There's been a lot of talk lately about Dustin Pedroia being in the running for the AL MVP Award. Earlier this season, Kevin Youkilis was similarly mentioned as an MVP candidate. Whether or not either of them is voted MVP, Pedroia and Youkilis are the clearly the co- MVPs of the Red Sox.

You're probably thinking, "Wow, great observation Einstein. Welcome aboard the bandwagon."

Pedroia and Youkilis' value to the Sox really has nothing to do with the statistics they're putting up this season. Neither player has made themselves more indispensable by shouldering a greater burden of the offense in the wake of Manny Ramírez' exile to L.A. And neither the acquisition of Jason Bay nor the signing of a free agent of Mark Teixeira's caliber this off-season or in the future could diminish Pedroia or Youkilis' worth to the Red Sox.

By virtue of their penchant for getting on base with great frequency, Pedroia and Youkilis form a potent combination that serves as the high octane fuel for Sox' offensive attack. While David Ortiz and formerly Ramírez are often credited with being the horsepower that drives the Red Sox offense, Pedroia and Youkilis, more than any other hitters in the Sox lineup, unquestionably are what make it run.

There's no denying how prolific Ortiz, Ramírez and, to a lesser extent Mike Lowell, have been the past several seasons. However, it's equally indisputable that their production is directly linked to the ability of the hitters that precede them in the batting order to reach base.

When the Sox' big bats come to the plate with runners on base, opposing pitchers realize they have no choice but to come after the likes of Ortiz and Lowell rather than risk walking them and putting runners in scoring position and/or loading the bases. And when the heart of the Sox order takes advantage of these opportunities, as they so often do, they capitalize on situations that wouldn't have existed were it not for Pedroia and Youkilis.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, there's every reason to believe that Pedroia and Youkilis will continue to energize the offense for years to come.

Pedroia's on base percentage last year was .380. For 2008, it currently stands at .377. Both during his collegiate and minor league days, Pedroia consistently had more extra-base hits than strikeouts. To this point in his young major league career, Pedroia has 118 extra-base hits while striking out a mere 96 times.

Youkilis' credentials as an on base machine are well known, thanks in part to Oakland general manager Billy Beane, who dubbed him "the Greek God of Walks" in the book Moneyball. Now in his third full season, Youkilis has posted on base percentages of .381, .390 and .386 for '06, '07 and '08, respectively.

While it’s irrefutable that Ortiz is the most dangerous hitter in the Sox lineup, Pedroia and Youkilis are without a doubt the two most fundamentally important parts. Without them, Ortiz becomes Barry Bonds post-2001, when he walked a combined 834 times.

It's also reasonable to suggest that Jason Bay's hot start in Boston (.302, .859 OPS, 4 HR, 27 R, 29 RBI) has as much to do with the success Pedroia and Youkilis are enjoying this season as it does with Bay's own natural talent.

Perhaps the best evidence of Pedroia and Youkilis’ value to the Sox can be seen in a comment made by teammate Paul Byrd last week. Referring to Pedroia, Byrd said, "As he goes, we go." He could have just as easily been speaking about Youkilis.

Welcome To Red Sox Nation
Two new citizens have recently joined the flock. Welcome to Phineas James Hansbury born June 13, 2008 to two of the best people I know, Matt and Julianne. Also, William Daniel Dunn arrived on August 20, 2008, much to the delight of parents Elizabeth and Pat. William, trust me when I tell you you couldn’t have asked for a nicer mom. Can’t wait to take in a game with you boys.

This column was written on September 7, 2008.