Aces wild: Counting down 10 of the top seasons ever by a Red Sox pitcher

Feb. 27—With baseball's present still suspended in a state of limbo, we're taking the opportunity to look back at some of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history. Last week we ran through 10 of the greatest seasons by a Red Sox hitter, and now we're covering 10 of the best by Red Sox pitchers.

First, some ground rules. Seasons will be judged by a player's statistics, their position in the league leaderboards, awards and accolades, postseason accomplishments and other factors. Only one season per player will be considered. and lastly, this is inherently a subjective exercise that's meant to be fun. My list probably won't be the same as yours, and that's ok! So feel free to disagree but don't forget to keep things in perspective.

10. Jonathan Papelbon, 2007The only relief pitcher on this list, Jonathan Papelbon turned in one of the most dominant seasons by a closer in history during Boston's 2007 championship season. Papelbon appeared in 59 games, recorded 37 saves and posted a 1.85 ERA over 58.1 innings. He recorded 84 strikeouts against 15 walks, good for a 37.5% strikeout rate, and posted a microscopic 0.771 walks and hits per innings pitched. He went on to make seven scoreless appearances in Boston's 2007 playoff run, locking down four saves while recording the final out of the 2007 World Series.

9. Chris Sale, 2017

It's tough to go wrong choosing between Chris Sale's 2017 and 2018 seasons. Sale's rate stats were similarly excellent and in 2018 he recorded the final out of the World Series, but that summer he also spent time on the injured list whereas in 2017 Sale put up some of the best totals in club history. In 2017 Sale went 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA while leading all of baseball with 214.1 innings and 308 strikeouts. He became the second pitcher in Red Sox history to top 300 strikeouts, and he did so while walking only 43. Sale also posted a 0.970 WHIP, a 6.0 wins above replacement and finished runner-up in the AL Cy Young vote.

8. Josh Beckett, 2007While Papelbon closed things down at the end of the game, Josh Beckett got the job done up front for the 2007 World Series champions. Beckett enjoyed the best season of his career, leading baseball with 20 wins while posting a 3.27 ERA over 200.2 innings. He had 194 strikeouts against 40 walks, a 1.141 WHIP, 6.5 WAR and finished second in the AL Cy Young vote. He went on to go a perfect 4-0 in four playoff starts, posting a 1.20 ERA with 35 strikeouts and only two walks in 30 innings to lead the Red Sox to their second World Series title in four years.

7. Curt Schilling, 2004Curt Schilling came to Boston prior to the 2004 season with a reputation as one of the game's best big-game pitchers, and he came through in spades his first year with the club. Schilling led baseball with 21 wins, posted a 3.26 ERA and threw 226.2 innings over 32 starts. He had 203 strikeouts to 35 walks, a 1.063 WHIP, 7.8 WAR and finished runner-up in the AL Cy Young vote. He went on to pitch through injury throughout the playoffs, most notably beating the Yankees in the "Bloody Sock Game" to help the Red Sox erase their 3-0 American League Championship Series deficit and eventually win their first World Series title in 86 years.

6. Babe Ruth, 1916Before delivering his historic two-way season in 1919, Babe Ruth served as the ace of Boston's 1916 World Series championship staff. Ruth posted a 23-12 record with a league-leading 1.75 ERA, and he made an AL-best 40 starts with nine complete-game shutouts while tossing 323.2 innings. He had 170 strikeouts, a 1.075 WHIP and 8.8 WAR, and he also turned in one of the most impressive postseason starts by a player in team history. Facing down the Brooklyn Robins in Game 2 of the 1916 World Series, Ruth pitched all 14 innings of Boston's eventual 2-1 win, allowing just one run on six hits with three walks. The Red Sox would go on to win the series 4-1 for the club's fourth title.

5. Lefty Grove, 1936Even at age 36, Lefty Grove was still among the best pitchers in baseball. The future Hall of Famer posted the highest WAR total of his career (11.2) — even better than in his MVP-winning 1931 season (10.4) — while going 17-12 with a league-leading 2.81 ERA and 1.192 WHIP over 253.1 innings. He had 130 strikeouts, threw six complete-game shutouts and held batters to a .245 average and .654 OPS for a Red Sox team that won only 74 games and finished sixth out of eight teams in the AL.

4. Smoky Joe Wood, 1912The workhorse of a dominant 105-game winner, Smoky Joe Wood played an instrumental role in leading the Red Sox to their second World Series title and one of the best seasons in club history. Wood led baseball with a 34-5 record, 35 complete games and 10 complete-game shutouts while posting a 1.91 ERA in 344 innings. He had 258 strikeouts against 82 walks, a 1.015 WHIP and finished fifth in the AL MVP vote. Wood's 10.1 WAR ranks fifth by a pitcher in team history and he also went 3-1 in four appearances against the New York Giants in the 1912 World Series.

3. Roger Clemens, 1990Roger Clemens won the Cy Young and MVP awards in Boston's pennant-winning 1986 season, but you could argue his Red Sox peak came a couple of years later in 1990. Clemens was outstanding that year, going 21-6 with a 1.93 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 228.1 innings. He posted a 1.082 WHIP, allowed a .228 average and .584 OPS, and allowed only 0.3 home runs per nine innings. He also had a 10.4 WAR and threw four complete-game shutouts, and he finished third in the AL MVP voting. Clemens was by far the best pitcher in the league, but unfortunately for him, he did all of that the same year Oakland's Bob Welch won 27 games and nearly became the first pitcher since 1968 to top 30 wins, so he finished as Cy Young runner-up.

2. Cy Young, 1901There's a reason why the award for baseball's best pitcher is named after Cy Young. The all-time great turned in one of his finest seasons in his first year with the Red Sox, winning the Pitching Triple Crown by going 33-10 with a 1.62 ERA and 158 strikeouts over 371.1 innings. Young posted an eye-popping 0.972 WHIP while walking only 37 batters all season, held opposing batters to a .249 average and .607 OPS, and his 12.5 WAR is the highest by any Red Sox player (hitter or pitcher) in team history. His 33 wins also accounted for 42% of the team's 79 wins all season.

1. Pedro Martinez, 2000Was there ever any doubt? Pedro Martinez's 2000 season ranks among the greatest by any pitcher ever and it's impossible to overstate his dominance. Martinez went 18-6 while posting a 1.74 ERA with a brain-melting 0.737 WHIP over 217 innings. He had a league-leading 284 strikeouts against only 32 walks, opposing batters hit only .167 with a .473 OPS, and he had four complete-game shutouts. His 11.7 WAR ranks 10th among pitchers since the first World Series in 1903, and he captured his third Cy Young Award by unanimous selection.

Honorable Mentions: Dutch Leonard 1914, Wes Ferrell 1935, Mel Parnell 1949, Luis Tiant 1974, Dennis Eckersley 1978, Tom Gordon 1998, Derek Lowe 2002

Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.