Sports
Former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez and former Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis were both featured.
Two New England athletes were listed on the first part of ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 professional athletes since 2000. Former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez came in at No. 92, while former Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis was ranked No. 96.
The list will announce 25 athletes every day until the top spot is revealed. Numbers 76 to 100 were published Monday.
ESPN put out a similar list 25 years ago, ranking the top North American athletes from the 20th century. This list differs in that it has expanded to global nominations, receiving over 70,000 votes in total. Voters were told to only assess athletes’ performances since 2000.
Martinez played for the Red Sox from 1998 to 2004, during which he earned 117 wins. He also three times received the American League Cy Young Award, but two of those came before the year 2000. In 2004, he became a World Series champion after the Red Sox beat the Cardinals, winning their first World Series championship since 1918. Martinez was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Revis played for the Patriots during the 2014 season, with New England defeating the Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX. Named on the NFL 2010s All-Decade team and a four-time first-team All Pro, Revis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
The list of top North American athletes of the previous century featured players like Babe Ruth, who spent six seasons with the Red Sox, in second place, and Ted Williams, who spent his 19-year career with the Red Sox, in 16th place.
Other pros like Tom Brady and David Ortiz are likely to rank highly in the remaining parts of the 2000s list. Which other New England athletes do you think will make an appearance? Let us know in the comments.
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