Boston Red Sox

4 Red Sox players cracked ESPN’s 2020 MLB Top 100 rankings

Two players dropped, one rose, and one debuted.

Rafael Devers made his debut in ESPN's Top 100 players rankings. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

By Jenna Ciccotelli

1 minute to read

ESPN released its annual Top 100 rankings Tuesday, and four current Red Sox players earned spots on the list.

The rankings are the result of a 40-person poll between MLB writers, analysts, contributors, and league insiders that includes 200 players for consideration.

Chris Sale, No. 43

Sale was the second-highest ranked Red Sox player on the list in 2019 at No. 9 behind Mookie Betts (who was No. 2 in 2019), had one of the biggest drops of all repeat players. After his worst season since becoming a full-time starter in 2012, the injury-plagued Sale is slotted as the 43rd best player.

J.D. Martinez, No. 31

Martinez also fell in the rankings, down from No. 17 last season. ESPN justified this placement with his statistics from the previous three seasons, when he’s led the league in home runs (124) and was second in OPS (1.001), slugging (.615), RBIs (339), and wOBA (.411).

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Xander Bogaerts, No. 28

Bogaerts was the only Red Sox player who jumped ahead in the rankings, up from No. 57 before a 2019 campaign that saw the 27-year-old post career highs in doubles, homers, RBIs, and total bases, and lead all shortstops with a .939 OPS.

Rafael Devers, No. 27

Boston’s highest-ranked player is also a new addition to the Top 100. Devers led baseball with 359 total bases last season, more than a 22-year-old Mike Trout (2014) and 22-year-old Bryce Harper (2015).

Mookie Betts is ranked fifth, behind Mike Trout. who is the No. 1 player for the seventh consecutive season.

The Red Sox open their season on the road in Toronto on March 26.

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