Red Sox
Patriots
Celtics
BruinsRed Sox vs. Yankees, position by position
First basemen
Now here's a great old fashioned baseball debate: Kevin Youkilis or Mark Teixeira?
The Red Sox, as you might remember, coveted Teixeira, pursuing him as a free agent before he chose the Yankees in December 2008. It's fair to assume he has no regrets: He led the AL in RBIs (122), total bases (344), and tied for the lead in homers (39) as the Yankees won their 27th title.
But Youkilis holds his own in a statistical matchup with any of his peers. Last season he had a .961 OPS compared to Teixeira's 948, and he's hit 56 homers and driven in 209 runs over the past two seasons. Plus, he's more versatile -- he'd have moved back to third had Teixeira joined the Sox.
Both players will rarely miss a day, but if they do, Nick Johnson and Mike Lowell would likely see time at first for their respective teams.
The Red Sox, as you might remember, coveted Teixeira, pursuing him as a free agent before he chose the Yankees in December 2008. It's fair to assume he has no regrets: He led the AL in RBIs (122), total bases (344), and tied for the lead in homers (39) as the Yankees won their 27th title.
But Youkilis holds his own in a statistical matchup with any of his peers. Last season he had a .961 OPS compared to Teixeira's 948, and he's hit 56 homers and driven in 209 runs over the past two seasons. Plus, he's more versatile -- he'd have moved back to third had Teixeira joined the Sox.
Both players will rarely miss a day, but if they do, Nick Johnson and Mike Lowell would likely see time at first for their respective teams.
Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki & Jim Davis
