Boston-area teams won three Super Bowls, two World Series and a Stanley Cup from 2010-19. So naturally, some of the best athletes in Boston history competed here during the past decade. This list is as good if not better than just about any decade in just about any city ever.
No. 1 was obvious. There’s a pretty legitimate argument to be made Tom Brady is the best athlete of the decade in all sports in the United States, but that’s somebody else’s list.
The real challenge was determining No. 2. There are players who all have a legit candidacy for No. 2, and I spent a lot of time waffling. I’ll state their cases alphabetically. Feel free to scroll down if you don’t want to wait.
Patrice Bergeron has been one of the NHL’s top handful of players for the entirety of the decade. He was the best skater (non-goalie) on the Bruins on all three teams that reached the Stanley Cup finals.
Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end in history, and his peak ran through all of this decade. He was part of three championships, but he was clearly No. 2 to Tom Brady on his own roster.
David Ortiz was better last decade, and unlike Bergeron and Gronkowski, he played only seven seasons. But he was still the driving force behind the 2013 World Series champions, and his numbers in the years he played were still elite. And the ‘This is our (expletive) city” moment matters.
This list factors in performance, obviously, and intangibles as well.
This list includes pro athletes and Olympic/international athletes. I didn’t include college athletes for a lot of reasons. Athletically, they’re a step below the pros. Most sports fans in Massachusetts root for the Patriots, the Red Sox, the Celtics and the Bruins. In international competition, they mostly root for Americans. College sports are much more tribal.
Without further ado:
25. Kayla Harrison: Being the first American to ever win a gold medal in judo in 2012 is impressive on its own, but the Danvers native overcame sexual abuse at the hands of an early coach. Her courage to tell her story was among the most inspirational stories this decade.
24. Samantha Mewis: The Weymouth native was a starter and key contributor on the United States’ World Cup-winning women’s soccer team.
23. Meghan Duggan: The Danvers native was a captain and standout player for the United States women’s hockey team that won gold in 2018.
22. Al Horford: Before Horford signed as a free agent, there was this belief that top-level NBA free agents wouldn’t come to Boston. Horford helped eliminate that stereotype and was an important cornerstone of the team’s recent success.
21. Chris Sale: Started two All-Star games and finished one World Series. Late season inconsistency has plagued him, but not enough to miss this list.
20. Dustin Pedroia: Pedroia had two top-10 MVP finishes, three Gold Gloves and an All-Star game in addition to being a key piece of the 2013 World Series.
19. Dont’a Hightower: With two Pro Bowl invites and three Super Bowl championships, Hightower has been both productive and a leader in this second wave of the Patriots’ dynasty, especially in the postseason.
18. Jon Lester: On top of strong regular-season credentials, Lester was outstanding in the postseason and backboned the pitching staff to the 2013 World Series.
17. Devin McCourty: He’s been a leader and an outstanding player. He’d be on the all-time Patriots roster as well.
16. Tim Thomas: There is almost no wrong place to put Thomas on this list. He had one good year this decade. But that one good year brought the Bruins a Stanley Cup. He has singular ownership of that championship more than any Boston player does of any championship.
15. Vince Wilfork: Three of his five Pro Bowl appearances came this decade. He was a monster on the line.
14. Brad Marchand: His sometimes nasty reputation hides that he’s one of the best players in all of hockey and has been a huge piece of the Bruins’ success.
13. Xander Bogaerts: Two rings. Good numbers becoming great numbers. He’s a pretty good bet to be on the Boston 2020-29 All-Decade list, too.
12. Tuukka Rask: Rask has made the Bruins a Cup contender virtually every season this decade. His sustained excellence will be the standard all future Bruin goalies are judged against.
11. Mookie Betts: After Mike Trout, Betts is arguably the second most skilled player in the sport. He has an MVP and was a critical part of a World Series win.
10. Julian Edelman: The Super Bowl MVP last year has caught more passes from Tom Brady than anyone else and has been as reliable a receiver as the game has had.
9. Isaiah Thomas: It wasn’t just his production, but his demeanor. At its height, the mutual love between him and Boston felt like a slightly toned-down version of the city’s affection for David Ortiz. Thomas changed the culture, and the absence of his personality and leadership really stood out compared to Kyrie Irving’s general surliness that followed.
8. Stephon Gilmore: When his career is over, Gilmore could be in the discussion for the best defensive back in franchise history.
7. Paul Pierce: In the previous decade, he’d be top four. But Pierce did help lead Boston to another finals and is the franchise’s top scorer this decade.
6. Aly Raisman: On its own, her gymnastics excellence earns this Needham native a spot on this list. But her poise and toughness through the Larry Nassar trial was heroic.
5. Zdeno Chara: The worthy baton carrier following Eddie Shore, Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque on Boston’s Rushmore of dominant defenseman, Chara has not only been a great player and great captain but one of the most generous and charitable athletes to causes in the city’s history.
4. Rob Gronkowski: He was an elite player from his rookie season to his final catch in the Super Bowl. He not only won three championships but became one of the franchise’s most beloved players.
3. Patrice Bergeron: Any kid attempting to be an elite hockey player should watch video of Bergeron. He’s been an outstanding offensive player, defensive player, faceoff man, penalty killer, power-play catalyst and leader. His 37 will hang in the Garden rafters and his face will hang in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
2. David Ortiz: Big Papi is on Boston’s Mount Rushmore for his career over the past two decades. In addition to terrific seasons from 2010 to his 2016 retirement, the way he carried himself during the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings only adds to his lore.
1. Tom Brady: The best Boston athlete in history won half of his six titles this decade. Not a difficult choice.
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