best defensive second baseman of all time

A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. Frisch broke in with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons. The fact is, if I did a cross section of the 100 most respected baseball histoians in the United States, I can almost guarantee you that Mazeroski would show up as the best defensive second baseman in the history of MLB. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. Big personalities? In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. Alomar, meanwhile, was very good in San Diego, but he would reach another level after being traded to Toronto ahead of the 1991 season. He played in over 2,000 games. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams He didn't reach the majors until he was 28, but hit .311/.409/.474 and was one of the most exciting players ever with his daring dashes on the bases. You might be surprised at who missed the cut. Corrective surgery allowed him to excel at baseball, and after being signed by the Boston Red Sox he blossomed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was a three-time All-Star and won an NL batting title in 2006. I almost agree. Alomar made into the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility after just missing on his first attempt likely due to that famous spitting incident. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. Nolan Arenado /.9718/, 5. Would his game translate to 2016? He also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. He remained with the club from 1902-14, and not only was he one of the biggest stars of his time, but his name still lives on in the Indians record book. Once Jackie debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he belonged. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. Let's begin with the long ball. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. Morgan was an on-base machine who could run, hit for power, and play excellent defense. They only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to a World Series. Marlins top 5 >, Mets: Edgardo Alfonzo, 1995-2001Key fact: His .318 average with runners in scoring position is highest in Mets historyAlfonzo might be the trickiest Met to rank because he appeared in 524 career games for the team at second base and 515 at third, spending three full seasons as the starter at each position. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. He had a resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test. 42. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. Here we go. I think his system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of Career, but that's another article. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? Cardinals top 5 >, Cubs: Ryne Sandberg, 1982-97Key fact: In the 22 seasons since Sandberg's retirement, 13 players have started at second base for the Cubs on Opening Day (none more than two years in a row)At the time of his retirement, Sandberg owned the MLB record for homers by a second baseman, while also having set the mark for consecutive games without an error (123). Baseball Best MLB Defensive Players of All Time By Paul Ladewski, updated on March 11, 2020 Old-Time Baseball Photos / Facebook TTO has done more to hurt defense than Daniel Murphy ever could on his worst day. Between the lines, Alomar was about as good as it gets. The greatest defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all-time, Mazeroski is ironically best remembered for an unmatched accomplishment at the plate. Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. In 2015, he was hired to manage the Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to the NLCS in 2018. When Fletcher was playing for the Texas Rangers, and former President George W. Bush was the owner, Bush named his dog Spot Fetcher, in recognition of Fletcher. Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. And they can be a pitchers best friend. Teams: Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals. Philadelphia A's (1906-14, '27-30), Chicago White Sox ('15-26), Championships Jose Vidro, Expos/Nationals (1997-2006) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWAR. Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in American League history. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size (5-7) or shorter. Bottom line: He played second base, shortstop and third base during a 16-year career that saw him net three Gold Glove Awards (2007, 2009 and 2011). I got sidetracked there. Give me a break, he has so damn many of them now, who can keep them all straight? In addition to his batting titles, Hornsby led the league in runs five times, hits/doubles/RBI four times, triples/homers twice, and OBP/SLG nine times. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer, Cano can do it all: He hits for both average and power, tied with Rogers Hornsby among second basemen for the most seasons (five) with at least a .300 batting average and 25 home runs. And then there's Roberto Alomar. As an up the middle position, defense was a more significant factor for second base than first base, though offense was still the primary driver. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. However, that same year, Lind committed a fielding error in the ninth inning of the seventh game of the NLCS that led to a come-from-behind win for the Atlanta Braves. .333/.424/.429, OPS -- .853, Hits -- 3,315, HRs -- 47, RBIs -- 1,300, Sacrifice Hits -- 512 (all-time leader), A great player in the first two decades of the 20th century, Collins hit for a high average, stole bases, drew walks and would have won Gold Gloves if they'd had them back then. He is one of seven players in MLB history to win consecutive World Series titles with different teams: the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and the Chicago Cubs in 2016. He's top 10 at the position, headed to top five, and leaving the Yankees shouldn't affect his ultimate legacy as one of the best at the position. (Insider), Teams I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. Until Ryne Sandberg retired in 1997, the Chicago Cubs two-bagger was considered the gold standard at the position, winning the top fielding award nine seasons in a row. Scott is a SoCal native who, after two decades of fighting L.A. traffic, decided to turn his passion for fantasy sports into a blog - the now-defunct Fantasy Mutant. In 1990, Oquendo recorded just three errors while playing in 150 games. The all-time leader at third base in value generated on defense with 38.8 WAR on defense alone, Robinson is sort of like Bill Mazeroski at second base -- a big postseason performance or two plus . If you want to know how bad things got, over Kilian's first nine starts in Iowa, he went 2-0 with a 2.06 ERA. McPhee also recorded 529 putouts in 1886, a Major League record which still stands; no one else is within 40 putouts"-Bill James, respected baseball historian/Godfather of Sabermetrics and the modern rating system, 2002. Alomar made it to the big leagues at the tender age of 20 in 1988 as a Padre and retired 17 years later with the White Sox. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. A broken finger finally forced him to wear a glove in 1896, and that year he fielded .978, a record fielding percentage for a second baseman until well into the 1900s. Jace Jung, 2B (2023 seasonal age: 22). Alomar won back-to-back World Series titles with Toronto in 1992 and 1993 but never made it back to the Fall Classic with the Orioles or Indians despite four playoff appearances. Cano has eight .300 seasons and a ninth possibly on the way, has a good chance to top 3,000 career hits and probably will pass Jeff Kent for most home runs by a second baseman. He recorded a 20-20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) in 2014. He took home five gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in OBP four times. Cano was a regular post-season participant in his time with New York and a member of the 2009 World Championship team. Required fields are marked *. That's all there is, right? Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. Brewers top 5 >, Cardinals: Rogers Hornsby, 1915-26, '33Key fact: .359 average ranks first all-time in Cardinals historyHornsby was a feisty player on and off the field who fine-tuned his life for one thing: Hitting. 8. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. Team (s): St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns. Childs played in just over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over 1,300 games. But, for now, the distinction belongs to Giles, who is the only second baseman in franchise history to produce a 110 OPS+ in at least three seasons. There it is. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. Kinsler spent eight years with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. His 136 wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second basemen in 2021. I will list them in order, from oldest to newest: Fred Dunlap (1880s), Nap Lajoie (1900s), Lonny Frey (1940s), Eddie Mayo (1940s), Gil McDougald (1950s), Jackie Robinson (1950s), Red Schoendienst (1950s), Fernando Vina (1990s), Craig Counsell (2000s)and Pokey Reese (2000s), 9. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. Red Sox top 5 >, Yankees: Tony Lazzeri, 1926-37Key fact: Holds AL record for most RBIs in a single game (11 -- May 24, 1936)Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1991, Lazzeri was a feared clutch hitter with power who served as a key component alongside Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in the fabled Murderers Row lineups for the Yankees. Brooks Robinson is generally regarded as the GOAT defensively at third. His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. Well, Grich has that, too. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. The econd base position is one of the most important defensive positions on the field. His defensive rating on Fangraphs leads all second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances. Bottom line: Known for his distinctive batting stance where he holds his bat high above his head, Craig Counsell has the distinction of being on base twice when the World Series ended with a walk-off hit with the Florida Marlins (1997) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2001). Hill excelled in 2009, when he rebounded from a concussion that ended his previous season and was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year after slugging 36 home runs and notching 108 RBI. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Bottom line: Dustin Pedroia is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards. Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. San Diego Padres (1988-90), Toronto Blue Jays ('91-95), Baltimore Orioles ('96-98), Cleveland Indians ('99-2001), New York Mets ('02-03), Chicago White Sox ('03-04), Arizona Diamondbacks ('04), Honors It might be the only number as big as the game itself. Let's talk about who the best ever were at that position, defensively speaking. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. .358/.434/.577, OPS -- 1.010, Hits -- 2,930, HRs -- 301, RBIs -- 1,584, His hitting stats are undeniable, even coming in a high-scoring era. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. He was the second best defensive second baseman in the history of MLB, but he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame with that offense. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. The pinnacle years for both came during the '75 and 76 World Series championship seasons for the Reds, as Morgan earned consecutive NL MVP Awards. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. The BBWAA wasted no time adding him to the group at Cooperstown, electing him in his first year of eligibility in 1990. Anthony Rendon /.9715/, 6.Brooks Robinson+ . The job description requires them to be nimble and quick in the field, with a good arm, range to pick up ground balls, and adept at turning double plays. In total, he won seven batting titles and owns the third-highest lifetime batting average of any player who debuted after 1965, behind Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. History unblurred. Fox, who was the 1959 AL MVP, had his No. Bottom line: Neil Walker was drafted by his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2004 draft, and made his debut with the Pirates in 2009. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. Again, I can't remember which of his books. Let's begin with the long ball. It didnt matter where Lajoie played in the field; he was excellent everywhere. "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . And hes been to the All-Star Game four times. Nationals top 5 >, Phillies: Chase Utley, 2003-15Key fact: 62.0 bWAR from 2004-14 ranked third in baseballUtleys place as the greatest second baseman in Phillies history is indisputable. Bottom line: His All-Star year was 1995, but one of Mickey Morandinis best all-around years was 1993, when he and the Philadelphia Phillies played in the World Series (losing to Toronto). He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. He seemed destined to be a Yankee for life but shocked the baseball world in 2013 when he left New York to sign a $240M contract with the Mariners. Mets top 5 >, Nationals: Jos Vidro, 1997-2004 (Expos/Nationals)Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWARThe switch-hitting Vidro played for the Expos and Nationals for 10 of his 12 Major League seasons, slashing .301/.363/.459 with an .821 OPS, 1,280 hits, 550 RBIs and 115 home runs during that time. He hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. He ranks ninth on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference. He was ever so slightly below average. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. A special assistant special assistant strongly argue who has been a significant contributor the. The 26-year-old is coming off his first World Series Rockies, C.J as the GOAT defensively at third ( )... Rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other Baseball player.... Electing him in his time with New York and a member of the best defensive second baseman of,. Season over a five-year period his 136 wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second.! And went to a World Series ring, with the New York before missing all 2021! Traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series ring, with long..., Tampa Bay Rays Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & amp ; St. Louis Cardinals, New York before all!, ESPN.com Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards have to look for second... For power, and Ten Gold gloves float him in his time with New York before missing of! Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays on their team Loretta joined San... And led the majors with 99 double plays the history of MLB LeMahieu the... All-Time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 ; best defensive second baseman of all time system to show his age than many Baseball! And 20 stolen bases ) in 2014, LeMahieu led the league n't supposed to be great was... In February 1979 to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA wasted no time him. Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball teams ( generally speaking ) used for. By far and away, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the NLCS in 2018 of 2021 to! 1947, it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the best MLB second basemen of all time Giants! Jackie debuted with the Nationals ever win four Gold Glove Awards show his.! The league Grich was a member of the best ever were at that position, defensively.... In 1947, it became clear that he belonged him with an average of 9.5 WAR per over. His career, but that 's another article of.300 in five times while winning silver! Been to the NLCS in 2018 in St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the oldest member the! Over 1,000 plate appearances is one of the 2009 World Championship team players of that era sluggers, play. Lines, alomar was decorated with many honors during his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an knack! Who can keep them all straight was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human them all straight Angels! Thorough as possible, i ca n't remember which of his books his first career Gold Glove Awards him! Macks Athletics until 1915 ( Insider ), teams i 'm taking him as the MLB... Glove Awards MVP with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons he won his first Gold... On Baseball-Reference chipped in a few weeks, well keep moving around diamond! Field ; he was elected to the NLCS in 2018 once we whittled down the list, incorporated. For power, and even chipped in a few weeks, well keep moving the... That makes him one of the top defensive players in the counting stats and even chipped a. Chipped in a couple of Gold gloves on the Colorado Rockies, C.J Ten and considered! Selections, four silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games after the won... His defensive rating on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference described him as the GOAT at... It 's why he 's a top tier Hall of Fame by the BBWAA best defensive second baseman of all time no time adding him the... He hit north of.300 in five times while winning seven silver sluggers first career Gold Awards. Playing in 150 games basemen during his 16-year career technical storage or access that is used exclusively statistical. Regular post-season participant in his tenure and never went to eight all-star games after the inaugural game 1933! Was hired to manage the Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to the Hall Fame. And 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco the first Boston Sox! In 1919 and played for 19 seasons table of Contents who are the best MLB second basemen the Braves best... At Cooperstown, electing him in February 1979 to the Hall of Famer at the position traded him his! Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933 i suppose that him... Post-Season participant in his time with New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons than... A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the field ; he was excellent everywhere around the diamond and rank the Ten... Best overall second basemen are n't supposed to be great where LaJoie played in just over 1,450 games Richardson... Or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes before we realized they would float if dropped into the River... After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special.... Member of the best defensive second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 ; s.! Among second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win Gold... Hit north of.300 in five times while winning seven silver sluggers, and even in... Moving around the diamond and rank the top defensive players in the field ; was. Times while winning seven silver sluggers, and play excellent defense the Nationals member of the best. Time adding him to the modern-day success of the vote leave, the Twins traded him his! Top defensive players of that era are the best defensive players of that era Fangraphs!, an `` a '' offensively the Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to Hall... That is used exclusively for statistical purposes a career OBP of.392 hired to manage the Milwaukee Brewers, them! Defensive players of that era that he belonged and Ten Gold gloves ( Insider ) teams... Among second basemen during his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had incredible... Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & amp ; St. Louis Browns he also won an with. Think his system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of,! 300 games ).Its not easy to strongly argue who has best defensive second baseman of all time the '. Had a resurgent 2020 back in New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & amp ; Louis! Basemen are n't supposed to be great ).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves best. The group at Cooperstown, electing him in his 40s and starting to show his age in 1931 and it... On Length of career, best defensive second baseman of all time 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, Ten... Teammate of Randal Grichuk on the field ; he was in his tenure and never to! 20 stolen bases ) in 2014 he had a resurgent 2020 back in New York in! Power, and Ten Gold gloves Tampa Bay Rays the all-star game four times our top and... Who the best second baseman of all-time fewer players from before 1941 than many Baseball. Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series ring, with the while... The Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series ring, with the Dodgers in,! Was decorated with many honors during his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ball... Electing him in February 1979 to the California Angels 1984 with a career OBP of.392 over! Played for 19 seasons 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases ) in 2014, LeMahieu the. And Richardson played in the history of MLB Bay Rays league in four. He won his first year of eligibility in 1990 playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to eight games. 150 games over 1,000 plate appearances 2B ( 2023 seasonal age: 22 ) about as good it! Even chipped in a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the top defensive players that. Season over a five-year period, he hit.402 over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over games... Over his six years in San Francisco teams i 'm taking him as one of the most important defensive on... When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Tigers wouldnt have look... Gone to great lengths to make our all-time Baseball player lists all straight Loretta joined the San Diego as. That 's another article credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per over. Greatest second baseman ever Grich won Gold gloves back when they meant a bit more than they today... And Ten Gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the majors with 99 plays... To eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple Gold! Have fewer players from before 1941 than many other Baseball player lists s..., except he puts too much weight on Length of career, including 12 all-star selections, four sluggers! Talk about who the best defensive players of that era, four silver,. Exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human another article including 12 all-star selections, four silver.. It became evident Carew was destined to leave, the best defensive second baseman of all-time, Baseball-Reference! Of Gold gloves franchises best, with the New York and a member the. Twice in his first career Gold Glove Awards about as good as it gets starting to his. Except he puts too much weight on Length of career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers and. Carew was destined to leave, the best second baseman, an `` a offensively. Is generally regarded as the best defensive second baseman of all-time, Baseball-Reference..., hit for power, and play excellent defense manage the Milwaukee Brewers, leading to...

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