Boston Red Sox Strongest Ranking in MLB RIVALS. The guide includes a list of the strongest players for each position and batting orders for the Boston Red Sox.
Table of Contents
*The strongest rankings in this article are composed of players other than HOF cards. If you obtain an HOF card, consider replacing the player in the corresponding position.
Strongest Players Quick Reference
Pitchers
| SP | RP | CP |
  C. Sale ’17 |  G. Whitlock ’21 |  C. Kimbrel ’17 |
Starting pitcher Sale boasts outstanding abilities and can perform as an ace. For closer, Kimbrel, with excellent velocity and breaking balls, reigns as the guardian.
Fielders
| C | 1B | 2B |
 C. Vázquez |  K. Youkilis ’10 |  B. Mueller ’03 |
| 3B | SS | LF |
 W. Boggs '88 |  R. Petrocelli ’69 |  M. Greenwell ’88 |
| CF | RF | DH |
 J. Damon ’02 |  M. Betts ’18 |  J.D. Martinez ’18 |
With many players like Betts and Devers who have high hitting abilities, a strategy of connecting hits to score runs is recommended. It's also characterized by easy batting controls due to multiple players having many hot zones.
Recommended Power Hitters
| Player | Power | H Zone | Launch Angle |
 M. Betts ’18 | 74 | 8 | 18° |
 J. Rice ’79 | 74 | 7 | 13° |
 T. Nixon ’03 | 70 | 8 | 22° |
Betts, one of the top power hitters for the Red Sox, is on the team. In addition to being part of the core lineup, he can be particularly effective in Ranking Slugger and RBI Battles.
Strongest Pitcher Rankings
| SP | RP | CP |
*Due to player duplication, players with the same name may be selected for other positions.
Starting Pitcher (SP)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 C. Sale ’17 | - Very high stats - Breaking Ball and Control exceed 80 - 4 total pitch types - All pitch types are rank B or higher |
 N. Eovaldi ’21 | - High overall stats - 5 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B or higher |
 L. Tiant ’73 | - Very high Stuff - 5 total pitch types - All pitch types are rank B or higher |
 N. Pivetta ’24 | - High Breaking Ball - 5 total pitch types - 2 pitch types are rank B |
 T. Houck | - Very high Stuff - 5 total pitch types - 4 pitch types are rank B |
 J. Lonborg ’67 | - Relatively high Stuff - 4 total pitch types - All pitch types are rank B or higher |
 E. Rodriguez ’19 | - Stamina and Fielding exceed 70 - 5 total pitch types - 4 pitch types are rank B or higher |
Relief Pitcher (RP)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 G. Whitlock ’21 | - High Velocity at 72 - Stamina is somewhat low at 59 - 4 total pitch types - All pitch types are rank B or higher - Same name as CP |
 D. Bard ’10 | - High Velocity at 76 - Control and Stamina are below 60 - 4 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B or higher |
 T. Wakefield ’02 | - High Stuff - 3 total pitch types - Has rank A KN |
 J. Kelly ’17 | - Very high Velocity - 5 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B |
 J. Schreiber ’22 | - Velocity/Breaking Ball/Stuff are somewhat high - 4 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B |
 C. Martin ’23 | - High Velocity at 70 - 5 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B or higher |
 J. Winckowski ’23 | - Velocity and Fielding exceed 70 - 5 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B or higher |
Closing Pitcher (CP)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 Koji Uehara ’13 | - Breaking Ball/Stuff/Control exceed 70 - 5 total pitch types - Has rank A SFF |
 D. Lowe | - Very high Stuff - 4 total pitch types - All pitch types are rank B or higher |
Strongest Fielder Rankings
| C | 1B | 2B |
| 3B | SS | LF |
| CF | RF | DH |
*Due to player duplication, players with the same name may be selected for other positions.
Catcher (C)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| C. Vázquez | - Very high Fielding - 9 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 11° |
 C. Wong ’24 | - High Contact - 6 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 12° |
First Baseman (1B)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 K. Youkilis ’09 | - High Contact - 5 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 16° |
 T. Pérez ’80 | - Relatively high batting performance - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 17° |
Second Baseman (2B)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 B. Mueller ’03 | - Contact and Fielding exceed 70 - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 16° - Same name as 3B |
 J. Valentín ’97 | - High Contact/Plate Vision - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 6° - Same name as 3B |
 M. Bellhorn ’04 | - Baserunning and Fielding exceed 70 - 5 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 16° - Same name as 3B |
Third Baseman (3B)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| W. Boggs '88 | - Top-class Contact/Plate Vision - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 14° |
 R. Devers ’19 | - High overall stats - Fielding is very high at 82 - Stamina is low at 54 - 6 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 10° |
 J. Valentín ’97 | - Very high Contact/Plate Vision - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 6° - Same name as 2B |
Shortstop (SS)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 R. Petrocelli ’69 | - Very high batting performance - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 11° |
 J. Valentín ’95 | - Top-class Fielding - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 9° |
 X. Bogaerts | - Very high Contact - 9 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 13° |
Left Fielder (LF)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 M. Greenwell ’88 | - Very high Contact/Plate Vision - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 13° |
 J. Rice ’79 | - Very high batting performance - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 13° |
 A. Benintendi ’18 | - High overall stats - 5 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 12° - Same name as CF |
 C. Floyd ’02 | - 9 Hot Zones - Contact and Fielding exceed 70 - Average Launch Angle is 16° - Same name as RF |
Center Fielder (CF)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 M. Betts ’18 | - Very high overall stats - Contact is very high at 81 - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is high at 18° - Same name as RF |
 J. Damon ’02 | - Top-class Baserunning - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 10° |
| A. Benintendi ’18 | - High overall stats - 5 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 12° - Same name as LF |
 T. Nixon ’01 | - All stats are generally high - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 16° |
Right Fielder (RF)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| M. Betts ’18 | - Very high overall stats - Contact is very high at 81 - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is high at 18° - Same name as CF |
 T. Nixon ’03 | - Power, Contact, and Baserunning exceed 70 - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is very high at 22° |
| C. Floyd ’02 | - 9 Hot Zones - Contact and Fielding exceed 70 - Average Launch Angle is 16° - Same name as LF |
Designated Hitter (DH)
| Player | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 J.D. Martinez ’18 | - Very high batting performance - 8 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 10° |
 Masataka Yoshida ’24 | - Deck Score is 20 - High Contact/Plate Vision - 6 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 10° |
Positions to Strengthen via FA Contracts
Reinforcing Catcher/Starting Pitcher is Recommended
For fielders, the catcher depth is thin, so prioritize reinforcing them through FA trades. Additionally, adding a skilled RP from another team to the bullpen will increase defensive stability.
Recommended Players for FA Trade
Catcher (C)
| Player | Team/Characteristics |
|---|---|
 J. Mauer ’09 | Minnesota Twins - Very high hitting ability - 9 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 5° |
 J. Kendall ’00 | Pittsburgh Pirates - Very high hitting ability - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 5° |
 J. Torre ’66 | Atlanta Braves - Very high batting performance - 7 Hot Zones - Average Launch Angle is 13° |
Relief Pitcher (RP)
| Player | Team/Characteristics |
|---|---|
 J. Hader ’18 | Milwaukee Brewers - Breaking Ball is top-class at 82 - 4 total pitch types - 2 pitch types are rank B or higher |
 J. Duran ’22 | Minnesota Twins - Velocity is top-class at 88 - 4 total pitch types - 3 pitch types are rank B |
 R. Suárez ’21 | Philadelphia Phillies - Stuff is high at 73 - 4 total pitch types - All pitch types are rank B or higher |
Red Sox Characteristics
Red Sox SPs are Very Strong
The Red Sox have many starting pitchers with high stats. Many also have a wide variety of pitches. Furthermore, it's excellent that many LIVE/Season players have high deck scores. In particular, the Signature C. Sale ’17 boasts top-class performance among all pitchers.
Setting 1 CP is Recommended
Many Red Sox closers have low stats. Therefore, a formation of 6 RPs and 1 CP is recommended. For the CP, it's recommended to use C. Kimbrel, who has high velocity and breaking balls.
Fielders' Batting Performance is Very High
Many Red Sox fielders have high power, contact, and average launch angles. To increase home run opportunities, it's recommended to prioritize strengthening the Full Swing potential ability.
Recommended Red Sox Batting Order and Skills
| Batting Order | Player | Recommended Skills |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. Rice ’79 | - Leadoff - Table Setter One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 2 |  K. Youkilis ’10 | - Leadoff - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 3 |  T. Nixon ’03 | - Cleanup Trio - Heart of the Order - Clutch Hitter |
| 4 | M. Betts ’18 | - Cleanup Trio - Heart of the Order - Lineup Anchor |
| 5 | R. Devers ’19 | - Cleanup Trio - Heart of the Order - Clutch Hitter |
| 6 |  M. Greenwell ’88 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 7 |  R. Petrocelli ’69 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 8 | B. Mueller ’03 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 9 |  C. Vázquez ’19 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| Batting Order | Player | Recommended Skills |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  K. Youkilis ’10 | - Leadoff - Table Setter One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 2 |  J. Duran ’24 | - Leadoff - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 3 |  X. Bogaerts ’19 | - Cleanup Trio - Heart of the Order - Clutch Hitter |
| 4 |  J.D. Martinez ’18 | - Cleanup Trio - Heart of the Order - Lineup Anchor |
| 5 |  B. Mueller ’03 | - Cleanup Trio - Heart of the Order - Clutch Hitter |
| 6 |  C. Vázquez ’19 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 7 |  R. Devers ’24 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 8 |  A. Duvall ’23 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
| 9 |  A. Verdugo ’23 | - Bottom of the Order - Batting Machine One of the following - Late Inning Focus - Pennant Race (Recommended for PvP) |
Selection Criteria
Prioritizing High Rarity Players
High rarity affects a player's initial stats and stat increases during training. Therefore, the rankings above prioritize players with high rarity.
High Priority for Players with High Stats
Some players may have low stats despite high rarity. Particularly, some Impact players have low initial stats, so replacing them with players with higher stats or deck scores might increase the team's OVR.
Considering Deck Score for LIVE/Season Players
LIVE/Season players selected in the rankings above take deck score height into account. Deck score is crucial content for increasing the team's overall stats. Therefore, it's acceptable to include players with high deck scores in the lineup even if their individual stats are slightly lower.
