Who is the Greatest Red Sox Closer of All Time?

"Time to you-know-what or get off the pot" - Jonathan Papelbon

I'm going to start by saying that I am completely biased on this topic. I have long believed that Jonathan Papelbon is the best reliever I've ever seen in a Red Sox uniform. I didn't see Dick Radatz, but I heard stories about him from my father. In the 70s and 80s they ran a bunch of guys thru Fenway; Bill Soup Campbell, Dick Drago, Calvin Schiraldi, Bob Stanley, etc. Then in the 90s they decided to go get actual closers like Lee Smith, Jeff Reardon, and Rick Aguilera, but that didn't work out much better. Derek Lowe filled in admirably for a couple of seasons in the late 90s. They hit a low point in 2003 when they ran Byung-Hyun Kim and Brandon Lyon out there.

But then, in 2004, like many other things with this franchise, everything changed. Theo Epstein went out and got not only a top starter in Curt Schilling, but a top closer in Keith Foulke. From that point forward, the Red Sox knew how to build a bullpen. Over the next several years we not only saw great closers but great setup guys as well. Remember Mike Timlin, Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, Matt Barnes, and Joe Kelly? A good setup guy allows the closer to have a clean inning which is key to finishing a game. In the words of the great Steve Stone, "The hardest outs in a game are 25, 26, and 27." Closers matter. The Red Sox would not have won four titles without them.

Back to the topic at hand. Who has had (or is having) the best season as a closer for the Red Sox? For this analysis I looked at all reliever seasons since 1960, with at least 40 innings pitched, and ERAs under 2.00:

Non-closers are included here, and some interesting names pop up. Chris Martin, Craig Breslow, and Garrett Whitlock have had great seasons as setup guys. One other thing to notice is that Papelbon appears on this list three times. Clearly, Aroldis Chapman's 2025 season is in the running with Pap's 2006 and Uehara's 2013 as the best season for a Red Sox closer. Uehara had an insane 0.57 WHIP and 11.2 K/BB in 2013. Pap's ERA was under 1.00 in 2006. Chapman has converted 93% of his saves and holds a sick batting average against of .119 this year.

So, who am I picking? Before I do that, let's look at the best reliever careers in Boston. I set 150 innings pitched and sub 3.00 ERA as my criteria:

It's no surprise that Papelbon, Uehara, and Kimbrel are at the top of the list. In fact, Kimbrel has the highest save percentage, K/9, and lowest BAA. Papelbon is the Red Sox all-time leader in saves. Koji's WHIP of 0.81 and K/BB of 7.9 in four seasons is beyond impressive. He just didn't let anyone get on base, which is the primary job of a closer. While Papelbon's numbers aren't as stellar as Koji or Kimbrel's, he did it for 7 seasons in Boston. His run in the 2007 playoffs was legendary. He commanded the mound like no other. In 27 IP in his playoff career, he only allowed 3 earned runs and saved 7 games. He went on to record 368 saves which stands as 11th all time.

So, you see where I'm going with this. As to the question of the greatest single season, I'm going to reserve judgement until the end of 2025. If Chapman continues to pitch like he has, it will be tough not to give him the nod. From a career standpoint, I'm sticking with my guy. Jonathan Papelbon is the greatest relief pitcher in Red Sox history. He and Chapman have that same demeanor. They stare you down. They dare you to get a hit. The last out of the 2007 World Series might be my favorite baseball moment of all time. There is no substitute for winning a championship, and a great closer is one of the most important pieces.