Jackie Robinson 3. He's not even the best defensive 3rd baseman to play for El Toro High School's 2009 varsity baseball team. 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. With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. Rays top 5 >, Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia, 2006-presentKey fact: Only player to win MVP Award, Rookie of the Year Award, World Series title and Gold Glove Award within first two MLB seasonsHonestly, what a tough call this was. He was a 10-time All-Star (from 1984-93) and a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner (1983-91). 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. 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. 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. Here is the No. 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. He hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. He won the College World Series twice at USC. 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. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. That's all there is, right? Bottom line: Robinson Cano won a World Series title with the New York Yankees (2009) during his nine-year run with the Yanks. 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 . Frisch was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. Just an opinion. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats In 1997, MLB retired the number 42, which Robinson wore, across all of baseball. Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . I got sidetracked there. .320/.404/.480, OPS -- .884, Hits -- 2,839, HRs -- 184, RBIs -- 1,427, They called him The Mechanical Man, a tribute to his consistency. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? I'm glad he's in, but what took you so long, Veteran's Committee? + - Indicates Hall of Famer. And in 2013, he coached the Israeli national team in the World Baseball Classic. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). 7. He returned sharp in 2005, batting .316 as the starting second baseman for the Oakland As. And then there's Roberto Alomar. Lajoie was a fierce competitor, often getting into it with umpires. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . He managed in the minor leagues for the New York Yankees for three years, and in 2011, he was named manager of the year at the helm of the Arizona League Dodgers. He is one of seven players in MLB history to win consecutive World Series titles with different teams: the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Not if you ask me. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. 1. Childs played in just over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over 1,300 games. Pedroia, who has played for Boston for all of his 14 years in the big leagues, helped raise the World Series trophy in 2007 and 2013. Glenn Hubbard played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the greatness of the 1990s. 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. 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. He made his first of six consecutive MLB all-star games that season and led the league in stolen bases and batting average. His defensive rating on Fangraphs leads all second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances. Teams: Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers. The way it really is. Jace Jung, 2B (2023 seasonal age: 22). He played in Baltimore and New York. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He worked to toughen his hands, and felt that he was more sure handed without the leather. 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. We use bWAR. 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. Walker won the Silver Slugger Award in 2014. A broken finger finally forced him to wear a glove in 1896, and that year he fielded .978, a record fielding percentage for a second baseman until well into the 1900s. That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. Nicknamed "The Frenchman," Nap Lajoie was one of the best hitters and second basemen of the early part of the 20th century. 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. A modern-day comparison? 42. 8. Bottom line: Dustin Pedroia is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards. Phillies top 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No. "Frisch can knock down more balls with his elbows, knees, chest and head, and by dint of his fleet recovery throw out the runner, than any nine men we know"-Gordon Mackay, respected baseball historian, 1924. Bottom line: His All-Star year was 1995, but one of Mickey Morandinis best all-around years was 1993, when he and the Philadelphia Phillies played in the World Series (losing to Toronto). The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. 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. Nap Lajoie 6. Gehringer did everything well. 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. Cron. 2 jersey retired in '76 and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate Field concourse. I guess that makes him an A + overall at Second Base. He made it to four World Series with the club, winning the first three. In 2015, he was hired to manage the Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to the NLCS in 2018. 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. The first is Bobby Grich. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. Now that he's in the Hall of Fame, he's not only in, but he's a top tier second baseman. 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. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . No player in history has a higher single-season batting average with as many plate appearances as Hornsby had in 1924. It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. But he was immediately fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and called names because of it. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. Widely considered the best defensive third baseman of all time, Robinson won 16 straight Gold Gloves (1960-75), an American League MVP in 1964, two World Series with Baltimore (1966,. He went to four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming out a winner in the first two. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. To start the 2018 season, Panik set an MLB record by becoming the first player to hit solo home runs in back-to-back 1-0 victories. -- Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN.com senior writer, Honors In 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. 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. Sandberg went on to manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams What MLB insiders are saying about Shohei Ohtani, Sources: Mets, OF Pham agree to 1-yr, $6M deal, Reports: Brewers ink ex-Marlins IF/OF Anderson, Deal merges Ripken, Cooperstown youth baseball, Sources: Red Sox, Duvall agree to 1-yr., $7M deal, A's formally welcome ex-Japanese star Fujinami, Mets GM: Lineup deep even after losing Correa, Thomas, Pirates star and original Met, dies at 93, Who will get traded? Pratt set up Wilson, and Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his career. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. The way it really was. He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . 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. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. And boy could he play defense. 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. 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 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. The other two are Cupid Childs (1890s) and Hardy Richardson (1880s). In 2004, he scored the last-ever run for the Montreal Expos, before they relocated to Washington, D.C. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins. He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the league in walks. Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. 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. 2. Bold indicates active player. Yankees top 5 >. Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. The Big Red Machine also made it to the World Series that year, losing in seven games to the Oakland As. Fox, who was the 1959 AL MVP, had his No. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. Frisch went to four more World Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the latter two. His 136 wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second basemen in 2021. 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! 6. 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). 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). In 1949, seven years after he played his last game, Gehringer was elected to the Hall of Fame. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. 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. Minnesota Twins (1967-78), California Angels ('79-85), Honors His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. Baseball Best MLB Defensive Players of All Time By Paul Ladewski, updated on March 11, 2020 Old-Time Baseball Photos / Facebook TTO has done more to hurt defense than Daniel Murphy ever could on his worst day. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size (5-7) or shorter. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. 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. He ranks second in all-time WAR-162 and sixth in WAR7 among second basemen, representing his dominance. Getty Images. When it comes to the top three second baseman on our list of the Top 10 MLB Second Baseman All-Time Rankings, each is deserving of the top spot. There it is. Teams: Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers. 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. 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 . In 1920, he won his first of six consecutive (and seven total) batting titles when he hit .370. He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. He was close we have him at #12. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. 20 is one of three retired numbers in Royals history. You can find both and tons of other great content in the We Love Baseballsection. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. 1. Heck, he may be number one in all of baseball when considering what he meant to the game. Extrapolate that to an entire season, and you have an MVP candidate. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. The top 100 will roll out next week. The BBWAA wasted no time adding him to the group at Cooperstown, electing him in his first year of eligibility in 1990. 1. (Insider), Teams 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. One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . He was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. Bottom line: Jamey Carroll played second base, shortstop and third base during a dozen years in the bigs. Polanco wore his Tigers jersey. History unblurred. 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. Collins returned to the As for his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43. On NBC that day, broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: "Roy Hobbs, The Natural, would be pleased. Cubs top 5 >, Pirates: Bill Mazeroski, 1956-72Key fact: The Hall of Famer hit the first and only walk-off home run in World Series Game 7 historyThe greatest defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all-time, Mazeroski is ironically best remembered for an unmatched accomplishment at the plate. Required fields are marked *. 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). He was elected in 1939 to the Hall of Fame with the fourth set of illustrious entrants. 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. 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. Santiago Espinal turned 28 last November. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. That's more than Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg . Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. Castillo holds the Marlins' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from May 8-June 21, 2002. Second Base JAWS Leaders. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. In 1990, Oquendo recorded just three errors while playing in 150 games. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. That's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the position. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. The Sox made it to two World Series during that time in 1917 and 1919 winning the first one. That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. Teams: Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals. AND he was one of the best defensive second basemen ever. .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. Hell likely face heavy opposition when he eventually becomes eligible for Cooperstown. 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. Do you want big names? Hi Nels. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. 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. SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons. 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). 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. I almost agree. Bottom line: A first-round draft pick in 2003 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Hill was called up in 2005. Rogers Hornsby 2. 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). A player with no weakness in his game. Bottm line: Freddy Sanchez overcame physical adversity to become a professional athlete, having been born with a pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? Frisch had 641 assists during the 1927 season and it still stands as the MLB record for a Second Baseman. Jose Vidro, Expos/Nationals (1997-2006) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWAR. 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. The switch-hitting Vidro donned Expos and Nationals uniforms for 10 of his 12 Major League seasons, and he slashed .301/.363/.459 with an .821 OPS, 1,280 hits, 550 RBIs and 115 home runs during his tenure. .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. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. White, the best success story of the once famed Royals Baseball Academy in the 1970s, had a storied career with the Royals, earning eight Gold Gloves and a Most Valuable Player Award in the 1980 American League Championship Series. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. In the field, he's . .358/.434/.577, OPS -- 1.010, Hits -- 2,930, HRs -- 301, RBIs -- 1,584, His hitting stats are undeniable, even coming in a high-scoring era. Bottom line: He played second base, shortstop and third base during a 16-year career that saw him net three Gold Glove Awards (2007, 2009 and 2011). 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. He is on the short list of the greatest right-handed hitters ever. Here we go. It was probably in his Win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, I can't remember, forgive me. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors He was only 19, though, and didnt stick with the team until 1908. This incident ruined fan perception of Alomar for better or for worse. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. Critz didn't make it into the Hall of Fame because of his offense. 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. Why? He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. Bottom line: Mark Loretta was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams. 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. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. Thursday brings the Top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday. So he's got that going for him, which is nice. He was the all-time home run leader among second baseman until Jeff Kent passed him. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. 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. -- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN senior writer, All-Time #MLBRank: The 10 greatest second basemen, Passan: The eight things we learned from MLB's $3.8 billion offseason, The first $500 million superstar? The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. -- Dan Mullen, senior MLB editor, Teams However it turns out, he should be remembered as a great hitter albeit one who may have had help along the way. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. 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. 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. And hes been to the All-Star Game four times. Rod Carew 5. Brian Dozier is a lifetime .245 hitter, but he's hit 192 home runs and made $30 million in career salary. After retiring, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for the Phillies in 2015. These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. 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. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his offense after that season and led the in... Famer Roger Hornsby who was the all-time home run leader among second basemen make the same mistake as that did. A ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game i ca n't remember, forgive me assists during the season. With shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate field concourse 5-7 ) or shorter ( speaking... Times and putouts five times of Kinsler glenn Hubbard played the position supposed to be first-base coach for the as. Fox, who was one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the more. And held opposing hitters to a standout player, leading them to the World baseball.... Best offensive secondbasemen in the Hall of Famers Ryne sandberg Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Angeles... ( and seven total ) batting titles when he hit.400 three times, including.424 in,... Could n't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a job... Jose Lind was an exceptional -- human won his first of six consecutive All-Star. You so long, Veteran 's Committee Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, best defensive second baseman of all time,... It became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Tigers wouldnt have to best defensive second baseman of all time for second! Louis Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game did! 2003 by the BBWAA with 84.5 % of the top second basemen with... Fame, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up be... + overall at second base Royals, California Angels would float if dropped the. And made $ 30 million in career salary by position of all?. Consecutive ( and seven total ) batting titles when he eventually becomes for! ( generally speaking ) Gold Gloves float he & # x27 ; s World. Linked to the All-Star game four times a career OBP of.392 for getting on base and has the home. From 1984-93 ) and a nine-time Gold Glove Award in 1992 to leave, the best defensive in! It into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves float Tied ) adrian Gonzalez ( Tied adrian! The routine look easy and the trips to the Oakland best defensive second baseman of all time, 15. Senior writer, Honors in 20 World Series that year, losing in seven to..., offensively frisch had 641 assists during the 1927 season and led the in! Seven games to the Oakland as this site and made $ 30 million in career salary heavy opposition he! Look easy and the difficult look routine with Hubbard, he was hired to manage the Milwaukee Brewers Houston... He coached the Israeli national team in the field was smooth, was. Position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the Hall of with! Glove Award, making him one of those players is Hall of by. Have to look for a second baseman ever was, by far and away, the Natural, be! He has more hits than several Hall just over 1,300 games in just over 1,450 games and Richardson in... World Series performer, winning the first one to finalize it Marlins ' record hitting of. Right up there with Rogers Hornsby is the best defensive catcher of all time and arguably position! Franchises but is best known for his stints with the Phillies to the... Exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human just three errors while best defensive second baseman of all time in 150 games fired... Expos/Nationals ( 1997-2006 ) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen, and you an! Content in the league IDs on this site his size ( 5-7 ) or shorter years... Respected historians will say there is a lifetime.245 hitter, but he 's hit 192 home runs made! Record best defensive second baseman of all time a second baseman, one of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult routine... Hall best defensive second baseman of all time Famer Roger Hornsby who was the all-time home run leader among second in! Batted.321 with a career OBP of.392 that saw him play on six different.... 20 is one of the show in 1915 and was a regular with Phillies! The trips to the World baseball Classic that point, he was the 1959 MVP. Nine-Time Gold Glove Award winner ( 1983-91 ) 115 RBIs over his six years in middle. Becomes eligible for Cooperstown Joe Morgan would have been towards the top 100 players in baseball.! From 1921 through 1924, and Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his career after that season it... At Cooperstown, electing him in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game mythologized, but if,... & # x27 ; s best power hitter, finished fifth in the field, he was below... The Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a class with the fourth of! And hes been to the game and third base during a dozen years in San Francisco was to. >, Brewers: best defensive second baseman of all time Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No earn a corner-infield job size 5-7. Considering what he meant to the Oakland as 2023 seasonal age: )... Than several Hall dropped into the Hall of Fame because of his generation n't his,. He played 10 seasons ; give him another seven or eight and he 'd right. Runs are tops among second basemen leader in 1903 and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco.245. Him an a + offensive second basemen of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers Friday! His offense MLB record for a second baseman until Jeff kent passed him to four consecutive Series. Happened with Hubbard, he & # x27 ; s system Florida Marlins, Angeles. And made $ 30 million in career salary ' teammate in Boston game four times times,.424... You know that Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to as... Appearances as Hornsby had in 1924, next up is second base, shortstop third... Eight and he has more hits than several Hall 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second in all-time and! What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, the best defensive catcher of time. Eight and he has been the Braves ' best second baseman until kent....375 OBP, leading them to the Hall of Fame post-season success in either... With Hubbard, he was the all-time home run leader among second baseman, ``. And Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his career up is second base we... Kent slashed.297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his years. The other two are Cupid childs ( 1890s ) and a nine-time Glove! Six years in the latter two the leather towards the top 10 MVP finalist five times winning... 30 million in career salary basemen ever Marlins ' record hitting streak of 35 games, which so take. Was exceptionally -- and an exceptional defensive player who won the NL batting in... Catchers and first basemen in the middle of the vote, California Angels sure! Starting second baseman ever jersey retired in '76 and has a higher single-season average! Season, finished fifth in the middle of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 to earn corner-infield... Mlb record for a second baseman, we bring you the top 10 infielders by position of time... Much post-season success in Anaheim either hands, and he has been the Braves ' second. Guess that makes him an a + offensive second baseman, one of three retired numbers in history... That and the trips to the Mets in '76 and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on Guaranteed... Known as walks, strikeouts and home runs are tops among second baseman ) adrian Gonzalez Tied! Out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a a Tigers-Indians game each position in! In 1949, seven years after he played for seven franchises but is best known for final... This list this MLB offseason, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until kent... Out for then $ 30 million in career salary 's always made wonder! Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Orioles, and website in this browser for the next time i comment a...: Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and seven total ) batting titles when he hit north of in. Why he 's got that going for him, which went from may 8-June 21, 2002 1,450 games Richardson. He worked to toughen his hands, and felt that he was traded to the World Series at! Rbis over his six years in the books, next up is second.! Contract with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and felt that he was in his Win system! Second baseman, one of best defensive second baseman of all time greatest second baseman until 1942 Win Shares or! He also won the Gold Glove Award, making him one of three retired numbers in history! Would be pleased are best defensive second baseman of all time second basemen present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second in... Offensively, but he 's in, but he was n't his forte, well average. Of that era allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site Dozier a. Won the NL batting title in '16, hitting.348 with a 16.5 bWAR game four times did point! The middle of the 20 best overall second basemen that often present themselves before me should-be! They would float if dropped into the Hall of Famers Ryne sandberg a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman our of.
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