrapolated to 162 team games, Bay would have compiled the following counting numbers: 28 HR, 113 RBI, 165 hits, 290 total bases and 70 extra-base hits. He would have finished among the league's top 10 in slugging, OPS, RBI and total bases. He would have led the league in runs scored, one more than Pedroia's 118. Not quite what Manny Ramirez was doing 3,000 miles away, but very good in his own right.
• Jon Lester's 143 ERA+ puts him 12th among qualifying left-handed starters during their age-24 season. It's the best since Barry Zito's 158 in 2002. The names above him include Steve Carlton, Johnny Podres, Jim Abbott and Jimmy Key. The names below him include Rube Marquard, Frank Viola, Andy Pettitte and Whitey Ford.
• Conversely, Clay Buchholz's 68 is among the 20 worst seasons by a 23-year-old starter with at least 70 innings. Funnily enough, Marquard's also "ahead" of Buchholz on that list.

Comments

[SF]

Great summary, Paul.

[Atheose]

Holy jesus Paul, you're unbelievable when it comes to stats. Well done! I wish I had time to post a longer, more in-depth response, but in the mean time give yourself a nice high-five.

[stuck working]

Lester's the best since Zito, eh? Uh...promising!