The Best Individual Red Sox Seasons of the Century: Part Three, #20-16

20. 2021 Nathan Eovaldi
Stats: 4.3 WAR 11-9 3.75 ERA  32 GS 182.1 IP 195 K 9.6 K/9 125 ERA+ 1.19 WHIP 2.79 FIP AS CYA-4 MVP-15

One of the more underrated pitching seasons of the past century, Eovaldi stepped up huge for a rotation that saw Eduardo Rodriguez take a step back and Chris Sale miss the first four months of action. The veteran right-hander finished fourth in Cy Young voting while leading the American League with 32 starts and a 2.79 FIP. Though he got rocked in a crucial regular season game against the Yankees, he rebounded to collect the win against them in the Wild Card, then turned in three more impressive starts against the Rays and the Astros. It wasn’t the most flashy season, but Eovaldi proved invaluable during the Red Sox's run to the ALCS with his consistency and reliability. 

19. 2007 Jonathan Papelbon
Stats: 3.1 WAR 1.85 ERA 37 SV 58.1 IP 84 K 13.0 K/9 257 ERA+ 2.45 FIP 0.77 WHIP AS

After his aforementioned dominant 2006 season, the Red Sox flirted with the idea of having Jonathan Papelbon move to the starting rotation in spring training but ultimately decided to keep him in the starting rotation. That proved to be a wise choice, as Papelbon made his second straight All-Star team and covered what would be a career-high 41 saves. From a run-prevention standpoint, Papelbon wasn’t quite as good as the previous season, but he made up the difference with a lockdown postseason. He didn’t allow a run in any of his six outings and recorded more than three outs six times. The reason he isn’t higher on this list isn’t exactly his fault: The Red Sox were so dominant in the ALDS, World Series, and final three games of the ALCS that Papelbon’s role wasn’t as vital as, say, Keith Foulke in 2004. 

18. 2003 Pedro Martinez
Stats: 8.0 WAR 14-4 2.22 ERA 29 GS 3 CG 0 SO  186.2 IP 206 K 9.9 K/9 211 ERA+ 1.039 WHIP CYA-3

Voter fatigue is real, folks. Despite leading the league in ERA, K/9, WHIP, FIP, HR/9, and H/9, Pedro Martinez lost out on his fourth Cy Young to Roy Halladay, who had an ERA more than a run higher than Pedro and struck out fewer batters in 80 more innings. The only real advantage Halladay had was that he won eight more games, but that’s only because the Red Sox's porous bullpen blew at least a half-dozen of Pedro’s wins. Regardless, it was another masterful regular season for Martinez, who carried a pitching staff that didn’t have another starting pitcher with an ERA under 4.00 and whose bullpen was a literal dumpster fire. Unfortunately, Martinez gets dinged a bit here for a mediocre postseason performance. He was fine in his two ALDS starts against the Athletics but got roughed up in the Don Zimmer game against the Yankees in the ALCS, then blew a 5-2 lead in the Game 7 loss. Of course, most of the blame has to go on Grady Little, but Pedro was the one out there making the pitches, and since this list takes into account postseason performance, I had to move him back a few spots for failing to stop the Yankees onslaught. 

(Editors Note: I couldn’t find a YouTube video of 2003 Pedro Martinez that wasn’t him throwing Don Zimmer to the ground or the Yankees Game 7 rally, so please enjoy this masterpiece from the 2004 World Series)

17. 2000 Nomar Garciaparra
Stats: 140 GP 7.4 WAR .372/.434/.599 21 HR 96 RBI  1.033 OPS 156 OPS+  AS MVP-9

This was Nomar at the height of his powers, as his .372 batting average was the highest of any right-handed hitter since World War II. He flirted with a .400 average well into June, and though he slipped a bit down the stretch, he still became the first right-handed hitter to win back-to-back batting titles since Joe DiMaggio. He was even excellent in the field, as FanGraphs measured him at +15 Defensive Runs Saved. Just about the only criticisms you can make is that he only played in 140 games and the Red Sox failed to make their third straight postseason. 

16. 2005 Manny Ramirez
Stats: 152 G 4.4 WAR 153 OPS+ .292/.388/.594 45 HR 144 RBI All-Star MVP-4

After a tumultuous offseason in which he was nearly traded for Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez arrived in spring training seemingly indifferent to the off-field circus and proceeded to have the best season of his Red Sox tenure. He led the American League with 43 home runs, a .613 slugging percentage, and a 1.009 OPS, helping him finish in the top-three in MVP voting for what would be the only time in his eight years with the club. Though he had little impact in the 3-0 comeback over the Yankees, somehow going seven games without an RBI, Manny made up for it and then some in the World Series. The slugger took home series MVP honors with .412/.500/.588 slash line and even made a crucial assist of Larry Walker at home plate in the first inning of Game 3. Because his woeful defense limited him to just a 4.1 WAR, Ramirez won’t be able to crack the top 15, but this season alone made all the distractions, antics and “Manny being Manny” episodes worth it.