During the 2026 Fenway Fest on Saturday, Jan. 10, the Boston Red Sox inducted three players into their 2026 Hall of Fame Class. It’s the biannual tradition of the team to induct a new class to their Hall of Fame, and the trio they are bringing in played big roles in their championship runs since 2004. It’s one thing to be a part of bringing a World Series Championship to Boston, but it’s another to be immortalized forever as part of the Red Sox Hallof Fame.
Who are the three players who join the likes of Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez, and others?
Lester Leads Way in 2026 Red Sox Hall of Fame Class
Getty2026 Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Jon Lester
The one that stands out the most is left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, who played a massive role in the 2007 and 2013 Championship teams. He was remembered for his 2007 performance, when he came back from fighting cancer and completed the sweep of the Colorado Rockies in Game 4. Lester was also part of the famous “Boston Strong” team, which went on to win the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished fourth for the Cy Young Award twice in Boston (2010 & 2014), and was a three-time All-Star (2010, 2011, & 2014).
In his nine seasons with the Red Sox, Lester finished with a record of 110-63, a 3.64 ERA, in 241 starts (fourth all-time), 10 complete games, and three shutouts. He struckout 1,386 batters in 1,519.1 innings of work. If that wasn’t enough, Lester finished with an 8.2 strikeout per 9, a strikeout per walk ratio of 2.62, an ERA+ of 120, a FIP of 3.60, and a wins above replacement (WAR) of 29.9. For his 16-year career, Lester finished with a 43.5 WAR.
Lester will be on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s BBWAA ballot for the first time in 2027, and the hope is that he gets into the Baseball Hall of Fame sooner rather than later. He played a key role in not one, but two World Series titles for the Red Sox, and is considered one of the best lefties in team history. He is in the pantheon for Boston and will hopefully be enshrined in Cooperstown very, very soon.
2004 & 2007 Champion Mike Timlin
GettyTwo-time Red Sox World Series Champion Mike Timlin
Another prominent figure over the many Red Sox World Series titles was the 2004 and 2007 winner, Mike Timlin. Before coming to Boston, Timlin won two titles with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. After arriving at the Red Sox, he became a core piece in the bullpen, adding two more World Series rings to his impressive four-championship collection.
In his six seasons with the Red Sox from 2003 to 2008 (age 37 to 42), he finished with a 30-22 record, played in 394 regular-season games, collected 27 saves, struck out 273 batters, and finished with an ERA+ of 125. In 409 innings of work, Timlin’s ERA was 3.76, and he finished with a 7.5 WAR during his time with Boston.
During Fenway Fest, Timlin was stunned after the sold-out crowd roared following the announcement of being inducted into the 2026 class. He stated, “It’s actually kind of overwhelming. I never thought I would ever be considered in such elite and great company when you look at the names on the list. But when I first came here in 2003, being from the South, I thought the Northeast was never welcoming. Now that I’ve spent so much time here in Boston, this is my second home. I feel way more at home here in Boston [that] I do in a lot of other places, and it’s all because of y’all.”
It’s safe to say that Timlin will be forever loved in Boston by the Red Sox faithful for what he did in 2004 and 2007.
Johnny Be Good
GettyBoston Red Sox’s Johnny Damon
The final player to be inducted was leadoff man Johnny Damon. Damon played four seasons in Boston from 2002 to 2005, where he was a two-time All-Star and finished with MVP votes (2004 & 2005). He was also part of the self-proclaimed 2004 “Idiots” team that snapped the 86-year World Series drought in 2004 against the Cardinals.
From his age-28 to age-31 season, Damon finished with 730 hits, 136 doubles, 29 triples, 56 home runs, 299 RBIs, 98 stolen bases, 262 walks, and 284 strikeouts. He carried a .295 batting average over 597 games with a slash line of .362/.441/.803 and an OPS+ of 108. When it came to his WAR numbers in Boston, Damon finished with 16.5, which is decent when looking at his overall WAR of 56.3 in his 18-year career.
It’s great to see three prominent players who helped the Red Sox clinch three World Series titles in 2004, 2007, and 2013 make the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. It’s well-deserved for Lester, Timlin, and Damon be recognized for their contributions, no matter how long their tenure was in Boston. They will be memorialized forever at Fenway for years and decades to come. Congratulations to Jon Lester, Mike Timlin, and Johnny Damon.
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