He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. 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. Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. 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. Yankees top 5 >. Team (s): St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns. 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. 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. I just love that old quote from Hano. 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 Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. Brian Dozier is a lifetime .245 hitter, but he's hit 192 home runs and made $30 million in career salary. Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in American League history. 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. 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. Reds top 5 >, D-backs: Ketel Marte, 2017-presentKey fact: Selected as the 2019 NL All-Star starter at second baseIn a close race with Jay Bell, Marte gets the nod here. He was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. They only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to a World Series. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Though he never won a Gold Glove Award, Reed was a consistent fielder his entire career. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. In fact, that entire infield made it into the Hall of Fame, except for Critz. 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. After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. 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. Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? It was probably in his Win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, I can't remember, forgive me. Bottom line: Dustin Pedroia is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards. Still, compare their three-year tenures specifically in San Diego, and its Loretta who comes out on top. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. Alomar, meanwhile, was very good in San Diego, but he would reach another level after being traded to Toronto ahead of the 1991 season. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. 1. Two NL Triple Crowns (1922, '25), two-time NL MVP ('25, '29), Hall of Fame ('42), Championships That's all there is, right? 17. Bobby Doerr (1940s) offensive rating: A +. He went to four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming out a winner in the first two. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. 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. He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. Well, Grich has that, too. Again, I can't remember which of his books. I got sidetracked there. (Insider), Teams You missed out on Tony Lazzeri in top ten second baseman. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size (5-7) or shorter. The Big Red Machine also made it to the World Series that year, losing in seven games to the Oakland As. As the Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons with four different teams. 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 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. 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. Astros top 5 >, Athletics: Eddie Collins, 1906-14, '27-30Key fact: His 55.9 fWAR is third highest in franchise history among position players (first among second basemen)A member of the famed $100,000 Infield" assembled by owner Connie Mack in the early 1900s, Collins was an elite hitter who went six straight seasons (1909-14) without batting lower than .324. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. A player with no weakness in his game. He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. Frisch became a player-manager for St. Louis in 1933 and continued managing after he retired. Critz didn't make it into the Hall of Fame because of his offense. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats 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. 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 The Sox made it to two World Series during that time in 1917 and 1919 winning the first one. 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. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). Alomar is a Hall of Famer, and while Loretta was solid, he wasn't quite on Alomars level. Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. 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. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. 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 . They include All-Stars, World Series champions, Hall of Famers and baseball legends. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. Brewers top 5 >, Cardinals: Rogers Hornsby, 1915-26, '33Key fact: .359 average ranks first all-time in Cardinals historyHornsby was a feisty player on and off the field who fine-tuned his life for one thing: Hitting. 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. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. 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. Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* 10-time NL All Star (1966, '70, '72-79), All-Star MVP ('72), five NL Gold Gloves ('73-77), two-time NL MVP ('75-76), one NL Silver Slugger ('82), Hall of Fame ('90), Career stats* He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the league in walks. Give me a break, he has so damn many of them now, who can keep them all straight? He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. Bottom line: A first-round draft pick in 2003 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Hill was called up in 2005. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Childs played in just over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over 1,300 games. The way it really was. Sandberg went on to manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. He ranks second in all-time WAR-162 and sixth in WAR7 among second basemen, representing his dominance. He was close we have him at #12. His uniform and cleats were sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame after he became the first player to accomplish a unique feat in two different games: hit three home runs, knock in seven RBI and steal two bases. 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). Kinsler spent eight years with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five. 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. 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. 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. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. He won the College World Series twice at USC. 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. Since then, nine second basemen have posted a higher career fielding percentage than "Ryno.". He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. In summary, Max Muncy rakes, and he turns it up a notch higher come playoff time. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. The BBWAA wasted no time adding him to the group at Cooperstown, electing him in his first year of eligibility in 1990. 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. Polanco wore his Tigers jersey. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? Marlins top 5 >, Mets: Edgardo Alfonzo, 1995-2001Key fact: His .318 average with runners in scoring position is highest in Mets historyAlfonzo might be the trickiest Met to rank because he appeared in 524 career games for the team at second base and 515 at third, spending three full seasons as the starter at each position. Teams: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets. A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. In addition, he played in the first six all-star games, beginning in 1933. With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. He was only 19, though, and didnt stick with the team until 1908. Many historians point this out because it makes Hubbard's defensive numbers better than they should be. Gantner was famously feisty, often tangling with opponents on the field and sometimes in the bar. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. This week, were on to the keystone as we take a look at the best second basemen of all time. The other two are Cupid Childs (1890s) and Hardy Richardson (1880s). 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 . Bill Mazeroski (1960s) offensive rating: C -. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. Bottom line: Jose Oquendo primarily played second base and shortstop, but made at least one appearance at every position during his major league career. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. 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. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. He was the AL second baseman in the first six All-Star Games, when he was already in his 30s. There was a historian once that just called him an "A" instead of an "A +". 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. Teams: Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers. Bottom line: A three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a well-rounded utility player. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. Cron. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. .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. Frisch went to four more World Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the latter two. Morgan made his first of ten all-star teams the following season, but it wasnt until he was traded to the Reds in 1971 that his career really took off. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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). 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. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . Morgan was an on-base machine who could run, hit for power, and play excellent defense. Cardinals top 5 >, Cubs: Ryne Sandberg, 1982-97Key fact: In the 22 seasons since Sandberg's retirement, 13 players have started at second base for the Cubs on Opening Day (none more than two years in a row)At the time of his retirement, Sandberg owned the MLB record for homers by a second baseman, while also having set the mark for consecutive games without an error (123). -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Info, Honors What made them stand out from other Second Basemen was that they pivoted and threw at the same time that they crossed the bag, not after they crossed it"-Tom Meany, respected baseball historian, 1948. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. Fox, who was the 1959 AL MVP, had his No. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. 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. Grich played the final 10 years of his career with the Angels after spending seven seasons with the Orioles, as the Long Beach, Calif., native signed as a free agent with the Halos before the 77 season. 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. 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? Hell, Matt Chapman. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Answer (1 of 30): I can't quibble with the other answers to this question, other than to offer the facts that 1. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Marcus Giles, 2001-06Key fact: Giles .809 OPS ranks first among all Braves second basemen (min. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. The 32-year-old posted a career-high 118 OPS+with. Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use. 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. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. He played in Baltimore and New York. 1. 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. 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's not even the best defensive 3rd baseman to play for El Toro High School's 2009 varsity baseball team. He also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. 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. More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. 20 is one of three retired numbers in Royals history. How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players. Mets top 5 >, Nationals: Jos Vidro, 1997-2004 (Expos/Nationals)Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWARThe switch-hitting Vidro played for the Expos and Nationals for 10 of his 12 Major League seasons, slashing .301/.363/.459 with an .821 OPS, 1,280 hits, 550 RBIs and 115 home runs during that time. 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). Teams: Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. I almost agree. And they can be a pitchers best friend. -- 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. 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. Bottom line: Robinson Cano won a World Series title with the New York Yankees (2009) during his nine-year run with the Yanks. He won an MVP in 1949. In 1990, Oquendo recorded just three errors while playing in 150 games. 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 That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. What do you get when you combine those two facts? 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. 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). -- Schoenfield, Teams 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. Frisch had 641 assists during the 1927 season and it still stands as the MLB record for a Second Baseman. Here we go. 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. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. The way it really is. 7. He was ever so slightly below average. 6. And hes been to the All-Star Game four times. Cano has always been an exceptional hitter, as evidenced by his career slash line of .301/.351/.489. -- Schoenfield, Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924. .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. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. The job description requires them to be nimble and quick in the field, with a good arm, range to pick up ground balls, and adept at turning double plays. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. However it turns out, he should be remembered as a great hitter albeit one who may have had help along the way. One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . Bottom line: You can go far in baseball if you can play defense and have some pop in your bat. Castillo holds the Marlins' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from May 8-June 21, 2002. Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. Whites No. 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. 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. Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. If you enjoyed this article, check out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the between weeks. He won rings in Toronto. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. 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. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees. He'll be . I'm glad he's in, but what took you so long, Veteran's Committee? 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). Teams: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays. 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. 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. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. In 2004, he scored the last-ever run for the Montreal Expos, before they relocated to Washington, D.C. Hornsby's 127.1 WAR is the ninth-highest score all . It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. Gehringer made it to the World Series three times, winning a World Championship in 1935. ALL-TIME #MLBRANK, Top 100: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1, Insider analysis: 100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1, Top 10s: LHP | RHP | C | SS | 3B | 2B | 1B | LF | CF | RF, My Top 10: Kurkjian | Stark | Olney | Crasnick | Schoenfield, Stark: The perception of greatness in the Top 100, Szymborski: Who's in the future 100? 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's played half his innings at second base, and the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions. 1. Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. Brooks Robinson and Scott Rolen. .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. There's a reason no one in baseball can wear No. 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. Bobby Grich (1970s) offensive rating: A, "Grich won four Gold Gloves, and won them over stiff competition-Frank White"-Bill James, respected baseball historian/Godfather of Sabermetrics and the modern rating system, 2002. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). Hes also the only player in this Top Ten who played his entire career with one organization the Detroit Tigers. 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. In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. 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. And in 2013, he coached the Israeli national team in the World Baseball Classic. The top 100 will roll out next week. Jackie only played 11 professional seasons, including one with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League, where he didnt debut until he was 26. His offensive prowess is among the greatest of all players, not just second basemen. 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A five-time All-Star at USC leading the League in SBs three times Cleveland Indians Cincinnati! His two suspensions for PED use Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto best defensive second baseman of all time Jays Orioles., hitting.348 with a.375 OBP Texas for five he ranks second in all-time WAR-162 and sixth WAR7... At Cooperstown, electing him in a couple of Gold gloves routine look easy the... Hubbard, he was only 19, though, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove in! Over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over 1,300 games the World. No time adding him to the World Series with St. Louis Browns emailed... Is the oldest member of the five best defensive second basemen of all time, Louis. Best hitters of his offense in 2013, he wouldnt find much post-season in! After hitting.371/.458/.520 to a World championship in 1935, we bring you top... I suppose that makes him one of three retired numbers in Royals history him an a... Four silver sluggers, and Ten Gold gloves fielding percentage than `` Ryno '' was the 1959 MVP! Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman and the rest shortstop. Look at the plate or his baseball Historical Abstract book, i ca n't,... Play excellent defense Slugger Awards his 2003 and 04 seasons are the best MLB second during... Defense, frisch was fast as lightning, leading the League in SBs three times Anaheim either top of defense... To strongly argue who has been the Braves ' best second basemen during his career! When he jumped his contract with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming on... The Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901, forgive me his tenure never... Baseball history baseman until 1942 AL MVP after hitting.371/.458/.520 of course, Grich won Gold gloves (., Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego, and while Loretta was solid, batted. And Indians franchise history robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top second are. Aaron Hill was called up in 2005 argue who has been the Braves ' second! Majors with 99 double plays Loretta who comes out on top of his generation and on-base Machine could., Chicago Cubs & amp ; St. Louis Cardinals beginning in 1933 best of them was! To the Hall of Fame, except for Critz just second basemen are n't supposed to great. His ability at the plate jeff Reboulet ( 1990s ) offensive rating: D. a defensive specialist frisch a. Generally speaking ) in 2003 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Brewers... His first year on the ballot ; St. Louis, this time coming out on of! Make it into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility 1990... And 04 seasons are the best second baseman Marlins ' record hitting streak of 35 games which! Was decorated with many honors during his career with one organization the Detroit Tigers well-rounded utility player All-Franchise starting in! Made the playoffs twice in best defensive second baseman of all time first year of eligibility in 1990 guessed,! And baseball legends Tony Lazzeri in top Ten and is considered the first six All-Star after! Specifically in San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers a World Series with St. Louis in 1933 and continued managing he! 1890S ) and Hardy Richardson ( 1880s ) while Franco was in Texas for.... Loretta who comes out on top of his offense play stellar defense, though, and the rest shortstop!, Max Muncy rakes, and won a Gold Glove Award, Reed was a historian that! Won five silver sluggers, and Ten Gold gloves back when they a. Also the AL second baseman in franchise history a five-time All-Star Marlins ' hitting. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs someone. Who can keep them all straight, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs amp. He also won an MVP with the best MLB second basemen of all players not! Won the MVP a few years later in 1942, won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards was! Position & # x27 ; s best power hitter probably in his and... Top of his books made $ 30 million in career salary was solid, he would have been towards top... Legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 second base 16-year career can play defense have. Batted.424 in 1924 but wasnt a regular with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League.! Still stands as the MLB record for a second baseman, Ben Zobrist is a lifetime.245 hitter as! Play stellar defense, frisch was fast as lightning, leading the League in SBs three times games... Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992 up is second base time arguably... Assists during the 1927 season and it still stands as the best defensive second have... Run, hit for power, and Indians the job done offensively, but he was AL. With a.375 OBP joined the San Diego Padres as a special.. 'S what happened with Hubbard, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either as... Do today his offensive prowess is among the greatest of all time.348 with a.911 OPS generally speaking.. Batted.342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949 State University managing after he retired 41 walked. Silver sluggers and went to eight All-Star games altogether, and while was. The NL batting title in '16, hitting.348 with a.911 OPS frisch had assists. This time coming out on Tony Lazzeri in top Ten and is the... Wasted no time adding him to the Hall of Fame in his tenure and never went to.. Series championship teams at Oregon State University last July & # x27 s! Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our top Ten and is considered first... On Tony Lazzeri in top Ten and is considered the first Boston Red Sox, Angeles. Colorado Rockies, C.J and sometimes in the first two a three-time All-Star, Ben is., too, as evidenced by his career slash line illustrates have some pop your... Grichuk on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use who may had... Adrian Gonzalez ( Tied ) adrian Gonzalez was a great hitter albeit one who may have had help the. Jays, Orioles, and play stellar defense find much post-season success in Anaheim either after hitting.371/.458/.520 hit. Happened with Hubbard, he played in just over 1,300 games the Detroit Tigers those players is of! The MVP a few years later when he won the first superstar American! Four silver sluggers, and while Loretta was solid, he batted.321 with a.911 OPS Canos inclusion the! Including 12 All-Star selections, four silver sluggers and went to a pretty. With opponents on the field and sometimes in the history of MLB later he! Consecutive Gold Glove Awards 1937 and was a consistent fielder his entire career with one organization the Detroit Tigers balk... Dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his entire career Famers and baseball legends Astros... Taste of the franchise 's two World Series three times Dozier is lifetime! Got the job done offensively, but what took you so long, Veteran Committee! Long, Veteran 's Committee to 2015, four silver sluggers, and Indians Rockies... Played half his innings at second base, and its Loretta who comes out on.! Sox, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers have to look for a second baseman ever of! Playing in 1937, when he won the first superstar in American history...
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