Who was the Best Pitcher in Red Sox History?

Some teams have clear number one aces. I mean for all-time purposes. The greatest pitcher in the history of the A’s was Lefty Grove. The greatest Phillies’ pitcher was Steve Carlton. If you’re a fan of the Mets, you are aware that Tom Seaver is the best pitcher in franchise history.

But some teams are more complicated. Here’s a table showing the undisputed pitching GOAT’s for each current MLB franchise. I also have a column listing the disputed GOAT candidates where that is necessary.

Five of the 16 original franchises of the “modern era” do not have a clear GOAT pitcher. It’s to be expected that eight of the 14 expansion franchises do not have a GOAT that we can agree upon with acclimation.

That means we can argue over 13 of the 30 current MLB franchises’ greatest pitcher of all-time. Which is what I’ll do in this article for the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox are known primarily for excellent hitters. Starting with Tris Speaker in the deadball era, through to Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams pre-war, and Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Wade Boggs, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, Big Papi Ortiz, et al, post-World War II.

Which makes me wonder this: how long are we going to classify things as “pre-war” and “post-war?” The Second World War ended eight decades ago. That’s as long ago as 1890 was to 1970. Not many people in 1970 were thinking about the 1890s.

But listen: the Red Sox have about eight outfielders who have a great argument to be on their franchise All-Time Team. Speaker, Harry Hooper, Williams, Yaz, the Other Reggie, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Manny. That’s eight. And I failed to mention Dwight Evans, who probably should be in the Hall of Fame, and who may be the greatest right fielder the Sox ever had.

But while Boston boasts a bevy of amazing outfielders, it hasn’t had a singular great pitcher. No Red Sox hurler has won as many as 200 games. The fourth-highest total of wins by a Boston pitcher is 123. Cleveland has 10 pitchers who have won more than 123 games.

Here’s a table showing the combined wins of the top three wins leaders for each of the 16 oldest MLB teams:

Only the Cubs and Reds rank below the Red Sox for wins by their three most winningest pitchers. Here’s why Boston rates so low:

Cy Young was 34 years old when he tossed his first fastball for the Red Sox. He won 119 games in his first four seasons with Boston, and he even won 20 games twice after the age of 40. But he started so late he didn’t have a chance to improve on the 192 wins he captured with the team.

For the three decades after Cy Young last pitched for the Red Sox, only one pitcher won as many as 100 games for the franchise: Smoky Joe Wood.

Wood was as great a pitcher as Young was in his prime. But he tore his shoulder to shreds. He won 117 games for the Sox during their first dynasty. He should probably be in the Hall of Fame. His career was basically the same as Sandy Koufax’s. He lived until he was 95. He was the last surviving member of the 1912 World Series champions.

The next great Red Sox hurler was Lefty Grove, who came to Boston after his prime years with the A’s. Like Young, Grove was 34 when he donned the flannels of the Red Sox. He won 105 games in eight seasons with Boston.

The next two pitchers to win 100 games for the franchise (in fact the only two) were Joe Dobson and Mel Parnell. Both were good pitchers, but not legends. Not GOAT status.

It would be 24 years before another Boston pitcher won 100 games for the team. After Parnell won his 100tjh in 1953, it didn’t happen again until Luis Tiant in 1977.

El Tiante became the third Red Sox pitcher to post at least five 5-WAR seasons. The others were the Cyclone (seven times) and Lefty Grove (five).

In the next decade after Tiant was done dazzling Fenway Park, the Rocket arrived. In 13 seasons, Roger Clemens won 192 games to match Cy Young for the franchise record. His winning percentage of .634 was bested by only two pitchers who won at least 100 games for Boston: Joe Wood and Pedro Martínez.

Clemens went on to find a great pharmacist and resurrected his career after an inharmonious exit from Boston. He was replaced as team ace by Pedro Martínez. Against all odds and in every way, Martínez surpassed Clemens on the mound and in the hearts of the fan base.

Where Clemens took the mound with anger, Pedro took the mound with swagger. Where Clemens was surly and self-centered; Pedro was dynamic, a great teammate. Where Clemens pursued his own self interests at any cost off the field, Pedro sent money home to the Dominican to support dozens of members of his own family. And where Clemens bitched at umpires with rage to the point that he was ejected from a crucial playoff game, Martínez authored many of the most heroic pitching performances in postseason history and helped guide the team to its first title in 86 years.

Pedro was 117-37 as a Red Sox pitching marvel. He tossed six no-hit innings in relief in the playoffs against Cleveland. He stared down Clemens in Game Three of the 1999 ALCS. Pedro struck out 12 in that game as he toyed with the Yankee lineup. Derek Jeter twice. Paul O’Neill went down twice. None of the Bronx Bombers could take flight against him. There were a total of three meetings between Rocket and Pedro in the postseason: each within the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry.

Pedro was more dominant than Roger had ever been. Six times Martínez recorded an ERA less than half of the league average. Clemens did that once as a member of the Red Sox. Pedro struck out 10.9 batters per nine innings in a Boston uniform; while Clemens managed 8.4 per nine. In ERA+ it wasn’t even close: a 190-144 advantage for skinny Pedro.

Pedro Martínez posted a .760 winning percentage in a Boston uniform. He won a pair of Cy Young awards and took part in some of the most iconic moments in franchise history. He was there when the Sox came back from down 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS to the Yankees. He started and won Game Three of the World Series that season. That was his final appearance in a Red Sox uniform. A night later, the team broke the “curse” and won the World Series for the first time since 1918.

Clemens pitched more than twice as many innings for the Red Sox than Pedro. Cy Young won 75 more games. Tiant was possibly just as beloved as Martínez. But, the fact is: Pedro is the greatest Red Sox pitcher. Because of all of it: the dominance, the mastery, the swagger, the strikeouts, that devastating Bugs Bunny changeup, and the heroic postseason battles.

Still, as on 2025, no Boston pitcher has ever won 200 games for the team. The lovable knuckleballer Tim Wakefield fluttered his way to 186 in 17 seasons, the most ever by a pitcher in a Boston uniform. But, Pedro’s 117 wins in seven seasons is enough. It’s all more than enough to make Pedro Martínez the GOAT for the Red Sox.