Continuing our walk through the last 50 years, position by position. Today we have the "hot corner" and as you'll see the Sox have been historically good at this position.
The Numbers
Top 10 Worst 3B Seasons (by WAR)
| # | Year | Player | WAR | oWAR | dWAR | OPS+ | G/3B |
| 1 | 2000 | Alexander, Manny | -0.8 | -0.9 | 0.1 | 45 | 63 |
| 2 | 1965 | Malzone, Frank | -0.6 | -0.6 | 0.0 | 70 | 96 |
| 3 | 1975 | Petrocelli, Rico | -0.5 | -0.1 | -0.4 | 75 | 113 |
| 4 | 1976 | Hobson, Butch | -0.2 | 0.3 | -0.5 | 82 | 76 |
| 5 | 2001 | Hillenbrand, Shea | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 77 | 129 |
| 6 | 1977 | Hobson, Butch | 0.2 | 1.4 | -1.2 | 101 | 159 |
| 7 | 1978 | Hobson, Butch | 0.3 | 1.7 | -1.4 | 92 | 133 |
| 8 | 1980 | Hoffman, Glenn | 0.7 | 0.5 | -0.2 | 93 | 110 |
| 9 | 2009 | Lowell, Mike | 0.8 | 1.4 | -0.6 | 106 | 107 |
| 9 | 1999 | Valentin, John | 0.8 | -0.3 | 1.1 | 78 | 111 |
| 10 | 2004 | Mueller, Bill | 1.0 | 1.6 | -0.6 | 106 | 96 |
Comments: Notice that the 10th worst WAR season at 3B still managed a 1.0, that's pretty solid. 2000 was a weird year for the position with aboout 7,200 players appearing there. Alexander, a utility player (and a bad one at that) and a steroid user, topped the list of yuck. I wonder if people in the 70s called Hobson "The Butcher"? Lowell and Valentin, both good players appear here at the end of their careers and both coming off injuries. Mueller followed up a stellar season in 2003 with a not-so-stellar 2004. I remember when some Sox fans were excited about Hillenbrand.
Top 10 Worst 3B Seasons (by OPS+)
| # | Year | Player | WAR | oWAR | dWAR | OPS+ | G/3B |
| 1 | 2000 | Alexander, Manny | -0.8 | -0.9 | 0.1 | 45 | 63 |
| 2 | 1965 | Malzone, Frank | -0.6 | -0.6 | 0.0 | 70 | 96 |
| 3 | 1975 | Petrocelli, Rico | -0.5 | -0.1 | -0.4 | 75 | 113 |
| 4 | 2001 | Hillenbrand, Shea | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 77 | 129 |
| 5 | 1999 | Valentin, John | 0.8 | -0.3 | 1.1 | 78 | 111 |
| 6 | 1976 | Hobson, Butch | -0.2 | 0.3 | -0.5 | 82 | 76 |
| 7 | 1961 | Malzone, Frank | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 85 | 149 |
| 8 | 1964 | Malzone, Frank | 1.2 | 1.4 | -0.2 | 86 | 143 |
| 9 | 1978 | Hobson, Butch | 0.3 | 1.7 | -1.4 | 92 | 133 |
| 10 | 1980 | Hoffman, Glenn | 0.7 | 0.5 | -0.2 | 93 | 110 |
Comments: Pretty much the same list as above, rearranged a bit. Even the 10th player was only 7 pts below average.
Top 10 Best 3B Seasons (by WAR)
| # | Year | Player | WAR | oWAR | dWAR | OPS+ | G/3B |
| 1 | 1987 | Boggs, Wade | 9.1 | 8.4 | 0.7 | 173 | 145 |
| 2 | 1988 | Boggs, Wade | 8.7 | 8.5 | 0.2 | 166 | 151 |
| 3 | 1986 | Boggs, Wade | 8.6 | 7.9 | 0.7 | 156 | 149 |
| 4 | 1985 | Boggs, Wade | 8.5 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 151 | 161 |
| 5 | 1989 | Boggs, Wade | 8.2 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 142 | 152 |
| 6 | 1983 | Boggs, Wade | 7.6 | 6.9 | 0.7 | 150 | 153 |
| 7 | 2010 | Beltre, Adrian | 6.1 | 5.6 | 0.5 | 141 | 154 |
| 8 | 1991 | Boggs, Wade | 6.0 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 140 | 140 |
| 9 | 1984 | Boggs, Wade | 5.8 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 125 | 156 |
| 10 | 2003 | Mueller, Bill | 5.5 | 5.8 | -0.3 | 140 | 135 |
Comments: Well now, what do we have here? 8+ WAR seasons are pretty rare (heck 7+ ones are), yet a certain Sox third sacker managed 5 of them - in a row. Boggs as I've state in another thread, is arguably the best player, not only on his team, but in all of baseball - in the 1980s (apologies to Henderson). He grabs 8 of the 10 spots on this list. There are 10 more seaons below Mueller of 3+ WAR with names like Valentin, Naehring, Lowell and Lansford.
Top 10 3B Seaons (by OPS+)
| # | Year | Player | WAR | oWAR | dWAR | OPS+ | G/3B |
| 1 | 1987 | Boggs, Wade | 9.1 | 8.4 | 0.7 | 173 | 145 |
| 2 | 1988 | Boggs, Wade | 8.7 | 8.5 | 0.2 | 166 | 151 |
| 3 | 1986 | Boggs, Wade | 8.6 | 7.9 | 0.7 | 156 | 149 |
| 4 | 1985 | Boggs, Wade | 8.5 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 151 | 161 |
| 5 | 1983 | Boggs, Wade | 7.6 | 6.9 | 0.7 | 150 | 153 |
| 6 | 1989 | Boggs, Wade | 8.2 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 142 | 152 |
| 7 | 2010 | Beltre, Adrian | 6.1 | 5.6 | 0.5 | 141 | 154 |
| 8 | 1991 | Boggs, Wade | 6.0 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 140 | 140 |
| 9 | 2003 | Mueller, Bill | 5.5 | 5.8 | -0.3 | 140 | 135 |
| 10 | 1981 | Lansford, Carney | 3.8 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 132 | 86 |
Comments: Sensing a trend here, 1987 was a travesty of epic proportions: Boggs led the league in BA/OBP and OPS and managed 9th in the MVP voting (his own teammate - Evans actually finished higer)
Raw Stats (by Year)
| Year | Player | WAR | oWAR | dWAR | OPS+ | G/3B |
| 2010 | Beltre, Adrian | 6.1 | 5.6 | 0.5 | 141 | 154 |
| 2009 | Lowell, Mike | 0.8 | 1.4 | -0.6 | 106 | 107 |
| 2008 | Lowell, Mike | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 103 | 110 |
| 2007 | Lowell, Mike | 5.1 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 124 | 154 |
| 2006 | Lowell, Mike | 4.2 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 104 | 153 |
| 2005 | Mueller, Bill | 2.6 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 109 | 142 |
| 2004 | Mueller, Bill | 1.0 | 1.6 | -0.6 | 106 | 96 |
| 2003 | Mueller, Bill | 5.5 | 5.8 | -0.3 | 140 | 135 |
| 2002 | Hillenbrand, Shea | 3.8 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 105 | 156 |
| 2001 | Hillenbrand, Shea | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 77 | 129 |
| 2000 | Alexander, Manny | -0.8 | -0.9 | 0.1 | 45 | 63 |
| 1999 | Valentin, John | 0.8 | -0.3 | 1.1 | 78 | 111 |
| 1998 | Valentin, John | 4.6 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 101 | 153 |
| 1997 | Naehring, Tim | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 117 | 70 |
| 1996 | Naehring, Tim | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 103 | 116 |
| 1995 | Naehring, Tim | 4.4 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 123 | 124 |
| 1994 | Cooper, Scott | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 97 | 104 |
| 1993 | Cooper, Scott | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 98 | 154 |
| 1992 | Boggs, Wade | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 96 | 117 |
| 1991 | Boggs, Wade | 6.0 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 140 | 140 |
| 1990 | Boggs, Wade | 2.8 | 3.6 | -0.8 | 121 | 152 |
| 1989 | Boggs, Wade | 8.2 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 142 | 152 |
| 1988 | Boggs, Wade | 8.7 | 8.5 | 0.2 | 166 | 151 |
| 1987 | Boggs, Wade | 9.1 | 8.4 | 0.7 | 173 | 145 |
| 1986 | Boggs, Wade | 8.6 | 7.9 | 0.7 | 156 | 149 |
| 1985 | Boggs, Wade | 8.5 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 151 | 161 |
| 1984 | Boggs, Wade | 5.8 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 125 | 156 |
| 1983 | Boggs, Wade | 7.6 | 6.9 | 0.7 | 150 | 153 |
| 1982 | Lansford, Carney | 2.1 | 2.9 | -0.8 | 114 | 114 |
| 1981 | Lansford, Carney | 3.8 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 132 | 86 |
| 1980 | Hoffman, Glenn | 0.7 | 0.5 | -0.2 | 93 | 110 |
| 1979 | Hobson, Butch | 1.5 | 2.1 | -0.6 | 106 | 142 |
| 1978 | Hobson, Butch | 0.3 | 1.7 | -1.4 | 92 | 133 |
| 1977 | Hobson, Butch | 0.2 | 1.4 | -1.2 | 101 | 159 |
| 1976 | Hobson, Butch | -0.2 | 0.3 | -0.5 | 82 | 76 |
| 1975 | Petrocelli, Rico | -0.5 | -0.1 | -0.4 | 75 | 113 |
| 1974 | Petrocelli, Rico | 2.1 | 2.2 | -0.1 | 110 | 116 |
| 1973 | Petrocelli, Rico | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 100 | 99 |
| 1972 | Petrocelli, Rico | 2.4 | 2.9 | -0.5 | 104 | 146 |
| 1971 | Petrocelli, Rico | 5.3 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 123 | 156 |
| 1970 | Scott, George | 1.6 | 2.0 | -0.4 | 118 | 68 |
| 1969 | Scott, George | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 95 | 109 |
| 1968 | Foy, Joe | 3.0 | 3.2 | -0.2 | 96 | 147 |
| 1967 | Foy, Joe | 1.1 | 2.2 | -1.1 | 113 | 118 |
| 1966 | Foy, Joe | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 114 | 139 |
| 1965 | Malzone, Frank | -0.6 | -0.6 | 0.0 | 70 | 96 |
| 1964 | Malzone, Frank | 1.2 | 1.4 | -0.2 | 86 | 143 |
| 1963 | Malzone, Frank | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 105 | 148 |
| 1962 | Malzone, Frank | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 97 | 156 |
| 1961 | Malzone, Frank | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 85 | 149 |
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