Why Jon Lester Views Historic Red Sox Start As Career-Changer

Three-time World Series champion Jon Lester is a Boston Red Sox legend, but that didn’t happen overnight.

Lester underwent a trial-and-error process before the left-hander was viewed as the top-of-the-rotation ace that earned Fenway Park’s respect. In 2006, Lester debuted for the Red Sox and a year later, he became a World Series champion for the first time. Fast forward to 2013 and Lester was the alpha dog in Boston’s rotation, posting a 1.65 postseason ERA before the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic.

Now looking back at his 16-year career, Lester pinpoints one performance specifically as the start that helped establish his place in the big leagues: Lester’s 2008 no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.

“The (moment) that really kind of, I think, helped me solidify being in the big leagues was my no-hitter,” Lester told MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” on Tuesday. “I tell people I had a feeling that I was probably pretty close to being sent down if I didn’t get my stuff together after that start. So that start really kind of catapulted me in making me believe that I belong in the big leagues and can do this.”

Boston hosted Kansas City on May 19, 2008, as Lester took the mound to make his 11th start of the year. Lester began the campaign at 1-2 through his first seven starts and recorded a 4.31 ERA after allowing 19 earned runs — and five home runs — across 39 2/3 innings pitched. The then-24-year-old also logged seven no-decisions in the eight previous starts before facing the Royals, which prompted the need for a shift.

Or in Lester’s case, a history-making shift.

Lester struck out nine Royals hitters and walked two — which cost him a perfect game — to record the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history. It was the first since then-teammate Clay Buchholz no-hit the Baltimore Orioles in 2007, and it also marked the fourth no-hitter caught by fellow Red Sox legend Jason Varitek.

Since Lester’s legacy-launching show, no other Boston pitcher has thrown a no-hitter.

It’s a difficult choice for Lester to make when reflecting on the laundry list of moments that cemented Lester’s footprint on the mound. On July 23, 2007, Lester returned from his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which lasted 11 months.

“When I came back from cancer, my first start back is something that really sticks out in my mind,” Lester said, per MLB Network.

Lester became not only an inspiration for his teammates and fans everywhere but a spokesperson for the Jimmy Fund too. He donated to the fund, partook in the team’s annual radio telethon, and has made various trips to visit those, too, affected by the life-changing disease amid the ongoing fight for a cure.

With five All-Star appearances, three career top-four voting finishes for the Cy Young Award, 200 career victories, a career 3.66 ERA, 2,488 strikeouts and a National League wins lead (18) in 2018, Lester will be considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2027.