Dustin Pedroia

Former Red Sox second baseman, 2007 AL Rookie of the Year, 2008 AL MVP, four-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time World Series champion.

Dustin Luis Pedroia (born August 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Boston Red Sox, from 2006 to 2019. He was a four-time All-Star, and won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award in 2007 and the AL Most Valuable Player and Silver Slugger Award in 2008. He has also received four Gold Glove Awards and was named AL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Quick Facts

Position: Second baseman
Born: 17 August 1983
Birthplace: Woodland, California, U.S.
Bats: Right
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: August 22
Debut year: 2006
Debut team: Boston Red Sox

Lore & Background

Pedroia was selected by the Red Sox in the 2004 MLB draft and made his major league debut in 2006. He became a full-time player for Boston in 2007, winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He was a member of the Red Sox World Series championship teams in 2007 and 2013. Pedroia was the last player from the 2007 World Series team to leave the club. A knee injury late in the 2017 season marked the end of his effective play. After playing in only nine major league games over the 2018 and 2019 seasons, including missing the 2018 postseason, he also missed all of the shortened 2020 season. He announced his retirement on February 1, 2021.

Reader's Guide

Pedroia was a proficient contact hitter with a very low strikeout rate and 'a surprising amount of power,' whose defense at second base has been rated significantly above-average. Pedroia was the first Red Sox infielder to win four Gold Gloves. He was born and raised in Woodland, California. He attended Woodland High School and then Arizona State University, where he played college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft. In 2007, he homered in the first at bat of the World Series, making him only the second player to lead off the Series with a home run. He won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2007 and the AL MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2008.