Josh Beckett Beckett's second year in the American League proved a fruitful one, as he led the league with 20 wins and contended for the Cy Young. In the postseason, he was downright dominant, winning all four of his starts and picking up the ALCS MVP.
	Kevin Cash Cash was called up from Pawtucket when Doug Mirabelli went on the disabled list. He proved capable of catching Tim Wakefield's knuckleball, and was named to the Division Series roster.
	Alex Cora A dependable backup who's always willing to do the little things to help his team win, Cora stepped up when he got the chance. When Dustin Pedroia struggled in April, Cora delivered game-winning hits in back-to-back games.
	Coco Crisp Crisp had some big hits - a game-tying triple against the Yankees in April and a walk-off double in August - but his biggest contributions were made with his glove. He wowed teammates and fans with spectaular catches all season long, including the final out of Game 7 of the ALCS.
	Manny Delcarmen Delcarmen began the year in Pawtucket, and was called up in May. In June, he had a critical seventh inning strikeout of Sammy Sosa which defined his place as a valuable set-up man behind Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon, a position he held for the rest of the year.
	J.D. Drew While Drew's regular season was nothing to write home about, he turned it on in the postseason, with a two-run single in Game 2 of the Division Series and a crucial grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS.
	Jacoby Ellsbury Ellsbury started the year in Double A, opened eyes when he scored from second base on a wild pitch in a cup-of-coffee call-up in July, and finished the season batting leadoff in the World Series.
	Eric Gagne Gagne was acquired at the trading deadline to provide additional bullpen depth, but a shoulder injury prevented him from being the late-game workhorse the team had envisioned. He threw a 1-2-3 inning in Game 1 of the World Series.
	Eric Hinske Hinske proved to be a valuable backup at first base, in the outfield, and off the bench. Never was that more evident than May 17, when he dove face-first into the warning track for a run-saving catch, then belted the game-winning homer.
	Bobby Kielty Kielty was signed in August after being released by the Oakland A's, and made an immediate impression, reaching over the bullpen fence to rob a home run in his first game. In the World Series, he saw only one pitch, but knocked it for a home run that ended up the deciding run in Game 4.
	Jon Lester The team brought Lester along slowly as he recovered from off-season cancer treatments, but he rejoined the big league club in July with a dramatic win over the Indians. When Tim Wakefield was injured, Lester got the chance to start Game 4 of the World Series, and he won the clinching game for the Sox.
	Javier Lopez Lopez had a solid season in the pen, with his 61 appearances ranking second on the team. In the playoffs, he helped Daisuke Matsuzaka get out of a jam in Division Series Game 3.
	Mike Lowell Lowell had the best offensive season of his career, leading the team in RBI, while remaining a defensive whiz. In the postseason, his clutch hitting, fielding, and baserunning won him the World Series MVP.
	Julio Lugo After a slow start at the plate, Lugo had a 15-game hitting streak in July, highlighted by a grand slam against the White Sox. He led the team with 33 stolen bases.
	Daisuke Matsuzaka The Japanese star won 15 games in his first MLB season, including a complete game victory over the Tigers and 1-0 wins over the Giants and Indians. He won the deciding Game 7 in the ALCS, and drove in two runs with his fist Major League hit in World Series Game 3.
	Doug Mirabelli Mirabelli was back for another season as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. He started 33 games behind the plate, and despite dealing almost exclusively with the knuckleball, he was charged with only six passed balls and one error.
	Hideki Okajima He arrived from Japan with little hype, content to take a back seat to the highly-touted Daisuke Matsuzaka. But Okajima quickly became one of the most valuable players on the team, providing an invaluable bridge to the closer, saving games when Johnathan Papelbon was not available, and getting voted onto the All-Star team.
	David Ortiz While knee and shoulder injuries led Big Papi's home run total to drop, he set career highs in batting average and doubles. In the postseason, he resumed his status as the king of clutch, with a ridiculous-sounding Division Series batting average of .714 and OBP of .846.
	Jonathan Papelbon Papelbon brought intensity to everything he did, whether it was staring down an opponent on the mound or dancing the jig after clinching a series. The result: 37 regular-season saves in 40 opportunites, saves in Game 7 of the ALCS and three World Series games, no postseason runs allowed, and a kilt for the victory parade.
	Dustin Pedroia Pedroia started off the season slowly, but by the end he was the A.L. Rookie of the Year. He played excellent defense at second base, despite having come through the minors as a shortstop, and hit crucial postseason home runs in Game 7 of the ALCS and leading off Game 1 of the World Series.
	Manny Ramirez Despite lower than usual production in the regular season, Ramirez morphed back into Super-Manny in October. He drove in 16 runs (on 16 hits and 16 walks) in 14 postseason games, including a walkoff home run in Division Series Game 2.
	Curt Schilling Schilling started the year strong, coming one out away from a no-hitter in May, then spent nearly two months on the D.L. He came back reinvented as a finesse pitcher, and by the time the playoffs rolled around, he reclaimed his spot as one of the best postseason pitchers in history, adding three more wins to his resume.
	Kyle Snyder Snyder was the long man out of the pen, and made a career-high 46 regular-season appearances, earning a spot on the World Series roster.
	Mike Timlin Timlin made his 1000th career appearance in August, and in October he was a vital part of the bullpen. He didn't allow any runs in the ALCS, and he got the team out of jams in World Series Games 3 and 4.
	Jason Varitek Varitek's reputation as an excellent handler of pitchers continued to grow as he led a staff that was a blend of accomplished veterans and talented youngsters. But the Captain also proved he could still get it done offensively, driving in ten postseason runs.
	Tim Wakefield Wakefield was his usual dependable self in the regular season, matching his career high with 17 wins. He started Game 4 of the ALCS, but when a back injury flared up again, he selflessly volunteered to sit out the World Series so he wouldn't take a spot on the roster away from someone healthier.
	Kevin Youkilis Youkilis set career highs in batting average, home runs, and RBIs, and his 23-game hitting streak once again displayed his ability to hit anywhere in the batting order. He went the entire season without making an error at first base, and was rewarded with a Gold Glove. He led the offense in the ALCS, batting .500 and hitting three home runs.