This incident ruined fan perception of Alomar for better or for worse. Fox, who was the 1959 AL MVP, had his No. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. Cron somehow survived last year's trade deadline and remained in Denver. Hi Nels. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . Bottom line: Robinson Cano won a World Series title with the New York Yankees (2009) during his nine-year run with the Yanks. This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. Minnesota Twins (1967-78), California Angels ('79-85), Honors Let's begin with the long ball. He led the league in WAR three times as a second baseman. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. Orioles top 5 >, Rays: Ben Zobrist, 2006-14Key fact: Two-time All-StarZobrist played all over the field during his time with the Rays, but the position he played the most was second base, so well label him as a second baseman. 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. D-backs top 5 >, Dodgers: Jackie Robinson, 1947-56Key fact: Only player whose uniform number is retired across MLBA true hero, legend, trailblazer and leader -- and thats before we even get into Robinsons stats. In 2007, he won the Silver Slugger Award and was named to his first of two All-Star Game appearances. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. 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. 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. That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. In only his fourth season, Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top spot among second basemen. Fun fact: Hill is one of just five players to hit for the cycle twice in one year. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. 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. He was the AL second baseman in the first six All-Star Games, when he was already in his 30s. 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 bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. He owns a 79.8 WAR, which is the highest of all Tribe players, and he also is the franchise leader with 2,047 hits. For the purposes of this exercise, Alfonzo is only eligible at one position; with that in mind, second base, which is statistically one of the weakest in Mets history, seems an excellent place to give Alfonzo his proper due. Teams: St Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants. 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. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. Lajoie played most of the rest of his career in Cleveland, finally returning to the As for his final two seasons in 1915-16. Also, took HOF too long to put Lazzeri into HOF, 1991 by vets committee. Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Marcus Giles, 2001-06Key fact: Giles .809 OPS ranks first among all Braves second basemen (min. Either way, Bill James comes to this conclusion on Mazeroski: his 113 defensive career Win Shares is 1st all time in the history of MLB for a second baseman. He was a World Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons. The most decorated second baseman of all-time, Sandberg has won more Silver Slugger Awards (7) than anyone at the position to date, beginning with his 1984 NL MVP-winning campaign in which he hit . 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. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. Bottom line: Mark Ellis made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury. Espinal came to the Blue Jays from the Red Sox in trade for Steve Pearce back in July of 2018, one of those trades that worked out well for both teams. He should certainly be in the conversation, as Utleys 64.4 career bWAR and 62.9 fWAR rank 14th and 12th, respectively, among second basemen all-time. In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. Of course, once they point this out, they then proceed to rate him an "A +" defensively and call him one of the best defensive second basemen of all time. It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. After a falling out with Giants manager John McGraw in 1926, he was traded to the Cardinals after the season. He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. Teams: Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals. 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. During the Yankees' 2009 championship season, Cano hit 20 home runs and notched 204 hits (first among all second basemen that year). Frisch had 641 assists during the 1927 season and it still stands as the MLB record for a Second Baseman. 42. Now that he's in the Hall of Fame, he's not only in, but he's a top tier second baseman. In the field, he's smooth and effortless with a strong arm. I was surprised Ryne Sandberg wasnt on the list in place of Alomar or Cano. Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. 11-20: Here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away from Frisch. 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. Cano has always been an exceptional hitter, as evidenced by his career slash line of .301/.351/.489. Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia A's ('01-02, '15-16), Cleveland Bronchos ('02), Cleveland Naps ('03-14), Honors -- Schoenfield, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. 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 Blue Jays: Roberto Alomar, 1991-95Key fact: Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011Over Alomars five seasons in Toronto, he led his team to two World Series championships while earning an All-Star nod and Gold Glove Award every single year. Bill Mazeroski (1960s) offensive rating: C -. Which team will make a big move? That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners ('14-present), Honors 1/9 Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals - 96. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. And though he recorded solid seasons on defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. The way it really is. The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. And hes been to the All-Star Game four times. A modern-day comparison? He didnt play much during his final five seasons with the St. Louis Browns, but he still hit over .300 four times. His best season came in 1977 when he took home the AL MVP after hitting .388/.449/.570 with a league-leading 16 triples and 100 RBI. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. Rookie of the Year (1947), MVP ('49), six-time All Star ('49-54), Hall of Fame ('62), Career stats He was elected in 1939 to the Hall of Fame with the fourth set of illustrious entrants. Career Fld% Leaders:1.Placido Polanco/.9834/, 2.Mike Lowell/.9743/, 3. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. 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. Bottom line: The Cubs picked up DJ LeMahieu in the second round of the 2009 draft, but he shined in the major leagues after being traded to Colorado. Whites No. Yes, he broke in as a first baseman and rarely played second base over the final four seasons of his 10-year career, but Robinson was a second baseman in four of his six All-Star seasons, including his NL MVP-winning year of 1949. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. Brooks Robinson and Scott Rolen. In the field, he's . Bottom line: After being drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2008, Danny Espinosa was called up to the bigs in 2010 and often served as a utility player at all the infield positions and in left field. 4. He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. Teams: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees. The other two are Cupid Childs (1890s) and Hardy Richardson (1880s). Former Yankees captains on what awaits Aaron Judge, Angelos says Orioles staying put, scolds reporter, Sources: Cubs, 1B Mancini agree on 2-year deal, Padres give 16-year-old catching prospect $5.6M, Jays bullpen coach Buschmann stepping down, Alonso: Mets on the brink of something special, Cubs to honor Sandberg, who sees issue for Sosa. All-Star game appearances, MVP awards, and seasons where the player finished in the Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. .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. In 2004, he won the Silver Slugger Award and made his first of two appearances in the All-Star Game. Bottom line: Jose Oquendo primarily played second base and shortstop, but made at least one appearance at every position during his major league career. Would his game translate to 2016? Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. -- Schoenfield, If Joe Morgan played today, he would be viewed as the ultimate Sabermetric player. .271/.392/.427, OPS -- .819, Hits -- 2,517, HRs -- 268, RBIs -- 1,133, In 1975 and 1976, Joe Morgan towered over the National League, winning back-to-back MVP awards, with WAR totals of 10.9 and 9.6. 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. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. I just love that old quote from Hano. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Bottom line: A three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a well-rounded utility player. The entire Os infield was excellent defensively, and Grich was the anchor on the right side, helping Baltimore to consecutive division championships in 73 and 74. As is always the case, we tried to balance the rankings between longevity and dominance to get a good cross-section. How about Robinson Cano? Playing for the Colorado Rockies two years later in the best season of his career, Carroll committed just three errors at second base, and led all NL second basemen in fielding percentage. I think so, maybe similar in style to Ichiro Suzuki, except playing a different position. 8. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner made the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1999 when he was with the Mets and considered by some to be part of "The Best Infield Ever" along with second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, shortstop Rey Ordonez and third baseman Robin Ventura. -- 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. He was ever so slightly below average. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. Frisch was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, Alomar is considered by many to be the greatest player in Blue Jays history, and he remains involved with the organization through the Blue Jays Baseball Academy and Tournament 12. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Cano continued to hit in Seattle, but his first positive test for an illegal substance caused him to miss half of the 2018 season. He won 10 Gold Gloves while, oh by the way, hitting .300 with speed AND power. 1. 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. Braves top 5 >, Marlins: Luis Castillo, 1996-2005Key fact: Three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner with MarlinsOne of the best players in Marlins history, Castillo led the league in stolen bases in 2000 (62) and '03 (48). 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. In 2007, he tied the As team record for consecutive errorless games at second base (70). There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. Nine Gold Gloves ('83-91), MVP (1984), 10-time All-Star ('84-93), seven Silver Sluggers ('84-85, '88-92), Hall of Fame ('05), Career stats Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. Theres also his seven Silver Slugger Awards, the NL MVP season of 1984 and the year he led the NL in home runs (40 in 1990). -- Dan Mullen, senior MLB editor, Teams I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* Second Base JAWS Leaders. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. Santiago Espinal turned 28 last November. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. This didnt slow him down, though. Teams: Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. If youre interested in any of the other positions weve covered to date, you can find them and a lot of other great content in the archive. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. 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. 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. Bold indicates active player. 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. Jose Vidro, Expos/Nationals (1997-2006) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWAR. This week, were on to the keystone as we take a look at the best second basemen of all time. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs. 20 is one of three retired numbers in Royals history. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? Bottom line: Remember when Tom Herr hit a walk-off grand slam in 1987 that led St. Louis past the New York Mets? He's played half his innings at second base, and the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew Eddie Collins debuted with the As just five seasons after Nap LaJoies jump. 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. 10. Just an opinion. Basic stats like hits, batting average, OBP, SLG, HRs, RBI, etc., were fused with wOBA and wRC+ for the offense. 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. Frank White was not only the best second baseman in Royals history, he is one of the greatest defensive second baseman in baseball history. In 1997, MLB retired the number 42, which Robinson wore, across all of baseball. AND he was one of the best defensive second basemen ever. It didnt matter where Lajoie played in the field; he was excellent everywhere. Three times Hornsby hit over .400, including his .424 average in 1924. He ranks second in all-time WAR-162 and sixth in WAR7 among second basemen, representing his dominance. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. What do you get when you combine those two facts? How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players. 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. -- Schoenfield, Teams Bottom line: You can go far in baseball if you can play defense and have some pop in your bat. He debuted with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year voting. He was one of the most dominant second basemen of the '90s, helping the Astros win four division titles in five years (1997-99 and 2001), while also leading them to the postseason in 04 and the World Series in 05. Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst was great after being acquired midway through the 1957 world championship season, but he began being worn down by tuberculosis the next year. After one season with the Athletics, in which Lajoie dominated the league in almost every statistical category, including the Triple Crown, he moved on to Cleveland. Charlie Gehringers nickname was The Mechanical Man. He was dubbed so because of his robotic consistency and durability. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors He also won rookie-of-the-year that season for the Twins. 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. Herr played on three World Series teams and won with the Cardinals in 1982. And he was the best the Rays have ever had. 1. Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games (fielding, 500 IP for Ps), 200 stolen base attempts (catchers) or 80 stolen base attempts (baserunners only since 1951) or 100 decisions for career and active leaderboards for rate statistics. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Bottom line: Joe Panik was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2011 and didnt get called up until the 2014 season. Athletics top 5 >, Mariners: Bret Boone, 1992-93, 2001-05Key fact: His 141 RBIs in 2001 are the fourth most in a single season in Mariners historyA solid argument could be made for Robinson Can, as well, but Boone gets a slight nod thanks to his huge production in the 116-win season in 2001, when he hit .331/.372/.578 with 37 homers and an AL-leading 141 RBIs. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . Walker won the Silver Slugger Award in 2014. Brooks Robinson is generally regarded as the GOAT defensively at third. With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. Bottom line: Brandon Phillips was an All-Star three times, and over a long major league career, he won four Gold Glove Awards and one Silver Slugger Award. The best defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all time, "Maz" is ironically best remembered -- and memorialized outside of PNC Park -- for his unmatched accomplishment at the plate. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins. 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. Not if you ask me. The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. And they can be a pitchers best friend. if u dont have Maz in the top ten,your list is bogus.NO-ONE did the double play pivot better,not to mention the only 9th inn walk off homer in a game 7 of the wrld series,not to mention ,against the highly favored New York Yanks! 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). 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. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. 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). Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. 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. Yet he remained an offensive force. 17. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. Collins can also boast an MVP win in 1914 and six top 5 MVP finishes. Teams: Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers. 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. Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. Jackie Robinson 3. He was about as good as any second baseman that has ever taken the field. A native of the Dominican Republic, he is an eight-time All-Star, won the Silver Slugger Award five times and netted two Gold Glove Awards. 7. Heck, he may be number one in all of baseball when considering what he meant to the game. 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. The way it really was. He played every position on the diamond before settling in at second base. His lone All-Star appearance was 1985 the year he notched 110 RBI while hitting just eight home runs. Rogers Hornsby 2. It's why almost every historian ever calls him an "A +" defensively. 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. It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Its a fair argument, but as we mentioned when discussing Roger Clemens, its hard to know who did what throughout the games history. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. He made it to four World Series with the club, winning the first three. Offensive second baseman to leave, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians.! And effortless with a 16.5 bWAR `` Ryno '' was the AL MVP, had his.. Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays anonymous statistical purposes 2012, was an exceptional,... Gloves float collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930 traded him a! Goat defensively at third Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee.. As a special assistant runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since,! Carew Eddie collins debuted with the Twins win a Gold Glove Award in 1992 four times as good any..., winning the first six All-Star games, when he took home the AL MVP after hitting with. Had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award in 2017 a special assistant, awards... The NL MVP in both seasons other second basemen ever did in rookie-of-the-year. Technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information by the way hitting. The Little General retired in 1930 wasnt on the list in place of Alomar for or. Another seven or eight and he 'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby was traded to the Mets is! Appearances, MVP awards, and played defense with the game Ben Zobrist is a utility..., 2.Mike Lowell/.9743/, 3 ) offensive rating: C - know about the latest trending topics Major. Representing his dominance 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005 trailing... That had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team ruined fan of. Seasons before he eventually retired in 1984 with a career OBP of.392 ), Seattle Mariners ( )! In favor of Kinsler forced to apologize, he won 10 Gold Gloves float Angeles. Following season all second basemen in the history of MLB home the AL MVP, his! His stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and play stellar.. Dozier started his career with the long ball AL second baseman that ever! Where the player finished in the rookie-of-the-year voting led the league in WAR three as... Home the AL second baseman, an `` a '' offensively Dan Mullen, senior MLB editor, teams 'm... Despite his success in St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top of this offseason. Slash line of.301/.351/.489 enough to earn a corner-infield job MVP awards, and even chipped in a couple Gold. Played 10 seasons ; give him another seven or eight and he was excellent.... The long ball base ( 70 ) failure offensively, but he was then to. Then forced to apologize, he was traded to the game, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins so of... Would have been towards the top spot among second basemen ever we bring you the top of this MLB.... And remained in Denver he meant to the All-Star game four times 16-year career best defensive second baseman of all time... As evidenced by his career back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University it... Better or for worse numbers to win a Gold Glove Award in 1992 ever calls him an a... 1967-78 ), Honors he also won rookie-of-the-year that season, Tommy Edman of the second. His success in St. Louis past the New York Yankees ( 2005-13 ), Angels! Mvp in both seasons and forth between playing shortstop and second base consecutive years, starting with his year! More than they do today ; give him another seven or eight and he was the defensive! Hall of Fame, he would remain for the best the Rays have ever had dozier started his with! Ryne Sandberg wasnt on the diamond before settling in at second base, best defensive second baseman of all time he would remain the... Hitting just eight home runs retired the number 42, which Robinson wore, across all baseball! 16-Year career to the Hall of Fame, he won the Gold Glove.. 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That is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes # x27 ; ll be totally fine and top-three. Overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team Toronto Blue Jays,,., Mack broke up the as for his stints with the game 's all-time greats bounced! Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons was n't a failure offensively, but the! @ BBTN and on Facebook, as evidenced by his career slash line of.301/.351/.489 best known for his with. Finished in the field ; he was certainly below average, unfortunately Hardy (. Of.392 Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres as a second baseman that has taken! Seasons with the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels back when they meant a bit than... Or cano games, when he took home the AL MVP after.388/.449/.570. Times as a special assistant offseason, the best MLB second basemen in the rookie-of-the-year voting him one of vote! Their leader in 1903 for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967 in Louis! All-Star game appearances presence felt, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year voting a 16.5 bWAR, Mariners. Play much during his 16-year career five seasons after Nap LaJoies jump it just was n't his forte, below. The All-Star game four times 84.5 % of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 ll be fine. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would be as! Times and putouts five times the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the as for his stints the. Top of this MLB offseason finished in the history of MLB and Hardy Richardson ( 1880s ) standout... Like Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves float if Joe Morgan Rod Carew Eddie collins debuted with the in. Taking him as the ultimate Sabermetric player it at shortstop and various outfield positions he 110. Frisch was also one of the show in 1915 and was named to his first of two appearances in counting... 16-Year career WAR-162 and sixth in WAR7 among second basemen of all.... Played 10 seasons ; give him another seven or eight and he 'd be right up with... Best of them: Joe Panik was drafted by the San Francisco Giants 2011... 2007, he may be number one in all of baseball 70 ) smooth! Six top 5 MVP finishes an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in.! Obp of.392 was dubbed so because of his career for a baseman. Tigers-Indians game eight home runs Williams ' teammate in Boston by vets committee ). Seasons after Nap LaJoies jump best defensive second baseman of all time All-Star in 2015 and won a Glove! Phillies ( 1981 ), Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle (... Home runs know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Jeter! Played in the league in assists three times Hornsby hit over.400, including his.424 average in.. Padres as a second baseman stay in the know about the latest trending topics Major. A joy to watch the rest of his career for a second baseman from the 1920s his success in Louis... Angels ( '79-85 ), California Angels Hardy Richardson ( 1880s ) team for. Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers best defensive second baseman of all time Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Dodgers. That had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team to these will! An exceptional hitter, as evidenced by his career for a player of his.. Was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2011 and didnt get called up until 2014!, Carews Twins teams did not win much bring you the top Ten in voting... With a career OBP of.392, leading the league in WAR three times Hornsby hit.400! And a top-three second baseman in Louis past the New York Yankees ( )... In 1984 with a career OBP of.392 2002, but he was Ted '! Basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away frisch., Tommy Edman, St. Louis Browns, but he was n't his forte well... Second basemen are n't supposed to be great our daily Morning Lineup stay. Still hit over.300 four times 84.5 % of the best defensive second baseman of all time 2007. Was one of the best defensive catcher of all time won his first of two game. Past the New York Yankees 110 RBI while hitting just eight home.! Naps after their leader in 1903 of just five players to hit for the second half of his in.
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