Between 1986 and 2006 15 completely different Crimson Sox gamers made a minimum of 50 appearances at second base in a single season: Marty Barrett, Jody Reed, Scott Fletcher, Luis Alicea, Jeff Frye, John Valentin, Donnie Sadler, Mike Benjamin,José Offerman, Lou Merloni, Rey Sánchez, Todd Walker, Mark Bellhorn, Tony Graffanino, and Mark Loretta. Barrett would additionally cross the edge in 1984 and 1985 as the first second baseman, giving us 22 years for the pattern. Like “generations” of beginning (Boomer, X, Millennial and many others.) there’s a little fuzziness right here on the 20 years however, suffice it to say, Barrett pulled of this feat 5 instances, Reed 4, Frye and Offerman 3, Fletcher and Bellhorn 2 instances apiece, and all the remaining solely crossed 50 video games performed as soon as.
The final man to do it on this pattern was Mark Loretta. Loretta, acquired from the San Diego Padres for backup catcher and knuckleball specialist Doug Mirabelli, performed 138 video games at second and made the All-Star Sport. A pending free agent, Loretta was a veteran placeholder to purchase yet another yr of growth for the longer term. The yr was 2006. The longer term was a man drafted in 2004 named Dustin Pedroia.
Boston was off on the precise day of the draft, June seventh, 2004, however on the sixth, the beginning lineup included the very memorable beginning second baseman César Crespo whereas Pokey Reese performed shortstop.
Dustin Pedroia would make his main league debut on August 23, 2006 and play in 31 video games – 27 as a second baseman and 6 extra because the shortstop. He would then play for eleven seasons as the first second baseman. In 2018 and 2019, Pedroia was positively supposed to man the second base place, however resulting from accidents sustained by an unlucky collision, he performed in solely a handful of video games both yr. Which suggests we have to take one other take a look at the place after 2017.
Listed below are the gamers who recorded 50 or extra video games at second base during the last eight years: Brock Holt, Eduardo Núñez, Christian Arroyo, Trevor Story, Enmanuel Valdéz, Kristian Campbell, and David Hamilton. Holt and Arroyo pulled it off two instances every, the others simply as soon as. All the opposite seasons since 2007 solely Pedroia qualifies for the listing.
It’s type of telling that Holt and Núñez cut up 2018 and Campbell and Hamilton cut up 2025, whereas 2019-2024 was only a revolving door.
However 20 years after Dustin Pedroia emerged, and nearly a decade since his keystone reign got here to an finish, there’s a brand new contender: Marcelo Mayer.
You could have seen his slick protection this week:
Whereas it’s nonetheless potential, perhaps seemingly, Mayer begins the season in Triple-A he’s an thrilling participant who can probably convey a few of what Pedroia did to second base this yr: stability. That’s to not say that Mayer would be the participant that Laser Present was. That’s for the longer term to disclose. However his time at third base protecting for Alex Bregman final yr was stabilizing.
In fact we don’t know for positive the place he’ll play this yr. He’s a pure shortstop. He’ll in all probability the second baseman however, once more, Alex Cora may like him at third. Or perhaps he man each spots in some type of defensive platoon. Which might be loads of transferring elements so who is aware of. However he’s largely been beginning at second base since starting his Spring Coaching video games.
Pedroia was the kind of participant who comes as soon as in a era. We have already got a style of that sort of participant in Roman Anthony. However Marcelo Mayer might nonetheless be the second base answer for 4 or 5 years (or extra! However we’re beginning small). The Crimson Sox haven’t had that man within the post-Pedroia period. Penciling in a surefire starter, whether or not because the manger or a fan imagining the lineups, is a pleasant feeling. Let’s root for the child to start out that clock in 2026.
