10 Baseball Players who Played for Yankees and Red Sox
There is a good chance that if you’ve found this page then you’re playing the Immaculate Grid.
That also means that today’s grid has asked for players that have played for both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
And, it also means that you’re probably stuck on this particular box and you’re looking for a little help. Sound about right so far?
Well, good news, you’re in the right place.
I’ve done some research and have found players who played for both the Red Sox and the Yankees. Here is a mix of well-known All-Stars and some hidden gems that you may have forgotten about.
Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon had a successful 18-year Major League Baseball career, most notably with the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees. A talented outfielder and proficient leadoff hitter, he recorded a .284 career batting average with 2769 hits, 235 home runs, and 408 stolen bases.
Damon’s speed and ability to get on base were valuable assets, helping both the Red Sox in 2004 and the Yankees in 2009 secure World Series Championships.
Known for his affable personality and distinctive long hair and beard during his time with the Red Sox, Damon was a fan favorite and an influential figure in the clubhouse. He was named to the All-Star team twice, in 2002 and 2005.
*Damon was previously the most popular pick for this square (Grid 113)
Damon Key Stats
- All-Star (Red Sox)
- 40+ Stolen Base Season (Royals)
Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. His career, spanning 24 seasons from 1984 to 2007, was filled with success, including stints with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.
Clemens racked up an impressive 354 wins with a 3.12 ERA, and his 4672 strikeouts place him third on the all-time list. Clemens was a workhorse, logging a career total of 4916.2 innings. Clemens was an 11-time All-Star and won the Cy Young Award seven times, more than any other pitcher in history.
His accolades also include two World Series titles, both with the Yankees, in 1999 and 2000. However, Clemens’ career has been overshadowed by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use, which has thus far kept him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame despite his remarkable statistics and accomplishments.
Clemens Key Stats
- MVP (Red Sox)
- Cy Young (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros)
- All-Star (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros)
- 3000+ Career Strikeouts
- 300+ Career Wins
- 20+ Win Season (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees)
Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs, known for his exceptional hitting prowess, spent his 18-year MLB career, primarily with the Boston Red Sox from 1982-1992, as well as stints with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
A Hall of Famer, Boggs boasted a lifetime batting average of .328, accumulating 3010 hits and earning five batting titles. His keen eye and patience at the plate translated into a remarkable .415 on-base percentage.
An equally adept defender, he received two Gold Glove Awards at third base. Boggs’ career highlight was a World Series victory with the Yankees in 1996. His number ’26’ has been retired by the Red Sox and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Boggs Key Stats
- Hall of Fame (Red Sox, Yankees, Rays)
- All-Star (Red Sox, Yankees)
- Gold Glove (Yankees)
- Silver Slugger (Red Sox, Yankees)
- 3000+ Career Hits
- .300 Career Batting Average
- 200+ Hits in a Season (Red Sox)
Corey Kluber
Corey Kluber was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres and later made his MLB debut with the Cleveland Indians in 2011. Kluber was one of the most dominant pitchers in the league for a span of about five years.
He won the Cy Young Award twice, first in 2014 and then again in 2017, both times with the Indians. Kluber has been named to three All-Star teams and has thrown a no-hitter, which came in 2021 as a member of the New York Yankees.
Kluber played his first 9 seasons in Cleveland but has bounced around more recently in his career with stops at the Rays, Red Sox, Rangers and Yankees.
Kluber Key Stats
- Cy Young (Indians)
- All-Star (Indians)
- 20+ Win Season (Indians)
- 200+ Strikeout Season (Indians)
Steve Pearce
Steve Pearce is a player who made a name for himself as a utility player capable of performing at various positions, most notably at first base and in the outfield.
Pearce played for several teams during his MLB career, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox. However, it was with the Red Sox that he had the defining moment of his career.
After joining the Red Sox mid-season in 2018, Pearce played a crucial role in their postseason run. He was named the World Series Most Valuable Player as the Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pearce had several key hits throughout the Series, including three home runs and eight RBIs.
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson was one of my favorite baseball players growing up. In fact, somewhere in a closet, I have a baseball card binder with over 150 Rickey Henderson baseball cards.
Most of us probably remember Henderson as an Oakland A, back in the late 80s playing on the same A’s teams as the Bash Brothers.
But, he played for an incredible 25 years in the majors and played on 9 different teams during that span.
Rickey played 14 years with the A’s, but he also played for the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays.
So, not only is he an acceptable answer for a player who played for both the Red Sox and the Yankees, but Rickey Henderson is a very versatile Immaculate Grid answer that you can use quite often.
In fact, he also had over 1400 career stolen bases, over 2200 runs and over 3000 hits (all of which could appear as possible categories).
David Wells
David Wells, nicknamed “Boomer”, was a major force on the baseball mound from 1987 to 2007, spending time with the Blue Jays, Yankees, Padres, and several other teams including Tigers, Red Sox, Dodgers, Reds, Orioles and White Sox.
A key player in the Yankees’ ’98 World Series win, Wells also pitched a rare perfect game that same year.
His career stats are impressive, with a total of 239 wins and over 2,200 strikeouts over the course of 21 seasons.
Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colon, affectionately known as “Big Sexy”, was a fixture on the mound in baseball from 1997 until 2018. He played for a whole bunch of teams (11), which makes him an extremely versatile player for the Immaculate Grid.
Colon’s career stops included the Indians (now Guardians), Dodgers, Mets, Athletics, White Sox, Twins, Braves, Red Sox, Rangers, Montreal Expos and Yankees.
Colon was a 4-time All-Star and even bagged a Cy Young Award in 2005. He had over 240 wins and more than 2,500 strikeouts.
Rich Hill
Rich Hill is an Immaculate Grid beast. The left-handed pitcher has played for 13 different clubs over his incredible 19-year career – one that is still ongoing as I’m writing this (he’s currently pitching with the Padres).
Hill’s MLB journey began when he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2002. After making his major league debut in 2005, he had initial success with the Cubs, particularly in 2007 when he had a standout season. However, injuries, inconsistency, and command issues led to him bouncing around the minors and various MLB teams for several years.
After refining his pitching approach and mechanics, he experienced a career resurgence starting in 2015. At an age when many players see diminished returns, Hill became one of the most effective starters in baseball. This late-career renaissance led to stints with the Red Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, Twins, and Rays.
Otis Nixon
Otis Nixon was a speedy outfielder whose career went from 1983 to 1999. Over those 17 seasons, Nixon played for 9 different teams – Braves, Indians (now Guardians), Montreal Expos, Blue Jays, Twins, Red Sox, Rangers, Dodgers and Yankees.
Nixon wasn’t a big hitter, but he was a whiz on the basepaths, stealing over 620 bases during his career and maintaining a respectable .270 batting average. He’s best remembered for his daring steals and spectacular catches, including an unforgettable game-saving grab in 1992 while with the Braves (video above).
RARITY SCORE ALERT: Otis Nixon was a very good player with a long career, but not necessarily a perennial all-star that many people will remember. Add to that the fact that Nixon only played one season each for the Yankees (1983) and Red Sox (1994) and you have the makings for an extremely low percentage.
