For the next few days, we'll be reminiscing on 2004, 2007, and 2013 Red Sox champions at each position and seeing how they stack up against their 2018 counterparts. Today, we discuss the third base position. . .
Bill Mueller, 2004
Regular season: .283/.365/.446, 12 HR, 57 RBI
Playoffs: .321/.406/.375, 0 HR, 3 RBI
Year in summary: While 2003 was Mueller's best of his three years in Boston, he certainly was no slouch in '04. Mueller was a key contributor in breaking the curse. His most notable moment of the 2004 championship campaign has to be his game-tying single in Game 4 of the ALCS. Dave Roberts gets the credit for "The Steal," but it would have been all for naught if Mueller didn't emerge as a hero.
Mike Lowell, 2007
Regular season: .324/.378/.501, 21 HR, 120 RBI
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Playoffs: .353/.410/.608, 2 HR, 15 RBI
Year in summary: First things first, Mike Lowell was the 2007 World Series MVP, so that speaks for itself. As for his season as a whole, Lowell finished fifth in AL MVP voting. He will always be a fan favorite in Boston.
Will Middlebrooks, 2013
Regular season: .227/.271/.425, 17 HR, 49 RBI
Playoffs: .160/.250/.240, 0 HR, 1 RBI. (Rookie Xander Bogaerts got the majority of the playing time at third base throughout the postseason.)
Year in summary: A hyped homegrown prospect, Middlebrooks' career simply never panned out following a promising 2012 rookie season. He struggled mightily at the plate throughout 2013 and ultimately was replaced by then-rookie Xander Bogaerts as the starting third baseman in the playoffs.
Rafael Devers, 2018
Regular season (so far): .238/.295/.415, 17 HR, 56 RBI
Year in summary: Devers hit the ground running after making his debut in 2017. His 2018 season, however, has been less than stellar. The pop is still very much there, but Devers still needs to cut down on the errors at third and find some consistency at the plate. The 21-year-old has plenty of time to figure things out, and should have a golden opportunity to do so in this year's playoffs.