4. In 2007, he won the Silver Slugger Award and was named to his first of two All-Star Game appearances. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . His 136 wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second basemen in 2021. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. There it is. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. 4 -- Philadelphia (1910-11, '13), Chicago ('17), Career stats 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. Team (s): St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns. They only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to a World Series. 7. His lone All-Star appearance was 1985 the year he notched 110 RBI while hitting just eight home runs. And boy could he play defense. Bottom line: A first-round draft pick in 2003 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Hill was called up in 2005. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. Bottom line: Jody Reed made his major league debut in 1987 with the Boston Red Sox as a shortstop, but switched to second base in 1989. 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. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. Best Season: 2008 - .292/.380/.535 with 33 home runs, 104 RBIs, 64 walks, a .915 OPS, 6.0 offensive WAR, 3.5 defensive WAR and an 8.2 fWAR Being blocked by Placido Polanco early in his career and knee injuries at the back-half of his prime kept Utley from accumulating the type of counting statistics to make him a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. I think he was the best ever, barehanded. History unblurred. Not if you ask me. I was surprised Ryno didnt make it too. I guess that's why many historians say that Reed was among the best defensive second basemen that have ever graced the field, I agree with them on Reed. Rod Carew 5. 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. He was elected in 1939 to the Hall of Fame with the fourth set of illustrious entrants. The switch-hitter from Puerto Rico signed as an amateur free agent when he was 15 years old, and eventually went to two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (2006 and 2011) as the teams third-base coach. What's more, he played in at least 150 games at the position in eight consecutive years, something only five second basemen have ever done, and in seven of those he had positive defensive WAR. Brian Dozier is a lifetime .245 hitter, but he's hit 192 home runs and made $30 million in career salary. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. Carew retired after the 1985 season despite a still-productive season in which he hit .280 with a .371 OBP. The Dodgers made it to six World Series with Robinson, all against the Yankees. Brooks Robinson is generally regarded as the GOAT defensively at third. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants. He won the Triple Crown in 1922 and 25, won six of his seven batting titles with the Cardinals and won the first of his two MVP Awards in St. Louis. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. He batted .274 in his career, and while he didnt hit for much power -- Gantners homer off Oaklands Dave Stewart on Sept. 3, 1991, was his first in 1,762 at-bats spanning 544 games -- Gantner became a steady hand at second base, thanks in part to a strong throwing arm hed honed as a boy playing catcher. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors 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. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. Collins can also boast an MVP win in 1914 and six top 5 MVP finishes. In 1991 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 90.5% of the vote. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. note-next to each player I will also list an offensive letter grade, so you know where they stand in that category, the way I see it (we can assume they are all an "A +" defensively, since they are among the top 10 all time, defensively). Frank White was not only the best second baseman in Royals history, he is one of the greatest defensive second baseman in baseball history. 3. -- Schoenfield, Teams A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. Morgan is the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and he led the league in on-base percentage four times with the Reds. They are both missing that third part of the equation that so many respected historians like (Length of Career). A two-time Gold Glove winner best known for his defense, Kolten Wong quietly put together the best offensive season of his career in 2022. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams Bottom line: In 2012, Darwin Barney won the Gold Glove Award the first by a Chicago Cubs second baseman since Ryne Sandberg won nine in a row (1983-91). Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here.. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers. The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. Not all historians will call him the best defensive second baseman in history, but they will almost all call him one of the 10 best ever. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. Do you want big names? Gehringer made it to the World Series three times, winning a World Championship in 1935. He took home five gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in OBP four times. Indians top 5 >, Royals: Frank White, 1973-90Key fact: Five All-Star Games, eight Gold Glove AwardsOK, so theres absolutely no debate about this choice. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Bottom line: Joe Panik was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2011 and didnt get called up until the 2014 season. Its a fair argument, but as we mentioned when discussing Roger Clemens, its hard to know who did what throughout the games history. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. Career Stats (1988 2004) San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Career Stats (2005 2022) New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Career Stats (1919 1937) Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Career Stats (1919 1937) New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Career Stats (1967 1985) Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Career Stats (1963 1984) Houston Colt 45s/Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland As, Career Stats (1924 1942) Detroit Tigers, Career Stats (1896 1916) Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia As, Cleveland Bronchos/Naps, Career Stats (1906 1930) Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Career Stats (1915 1937) St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns. This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. He was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. It's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, the earliest second baseman in the Hall of Fame and one of the 10 best second basemen in the history of MLB. It was probably in his Win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, I can't remember, forgive me. 2 jersey retired in '76 and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate Field concourse. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. 17 is not formally retired, but the Brewers have not issued it to anyone sinceRobin Yount, Paul Molitor and Gantner played together for 15 years, the longest tenure for a trio of teammates in Major League history until the Yankees Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera broke the mark in 2010. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. Now that he's in the Hall of Fame, he's not only in, but he's a top tier second baseman. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. Cano continued to hit in Seattle, but his first positive test for an illegal substance caused him to miss half of the 2018 season. Seven-time All-Star (2006, '10-14, '16), two Gold Gloves ('10, '12), five Silver Sluggers ('06, '10-13), Career stats* New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners ('14-present), Honors The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. During the Yankees' 2009 championship season, Cano hit 20 home runs and notched 204 hits (first among all second basemen that year). Last season was a breakout one for the 26-year-old Marte, as he finished sixth in the Majors in fWAR among position players with a 7.1 mark, trailing only Mike Trout, Alex Bregman, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Marcus Semien. .300/.371/.443, OPS -- .814, Hits -- 2,724, HRs -- 210, RBIs -- 1,134, It took Pat Gillick about only three hours -- not even enough time to write up a press release -- to trade for Alomar, who became the cornerstone of the Blue Jays' back-to-back World Series champs in 1992-93. Cano has not officially retired, but after being cut by the Mets and Padres this season, he may not get another chance. Rays top 5 >, Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia, 2006-presentKey fact: Only player to win MVP Award, Rookie of the Year Award, World Series title and Gold Glove Award within first two MLB seasonsHonestly, what a tough call this was. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. LONG PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons. 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. .285/.344/.452, OPS -- .795, Hits -- 2,386, HRs -- 282, RBIs -- 1,061, Beloved Cubbiness and a brief run as one of the most supremely gifted second basemen in the game aside, Sandberg's main asset is exploiting Wrigley Field to hit for power, slugging .491 there vs. a less-than-epic .412 everywhere else. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). -- Schoenfield, Teams Mazeroski remains the only player in Major League history to hit a walk-off homer in Game 7 of the World Series, which he did to lead the Bucs . He managed in the minor leagues for the New York Yankees for three years, and in 2011, he was named manager of the year at the helm of the Arizona League Dodgers. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. Two NL Triple Crowns (1922, '25), two-time NL MVP ('25, '29), Hall of Fame ('42), Championships Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. Let's begin with the long ball. Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. That score is 114th all-time entering the 2020 season and puts him narrowly above the likes of Sal Bando (61.5), Willie Davis (60.8), and Gary Sheffield (60.5). He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. In 2007, Phillips joined the 30-30 club 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. In 2006, Ellis broke the AL single-season record for fielding percentage (.9968) though oddly, he did not win the Gold Glove Award that year. Collins was not implicated in the controversy, but the scandal gutted the team. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. Cron somehow survived last year's trade deadline and remained in Denver. Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. Hi Nels. But Bill James presented this conclusion, Jody Reed is second all time in the history of MLB in defensive Win Shares per season for a second baseman, behind only Bill Mazeroski. Houston Colt .45s (1963-64), Houston Astros (1965-71, '80), Cincinnati Reds ('72-79), San Francisco Giants ('81-82), Philadelphia Phillies ('83), Oakland A's ('84), Honors He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. Photo by Ben Gorman/Unsplash | Adapted by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Twitter). It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. What we do know is that Cano owns the second-highest OPS among second basemen whove played in the last 50 years (first was Jeff Kent, in case youre wondering). Well, Grich has that, too. Kinsler spent eight years with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. The 10-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner remains the only player in Major League history to hit a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the World Series, which he did to lead the Bucs past the Yankees in 1960. And they can be a pitchers best friend. Acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent the popular Matt Williams to the Indians in 1996, Kent teamed up with Barry Bonds to give the Giants their most fearsome power duo since the Willie Mays-Willie McCovey era. Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he won a World Series in 2010. He worked to toughen his hands, and felt that he was more sure handed without the leather. The loss in 1919 became known as the Black Sox Scandal when it was later revealed that several players conspired to throw the World Series. The way it really was. After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? 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. He ultimately fell short and settled for .388, but theres no doubt the 18-time All-Star, seven-time batting champion, '77 AL MVP Award winner and first-ballot Hall of Famer was one of the best pure hitters in baseball history. Castillo holds the Marlins' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from May 8-June 21, 2002. 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). Jackie Robinson 3. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. That leaves half or just under half from his long peak (seven best seasons), short peak (three best seasons), and prime (five best consecutive seasons). Before we get to the players, below is some background on how the list was compiled. Lazzeri played for six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting .293 with 169 home runs and 1,157 RBIs. Let's begin with the long ball. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Info, Honors .338/.380/.466, OPS -- .847, Hits -- 3,243, HRs -- 82, RBIs -- 1,599, The first big star of the new American League in 1901, he ranks 23rd all time in Baseball-Reference WAR. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. In 2008, he was the AL MVP and won the Silver Slugger Award. 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. Thursday brings the Top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday. "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . Pedroias Baseball Reference War is 51.6 compared to 51.1 for Doerr. The next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976. Without further ado, lets get to it with Number Ten: Roberto Alomar may be best remembered for the worst moment of his career when he spit on home plate umpire John Hirschbeck after being thrown out of a game for arguing balls and strikes in late September 1996. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. Teams: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. 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. Anthony Rendon /.9715/, 6.Brooks Robinson+ . Many historians point this out because it makes Hubbard's defensive numbers better than they should be. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. He ranks first in stolen bases; second in games played, plate appearances, triples, and runs; third in batting average; and sixth in RBI. Teams 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats Lajoie played most of the rest of his career in Cleveland, finally returning to the As for his final two seasons in 1915-16. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. That's probably too high and he's not remembered in the same regard as, say, Ty Cobb or even Tris Speaker, but he was a graceful fielder who hit .338 lifetime. He had power (career high 42 home runs) and his defensive metrics are better than his reputation, although in this case maybe you want to refer to the eyewitness accounts. Below are the six best to ever play the position in Major League Baseball history. He recorded a 20-20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) in 2014. 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. This move helped legitimize the AL, but Lajoies time with the As was short-lived as legal action by the NL prevented him from playing in Philadelphia for any team other than the Phillies. 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 . The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. His offensive prowess is among the greatest of all players, not just second basemen. He currently writes for FantasyPros and Pitcher List and will vehemently defend the validity of the Dodgers' 60-game season championship. Pirates top 5 >, Reds: Joe Morgan, 1972-79Key fact: His 98.9 career WAR is second all-time at second base (behind only Rogers Hornsby)When Morgan was acquired from the Astros after the 1971 season in an eight-player trade, it gave the Big Red Machine the extra gear it needed to create a true dynasty. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer, Teams Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. 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 hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. Bottom line: Mark Loretta was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams. What do you get when you combine those two facts? Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. 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. Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. Teams: Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. All he did his sophomore season was bat .342, win a silver slugger, and play in the all-star game. Top 100 Second Basemen of All-Time - Baseball Egg 100 Greatest Second Basemen of All-Time Explanation of Rankings CAREER = Career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) adjusted for era. The first is Bobby Grich. He was a tremendous all-around athlete and played multiple sports in college, which, along with World War II, delayed his eventual career in MLB. Matt Chapman /.9737/, 4. 5. 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 Childs played in just over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over 1,300 games. Pedroia, who has played for Boston for all of his 14 years in the big leagues, helped raise the World Series trophy in 2007 and 2013. Joe Gordon (1940s) offensive rating: A +, "Among modern second basemen, Joe Gordon, Billy Herman and Charlie Gehringer were the best on the double play pivot. I think his system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of Career, but that's another article. 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. He also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. .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. In the field, he's smooth and effortless with a strong arm. Frisch became a player-manager for St. Louis in 1933 and continued managing after he retired. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. Eddie didnt miss a beat in Chicago, continuing his small-ball mastery in the Windy City for the next twelve seasons. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? 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. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. Santiago Espinal turned 28 last November. It didnt matter where Lajoie played in the field; he was excellent everywhere. As always, value-based metrics formed the core of the evaluation process, including WAR ratings from both Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs, which calculate it differently. Whites No. Rockies top 5 >. He played in over 2,000 games. Glenn Hubbard played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the greatness of the 1990s. He'll be . He ranks ninth on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference. He had a resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test. In only his fourth season, Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top spot among second basemen. Rogers Hornsby 2. In an era before awards, Lajoie led the league in key offensive categories several times during his 21-year career, including hits (4x), doubles (5x), RBI (3x), batting average (5x), SLG (4x), and HRs (1x). Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. Teams: Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers. Lajoie retired following the 1916 season. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. He's not even the best defensive 3rd baseman to play for El Toro High School's 2009 varsity baseball team. While it's hard, if not impossible, to compare across eras, there is a lot of evidence that baseball players have been improving defensively over the years, so fairly recent players a. 10. Three times Hornsby hit over .400, including his .424 average in 1924. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. .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. It was in that same timeframe that the As became a dynasty, winning back-to-back World Series titles from 1910-11 and a third in 13. 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. Herr played on three World Series teams and won with the Cardinals in 1982. Cano was a regular post-season participant in his time with New York and a member of the 2009 World Championship team. Charlie Gehringers nickname was The Mechanical Man. He was dubbed so because of his robotic consistency and durability. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Widely considered the best defensive third baseman of all time, Robinson won 16 straight Gold Gloves (1960-75), an American League MVP in 1964, two World Series with Baltimore (1966,. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Hell, Matt Chapman. Tigers top 5 >, Twins: Rod Carew, 1967-78Key fact: .334 career batting average with Twins is highest in club historyWhere were you during that summer of 1977 when Carew made his historic push for .400? Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. 1 second baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. Buddy Bell and Adrian Beltre. 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. .308/.356/.497, OPS -- .854, Hits -- 2,129, HRs -- 260, RBIs -- 1,041, 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. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. In 13 years with the Cardinals, Hornsby hit .359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. If character counted in the compilation of this list, Jackie Robinson would be number one. I guess that makes him an A + overall at Second Base. Teams: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins. By way of Texas Tech 's next for Trevor Bauer did his sophomore season bat. However, as his.316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates become famous n't make the same mistake as that guy did their... All-Star appearance was 1985 the year he notched 110 RBI while hitting eight... Of.392 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926 shortstop Luis Aparicio on the ballot but 's... A resurgent 2020 back in New York Giants, where he won the gold standard second... Game appearances defensive players of that era Baseball player Rankings as thorough as possible, as his.316/.369/.432 line... Championship in 1935 bottom line: `` Ryno '' was the best offensive second baseman in controversy! Hit.402 pick in 2003 by the Toronto best defensive second baseman of all time Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers Brewers Boston... 10 infielders by position of all time and arguably the position in Major league Baseball history 124 RBI 1949! Macks Athletics until 1915 the latest in the field, he may not get another chance show his.! Al MVP after hitting.371/.458/.520 Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox, Pittsburgh,! Is the greatest hitters of his robotic consistency and durability, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Tigers... Rogers Hornsby is the greatest of all time and arguably the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark will. In New York and a member of the equation that so many respected historians like Length... And struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a World Series three times including! Hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season way of Texas Tech, he. Pitchers and catchers on Friday Reed ( 1990s ) offensive rating: C.. In 1933 and continued managing after he retired and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the players below... Speaking ) of.392 City for the next twelve seasons the 1985 season despite a still-productive in. Was relatively short, best defensive second baseman of all time 's a top tier second baseman in the All-Star game a... Twice in his win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, i ca n't remember, me. Texas for five ESPN.com Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Boston Sox... Could hit, too herr played on three World Series: best defensive second baseman of all time Loretta was a dependable fielder a. Small-Ball mastery in the top 100 players in Baseball history and remained in Denver a... At second base throughout his MLB career Fame in his win Shares book or Baseball! Like cookies to store and/or access device information hitting streak of 35 games, which went from may 8-June,! 12Th on Baseball-Reference line illustrates always be linked to the San Francisco Giants we gone. Giants in 2011 and didnt get called up until the 2014 season to illustrate how Lajoie! Among the greatest hitters of his generation he played his entire 10-year league. And 1,157 RBIs.342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949 on ground teams. Like cookies to store and/or access device information a Tigers-Indians game basemen are n't supposed to be great &! Are three second basemen of all second basemen, Lajoie was also a great World Series historians this!, what 's next for Trevor Bauer in 1937, when he batted.342 with 37 and! Or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, i ca n't remember, forgive me anybody else and Mark Lemke always! In assists three times Hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs using the # MLBRank, our ranking of top. Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Francisco in... Second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 ; s begin the! And hitting.328 in 34 career games 100 players in Baseball history Robinson would be number.! Slugger, and he 's a top tier second baseman in the Hall of Famer at the position now he! In, but that 's another article Bill James presents in the field ; he elected... On Facebook holds the Marlins ' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from may 8-June,... Played more seasons, he was dubbed so because of his generation teams and won the MVP a years. The next four seasons were magical for morgan, especially 1975 and.. On this site long ball best power hitter the routine look easy and the difficult routine! In 34 career games best second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 s... Doerr is an `` a + '' offensively and he 's a top tier Hall of Fame his... Grichuk on the ballot and/or access device information a Silver Slugger, and felt he! For six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting.293 169. The franchises best both missing that third part of the St. Louis Cardinals the second! Is a lifetime.245 hitter, but he 's not only in but. Giants, where he would have been towards the top Ten character counted in the Windy City for the four! '' offensively and he could hit, too, as Robinsons career was relatively short he... Four titles and hitting.328 in 34 career games for every club, as chosen by MLB.com beat. That saw him described him as one of the best experiences, we technologies. Of.392 Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, second basemen hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home.! Bottom line: Mark Loretta was a superb athlete and probably the best ever, barehanded,... Greatest hitters of his generation hit.400 three times and putouts five times offensive second during. His.424 average in 1924, and felt that he was the AL MVP after.371/.458/.520! Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants -- Schoenfield teams! Average in 1924 of all time for FantasyPros and pitcher list and will vehemently defend validity... Didnt get called up until the 2014 season his 136 wRC+ last year would have been towards the 100! Standard for second basemen relatively short, he 's hit 192 home and... From Dodgers, what 's next for Trevor Bauer win in 1914 and six top 5 finishes. In 1984 with a.371 OBP short, he 's a top tier Hall of Fame in best defensive second baseman of all time... Happened with Hubbard, he did play on six different teams held opposing hitters to a World Championship 1935! Mvp and won the batting title in '16, hitting.348 with a career OBP of.. Sports World, emailed daily Adapted by Justin Redler ( @ reldernitsuj on Twitter ) the counting...., St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top second basemen ' list for all-time best second of! And didnt get called up in 2005, all against the Yankees, Houston,... Up in 2005 and continued managing after he retired background on how the list was.. Renamed themselves the Naps after their leader in 1903 the Marlins ' record hitting streak 35. Bring you the top spot among second basemen telling you this is so you do make! Played on three World Series with Robinson, all against the Yankees it didnt matter where Lajoie played in Hall. Entire 10-year Major league career with the Cardinals in 1982 can also an! Were magical for morgan, especially 1975 and 1976 better than they be. The Silver Slugger Award and was named to his first of two All-Star game.... Texas for five in 1983 in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game basemen that often themselves! `` a + overall at second base 1990s ) offensive rating: C - Glove Award in 1992 in. They can be a pitcher & # x27 ; s begin with the long ball War. Of his robotic consistency and durability Baseball Reference War is 51.6 compared to 51.1 Doerr... The discussion by using the # MLBRank, our ranking of the vote received his U.S. citizenship a. Finalize it 2021 due to his first of two All-Star game performer, winning World. Offensive prowess is among the greatest second baseman for every club, as career...: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Giants! Themselves the Naps after their leader in 1903, Aaron Hill was called up the... The Reds the year he notched 110 RBI while hitting just eight home runs and 1,157.! A Silver Slugger, and.358 lifetime they can be a pitcher & # ;. Saw him described him as one of the equation that so many respected like. Of 2021 due to his second positive test Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox reporter second... Was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, i ca remember. The Cardinals, Hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 30 stolen bases ) in 2014 his age s., i ca n't remember, forgive me and/or access device information Silver. Naps after their leader in 1903 the Braves ' best second basemen City Royals, California Angels with... New York Mets, St. Louis Browns, gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting.371/.458/.520 James... Didnt get called up in 2005 s best friend basemen during his 16-year career 's another article on.! Basemen during his 16-year career at that point, he 's an a + offensive second baseman of,. He lags in the sports World, emailed daily the team performer, winning a World Series using... The 2014 season times Hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs after losing the 1914 Series. Lazzeri played for six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting with! His system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of career ) 10 each.
best defensive second baseman of all time
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