The World Series MVP Award has been handed out since 1955 and typically goes to a player on the winning team (1960 is the only exception so far). Therefore, there have only been four Red Sox to win the award.
2004 - MANNY RAMIREZ
The Red Sox finally won the World Series for the first time in 86 years when they swept the Cardinals. It was a completely dominating performance. No one player really rose above it all (though Keith Foulke probably had a legitimate argument). Ramirez hit .412/.500/.588 in 20 plate appearances with a home run and four RBIs. He made a couple of errors in the field though.
2007 - MIKE LOWELL
2007 was another flat-out dominating team performance by the Red Sox, this time sweeping the Colorado Rockies. Again, no one player really stood out that much. Third-baseman Mike Lowell hit .400/.500/.800 in 18 plate appearances. He hit a home run and three doubles, driving in four runs and even added a stolen base. He scored four runs.
2013 - DAVID ORTIZ
This performance though was absolutely dominant. Ortiz, who had always been a terrific postseason performer, turned in a legendary performance in the 2013 World Series. The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals 4-2 with Ortiz hitting an insane .688/.760/1.188 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. He had 11 hits and 8 walks in 25 plate appearances and scored seven runs.
2018 - STEVE PEARCE
The most recent addition to this list is a player who was just picked up before the trading deadline to provide some power against lefties. It worked. I still kind of think David Price should have been the MVP, but Pearce was on another playing field from the last half of Game 4 on. He ended up hitting .333/.500/1.167 with three home runs, a double, five runs scored, and eight RBIs. Boston ended up beating the Dodgers 4-1.
As with the ALCS post, I want to pick out the players who would have won the World Series MVP had one been given out or if Boston had won:
1903 - BILL DINNEEN
Pitching was Boston's primary weapon in the first World Series ever played. Boston beat Pittsburgh five games to three in a best of nine Series. Dinneen won three of the games, and lost one. He threw 35 innings with a 2.06 ERA and struck out 28 while walking eight. Among his victories was the clinching game.
1912 - TRIS SPEAKER
No one truly stood out in 1912. This could have easily gone to Harry Hooper or Smoky Joe Wood, but I picked Speaker because he hit .300/.382/.467 with a double and two triples. He scored four times and drove in two. He also stole a base and walked four times. This was a hard-fought Series the Red Sox won 4-3-1.
1915 - DUFFY LEWIS
This is incredibly close between Lewis and Harry Hooper. Lewis hit .444/.474/.667 with a double, a home run and five RBIs and scored a run. Hooper had one fewer hit, but hit a second home run. The Red Sox outfield in 1915 was one of the greatest of all time. The Red Sox beat the Phillies 4-1 in the World Series.
1916 - ERNIE SHORE
I was tempted to go with Babe Ruth here. Ruth pitched in one game, but it was a very impressive one, throwing 14 innings and giving up just one run. Shore won two games, including the clincher and had a 1.53 ERA in 17.2 innings. He struck out nine and walked four. The Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins 4-1, the same percentage they beat the LA Dodgers this year.
1918 - BABE RUTH
So, we will pick Ruth here. As a pitcher, he was 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA, throwing 17 innings, striking out four and walking seven. As a hitter, he tripled and drove in two runs in five at-bats. It was a fairly impressive all-around performance for the superstar. The Red Sox beat the Cubs 4-2.
1946 - BOBBY DOERR
Boston lost their first World Series to the Cardinals 4-3. A lot of the problem was the inability of a lot of the Red Sox stars to live up to their regular seasons. Doerr was the one exception as he hit a robust .409/.458/.591 with nine hits, including a double and a home run. He scored once and drove in three runs.
1967 - CARL YASTRZEMSKI
Yaz did not slow down in the World Series coming off of his Triple Crown season. It was certainly not his fault Boston lost the Series 4-3 to the Cardinals. Yaz hit .400/.500/.840 with three home runs and five RBIs. He scored four times and doubled twice.
1975 - LUIS TIANT
Tiant pitched in three games and turned in some gutsy performances. He was 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA and two complete games. He threw 25 innings, striking out 12 and walking eight. 1975 was one of the greatest World Series of all time and Tiant was a big part of that. Boston ended up losing to the Reds 4-3.
1986 - BRUCE HURST
Despite Marty Barrett's 13 hits, this award would have gone to Hurst had Boston won Game 6 against the Mets. The Red Sox lost 4-3 though and I would still give it to Hurst who pitched in three games and was 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA. He struck out 17 and walked six in 23 innings.
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