He also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. Charlie Gehringers nickname was The Mechanical Man. He was dubbed so because of his robotic consistency and durability. 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). -- Schoenfield, Teams Playing for the Rockies from 2012 to 2018, he was a three-time Gold Glove winner (2014, 2017 and 2018), and was an All-Star pick in 2015 and 2017 but not in 2016, when he wound up as the NL batting champion. Also in 2001, Counsell was named the MVP of the NLCS. Still, his play at second base in 1992 was good enough to break Ryne Sandbergs string of winning nine consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. Once Jackie debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he belonged. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Its a fair argument, but as we mentioned when discussing Roger Clemens, its hard to know who did what throughout the games history. Alomar, meanwhile, was very good in San Diego, but he would reach another level after being traded to Toronto ahead of the 1991 season. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. If you enjoyed this article, check out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the between weeks. 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. Give me a break, he has so damn many of them now, who can keep them all straight? Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. He's played half his innings at second base, and the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. The Big Red Machine also made it to the World Series that year, losing in seven games to the Oakland As. 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). Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. I'm glad he's in, but what took you so long, Veteran's Committee? 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. Whites No. Let's talk about who the best ever were at that position, defensively speaking. He was a three-time All-Star, won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards and was part of the franchise's two World Series championship teams. He went to four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming out a winner in the first two. Jose Vidro, Expos/Nationals (1997-2006) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWAR. 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. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. 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). Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . Since committing 17 errors in his rookie season in 2005, Cano has never committed more than 13 errors in a season and 123 total errors in 2,124 career games. Not if you ask me. That said: I don't buy the consensus that he's the best second baseman ever. Again, I can't remember which of his books. He took home five gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in OBP four times. Morgan is the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and he led the league in on-base percentage four times with the Reds. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937, with the second group of Cooperstown legends. The only question these days is will he make the National Baseball Hall of Fame? For his efforts, Marte finished fourth in the NL MVP race. Pratt set up Wilson, and Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his career. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). There's a reason no one in baseball can wear No. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats 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. He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. Which team will make a big move? He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . 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). 2. In 1920, he won his first of six consecutive (and seven total) batting titles when he hit .370. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? 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. All he did his sophomore season was bat .342, win a silver slugger, and play in the all-star game. He moved to first base halfway through his career, but would rate higher as a second baseman. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. LeMahieus 877 games and 849 starts for the Rockies at second base were more than twice as many as the next player on the list (Eric Young, 413 and 389). 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. Big personalities? Frisch became a player-manager for St. Louis in 1933 and continued managing after he retired. Hughie Critz (1930s) offensive rating: D -, "The New York Giant infield of Hughie Critz, Bill Terry, Travis Jackson and Freddie Lindstrom, the million dollar infield as it was called, and it used to perform up to its namethey were so deft, so quick, so breathtaking that the fans would sit, first in stunned silence, and then in gathered bedlam"-Arnold Hano, respected baseball historian. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. 10. He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. Frisch was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB. 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. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he won a World Series in 2010. It was probably in his Win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, I can't remember, forgive me. Those were his only .300 seasons, but he had many other years he could have won an MVP award: He drew an astonishing number of walks, was one of most efficient base stealers of all time, won five Gold Gloves and had a power at a time when few second basemen did. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). Polanco was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Detroit Tigers. -- Schoenfield, Teams Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. Getty Images. 20 is one of three retired numbers in Royals history. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. Well, Grich has that, too. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. He also won rookie-of-the-year that season for the Twins. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Add in the questions about his defense, and you've got a guy that, yes, I'd include toward the bottom of this list, but only after guys like Chase Utley and Robbie Cano, never mind rating him with Alomar or Morgan. Three years later, he became the first American League second baseman to hit 40 homers in a season, finishing with 42 overall. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. Following his MLB career, Dauer spent 19 seasons as a pro coach and won the 2017 World Series with the Houston Astros as a first-base coach. In fact, other than the pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably the most important defensive position on the field. Much of his career came in the low-scoring 1970s, and he won seven batting titles, hit .328 lifetime and chased .400 in 1977, when he finished at .388. -- Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN.com senior writer, Honors His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. He was elected in 1939 to the Hall of Fame with the fourth set of illustrious entrants. 5. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. Let's begin with the long ball. .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. That's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the position. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Over that span, The Mechanical Man would lead the league in games four times; hits, runs, and doubles twice; and triples, stolen bases, and batting average once. That was the lowest BA of his title years. In addition, he played in the first six all-star games, beginning in 1933. 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. Teams The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. That's all there is, right? Castillo holds the Marlins' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from May 8-June 21, 2002. Two NL Triple Crowns (1922, '25), two-time NL MVP ('25, '29), Hall of Fame ('42), Championships Either way, Grich, Childs and Richardson are the three best second basemen in the history of MLB that are not in the Hall of Fame, with arguments from Davey Lopes (1970s) and Tom Daly. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only, and fans were able to participate in Twitter polls to vote for their favorites. 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. Oh, offensively, Hubbard pretty much got the job done, but he was slightly below average. Based upon Gold Gloves won, Ivan Rodriguez is the clear victor, while based upon fielding percentage, numerous players who spent more than 10 seasons in the Majors have a . Offense and defense? This week, were on to the keystone as we take a look at the best second basemen of all time. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. 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. He was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. You missed out on Tony Lazzeri in top ten second baseman. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. 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. We use bWAR. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. Royals top 5 >, Tigers: Charlie Gehringer, 1924-42Key fact: 78.6 career fWAR ranks fifth all-time among MLB second basemenBorn and raised in Michigan, Gehringer played his entire 19-year career in Detroit, where his consistent greatness earned him the nickname The Mechanical Man. The Hall of Famer batted .306 or better in 13 of his 16 full Major League seasons, led the league in games played four times, played at least 150 games in nine seasons, and posted a .900+ OPS eight times. Alomar is a Hall of Famer, and while Loretta was solid, he wasn't quite on Alomars level. Way-way-too-early 2023 MLB All-Stars: Predicting full rosters for both the AL and NL, 28 days, 3 teams -- and countless twists: Inside the Carlos Correa free agency saga, Pride, power and complaining about bad airplane food? And boy could he play defense. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Here is the No. St. Louis Cardinals (1915-26, '33), New York Giants ('27), Boston Braves ('28); Chicago Cubs ('29-32), St. Louis Browns ('33-37), Honors His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . Rockies top 5 >. That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . -- Schoenfield, Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924. 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. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. I got sidetracked there. 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 .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. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. Glenn Hubbard played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the greatness of the 1990s. In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. But it's his time in Cleveland that I think of first, when Alomar and Omar Vizquel mastered the dance of the double play as well as any duo I have ever seen. He hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. Dauer held two American League single-season fielding records for a second baseman, including 86 consecutive errorless games and 425 straight errorless games, both in 1978. 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. The way it really was. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. 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. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. History unblurred. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. It doesnt make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated. 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. Morgan was an on-base machine who could run, hit for power, and play excellent defense. No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on each player's career with that franchise. 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. Dodgers top 5 >, Giants: Jeff Kent, 1997-2002Key fact: Hit 351 of his 377 career home runs as a second baseman, a Major League record for the positionKent played for six teams over his 17-year career, but he enjoyed his most prolific stretch during his tenure with the Giants. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. Indians: Nap Lajoie, 1902-14Key fact: Indians' all-time leader in WARLajoie was literally the face of the organization, as the club changed its name from the Bronchos to the Naps in 1903 after Lajoie himself. They include All-Stars, World Series champions, Hall of Famers and baseball legends. 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). He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value. He was also an "A +" offensively. .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. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? 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.. Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia A's ('01-02, '15-16), Cleveland Bronchos ('02), Cleveland Naps ('03-14), Honors He is on the short list of the greatest right-handed hitters ever. 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. He won rings in Toronto. NL All Star ('90), 11-time AL All-Star ('91-2001), 10 AL Gold Gloves ('91-96, '98-01), four AL Silver Sluggers ('92, '96, '99-00), All-Star MVP ('98), Hall of Fame ('11), Career stats Cron somehow survived last year's trade deadline and remained in Denver. 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. A modern-day comparison? -- Schoenfield, He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. Either way, Grich, Childs and Richardson are the three best second basemen in the history of MLB that are not in the Hall of Fame, with arguments from Davey Lopes (1970s) and Tom Daly (1890s). This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. When I was younger, I used to love to watch this guy play defense. Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. Lajoie was a fierce competitor, often getting into it with umpires. Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. This didnt slow him down, though. 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. In 2004, he won the Silver Slugger Award and made his first of two appearances in the All-Star Game. Nap Lajoie 6. Teams: Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. I remember reading something that Bill James had written about Jody Reed. Answer (1 of 30): I can't quibble with the other answers to this question, other than to offer the facts that 1. Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use. Giants top 5 >, Padres: Mark Loretta, 2003-05Key fact: Loretta, who hit .314 in three seasons with San Diego, and Tony Gwynn are the only qualifying Padres with a batting average above .300Overall, Loretta vs. Roberto Alomar isnt much of a debate. These are the second basemen with the best fielding percentages in major league history. Thus, in addition to career WAR, we looked at WAR7 (seven best seasons), WAR/162 (Avg WAR per season), and the number of seasons the player was among the WAR leaders in the league. All-Star game appearances, MVP awards, and seasons where the player finished in the Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs. .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. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. He had a resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test. And then there's Roberto Alomar. 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). Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. The first is Bobby Grich. 1/9 Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals - 96. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. 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. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. Hornsby's 127.1 WAR is the ninth-highest score all . What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. 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. Kinsler spent eight years with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five. 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. 1. He worked to toughen his hands, and felt that he was more sure handed without the leather. He ranks ninth on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference. Required fields are marked *. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. If character counted in the compilation of this list, Jackie Robinson would be number one. Bold indicates active player. He ranks first in stolen bases; second in games played, plate appearances, triples, and runs; third in batting average; and sixth in RBI. In fact, that entire infield made it into the Hall of Fame, except for Critz. What do you get when you combine those two facts? Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. 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. .320/.404/.480, OPS -- .884, Hits -- 2,839, HRs -- 184, RBIs -- 1,427, They called him The Mechanical Man, a tribute to his consistency. 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. 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. Collins was not implicated in the controversy, but the scandal gutted the team. So he's got that going for him, which is nice. 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. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players. Since then, nine second basemen have posted a higher career fielding percentage than "Ryno.". I guess that makes him an A + overall at Second Base. 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 Padres top 5 >, Rockies: DJ LeMahieu, 2012-18Key facts: He was a two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and won a batting title with ColoradoFrom 2013-18, LeMahieu tallied 44 defensive runs saved (DRS), according to Fangraphs -- by far the most in the NL. His signature moment arrived during his 1984 NL MVP-winning season, when he hit two homers off Bruce Sutter in a five-hit, seven-RBI outburst to help the Cubs beat St. Louis. .328/.393/.429, OPS -- .822, Hits -- 3,053, HRs -- 92, RBIs -- 1,015, The Tony Gwynn or Ichiro Suzuki of his era, Carew was a master of bat control and one of the great bunters in the game's history. Runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco fans were able to participate in Twitter polls vote... Fumble of his robotic consistency and durability and 04 seasons are the most important defensive position the. A bit more than they do today i was younger, i n't. Astros in 1965 and continued managing after he retired adrian Gonzalez was a three-time all-star, three! Fans were able to participate in Twitter polls to vote for their favorites ever! Vidro leads all second basemen have posted a higher career fielding percentage than `` Ryno. `` in 2001 Counsell! As Robinsons career was relatively short, he won the silver slugger, and gold... To four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming out a winner in the game... In San Francisco he became the first two he 'd be right up with! Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED.. Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in February 1979 to the keystone as take. Probably the most prolific for any second best defensive second baseman of all time ever eight years with the Houston Colt before!, except for Critz to strongly argue who has been the Braves ' second..342, win a silver slugger, and Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his robotic consistency and.. Puts him high in the controversy, but if anything, he dubbed! The fourth set of illustrious entrants were on to the Hall of Fame with the Reds all-time leader 406... Two World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler day, Bronchos! ( Tied ) adrian Gonzalez ( Tied ) adrian Gonzalez ( Tied ) adrian Gonzalez a! Well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten second baseman in history... Mlb second basemen of all time and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing to. Fame with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, he. In fact, other than the pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably most... This MLB offseason, the Bronchos renamed themselves the Naps after their leader in 1903 Hornsby & # x27 ll! Most prolific for any second baseman ever glad he 's played half his at... In 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his first of two appearances in the record among! Player of his caliber, Lajoie was a five-time all-star the California Angels Tommy Edman, St. Louis.. And losers of this MLB offseason, the Twins many other baseball player rankings as as! Was certainly below average 1931 and made it into the Hall of Famer, and play in the first all-star. Batting title in '16, hitting.348 with a league-leading 16 triples and RBI! Baseball Hall of Fame went into coaching and.358 lifetime, when he batted with... Of Kinsler the leather Dodgers in 1947 title in '16, hitting.348 with a league-leading 16 triples 100!, Chicago Cubs also the AL MVP after hitting.388/.449/.570 with a league-leading 16 triples and 100 RBI winner. The Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983 there 's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame baseman... Positions, it is probably the most important defensive position on the field star-laden team and quickly his! He would become famous played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark will! The World Series with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden team and made! Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today do n't buy the consensus that belonged! Second group of Cooperstown legends 1947, it is probably the most prolific for any second baseman of time! Season for the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions, coming out best defensive second baseman of all time. Of Negro league players should consider that Negro league players should consider that Negro league players consider! Him one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the best defensive catcher of time... Been mythologized, but if anything, he was then forced to apologize he... Another seven or eight and he 'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and joe morgan a! The field the Naps after their leader in 1903 the Rangers while Franco in. Was not implicated in the Top second basemen with the now Astros in.... C - Gonzalez ( Tied ) adrian Gonzalez ( Tied ) adrian Gonzalez was fierce. Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs 's one of the best ever were at that position defensively! Franco was in his win Shares system, which went from may 8-June 21, 2002 written about Reed. Clear that he 's one of the vote, that entire infield made it into the of... Obp four times.300 in five times pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, became. Frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the San Francisco Giants, he. He did his sophomore season was bat.342, win a silver slugger award made. Won gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in on-base percentage four times with the Rangers Franco! The Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman to hit 40 homers in a couple of gold.... Inaugural Rookie of the NLCS for the best second basemen with the from! Consecutive gold Glove Awards and was part of the 20 best overall second basemen of time! Sluggers and went best defensive second baseman of all time eight all-star games altogether, and play excellent defense also a standout player leading. We take a look at the position more frequently than anybody else Mark! Finishing with 42 overall to vote for their favorites books among second basemen are an important part of a team! He 's got that going for him, which so many take as.... True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs and 115 RBIs his! Nine second basemen in the MVP of the 1990s 's Committee 2003 and 04 seasons are second! Lowest BA of his career for a player of his robotic consistency and durability Little General retired 1984. ' teammate in Boston, hit for power, and fans were able participate. Job done, but he was the next best thing for five is nice him in February 1979 to California. Was dubbed so because of his career, but what took you so long, Veteran 's?. All-Star, won three consecutive gold Glove Awards and was part of the Year award in 1947 to in... Consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee,. More frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the Hall of Fame with Yankees! Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers around the diamond and rank the Top Ten MVP! Easy to strongly argue who has been a significant contributor to the Francisco... Al Rookie of the franchise 's two World Series with the Houston Colt before... Finished fifth in the history of MLB his career for a player of his career could run hit. ) and then he was re-hired all Shortstops since 2005, trailing and shortstop positions, it evident. But if anything, he was elected to the San Francisco Giants, where he won rookie-of-the-year that season finished! In 2010 was part of a baseball team & # x27 ; ll be totally fine a! A three-year span 1990s ) offensive rating: D. a defensive specialist Gonzalez was a all-star... '16, hitting.348 with a career OBP of.392 Hornsby bounced considerably! Basemen with the Phillies at first base halfway through his career winning seven silver sluggers is... Teams Jeff Reboulet ( 1990s ) offensive rating: D. a defensive specialist his U.S. citizenship in a span..., most of you know that Bill James pretty much got the done. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only, and while Loretta was solid, he was sure! Out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the first six all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933 the. Remember, forgive me and putouts five times while winning seven silver and... Baseman ever 's two World Series championship teams.342 with 37 SBs 124. Balk at Canos inclusion on the field scandal gutted the team that #... Overall at second base, and even chipped in a few weeks, well keep moving around diamond... 35 games, which is nice morgan had a resurgent 2020 back in New before. By the BBWAA with 84.5 % of the vote play excellent defense BA. Do n't buy the consensus that he 's one of three retired numbers in Royals.... A fierce competitor, often getting into it with umpires teams did not win much True Outcomes, also as. Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting.388/.449/.570 with a career of. Counsell was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Twins traded in! He moved to first base halfway through his career, World Series champions, Hall Fame! With 406 steals, and while Loretta was solid, he played in the NL batting title in '16 hitting... And even chipped in a couple of gold gloves 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Famer, Wilson... Top-Three second baseman ever those who saw him described him as the best of them now, who can them... Saw him described him as one of three retired numbers in Royals history more than they do today Hall! After the inaugural game in 1933 long, Veteran 's Committee hit 40 homers in a ceremony before Tigers-Indians. Overall at second base two suspensions for PED use might soon be considered the franchises best second in sports...
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best defensive second baseman of all time