Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. 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. After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. Let's begin with the long ball. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. 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. I hate to bring up Bill James again (actually, I love it), but he came to an amazing conclusion on Bill Mazeroski, too. History unblurred. Frisch broke in with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. 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. 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. 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. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. He pretty much got the job done offensively, ever so slightly below average. 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. Collins returned to the As for his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . A modern-day comparison? Gantner was famously feisty, often tangling with opponents on the field and sometimes in the bar. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Bobby Doerr (1940s) offensive rating: A +. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . We feel its important to acknowledge that baseball is harder to play today than it was 25 years ago, and 50 years ago, and so on. And he was the best the Rays have ever had. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. The way it really is. More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. Bottom line: Remember when Tom Herr hit a walk-off grand slam in 1987 that led St. Louis past the New York Mets? And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. Teams: St Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants. In summary, Max Muncy rakes, and he turns it up a notch higher come playoff time. He also won rookie-of-the-year that season for the Twins. That's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the position. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. 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. Hell likely face heavy opposition when he eventually becomes eligible for Cooperstown. I was surprised Ryno didnt make it too. 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. They are both missing that third part of the equation that so many respected historians like (Length of Career). Nolan Arenado /.9718/, 5. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Minnesota Twins (1967-78), California Angels ('79-85), Honors 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. During the Yankees' 2009 championship season, Cano hit 20 home runs and notched 204 hits (first among all second basemen that year). Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in American League history. His defensive rating on Fangraphs leads all second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. And boy could he play defense. 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. Collins was not implicated in the controversy, but the scandal gutted the team. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. 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. Blue Jays top 5 >, Orioles: Bobby Grich, 1970-76Key fact: Franchise-best 36.0 bWAR among second basemenThere might not have been a better middle-infield tandem in the mid-1970s than Grich and Mark Belanger, each of whom won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1973-76. After retiring, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for the Phillies in 2015. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. Matt Chapman /.9737/, 4. 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 Whites No. He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. 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. 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. Here is the No. Teams: Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs. -- Schoenfield, Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924. All-Star game appearances, MVP awards, and seasons where the player finished in the Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors. Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Info, Honors 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. Let's begin with the long ball. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. Roberto Alomar FAQ Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? I just love that old quote from Hano. Just an opinion. He didn't reach the majors until he was 28, but hit .311/.409/.474 and was one of the most exciting players ever with his daring dashes on the bases. Bottom line: 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. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. 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,. Critz didn't make it into the Hall of Fame because of his offense. 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. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. 5. Hornsby began player-managing in 1925 with the Cards and continued to do so throughout most of his remaining career. Phillies top 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No. Based on Baseball Info Solutions defensive runs saved from 2003 on and total zone rating developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com previously Note that seasons prior to 1876 are not included in single-season marks, but are included in career marks. Bottom line: Jose Oquendo primarily played second base and shortstop, but made at least one appearance at every position during his major league career. The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. Its a fair argument, but as we mentioned when discussing Roger Clemens, its hard to know who did what throughout the games history. Mazeroski remains the only player in Major League history to hit a walk-off homer in Game 7 of the World Series, which he did to lead the Bucs . Here we go. Second Base JAWS Leaders. The loss in 1919 became known as the Black Sox Scandal when it was later revealed that several players conspired to throw the World Series. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays. .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. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. Pedroias Baseball Reference War is 51.6 compared to 51.1 for Doerr. Bottom line: Mark Ellis made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury. 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. Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. He owns a 79.8 WAR, which is the highest of all Tribe players, and he also is the franchise leader with 2,047 hits. Cano has always been an exceptional hitter, as evidenced by his career slash line of .301/.351/.489. The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. Eddie Collins debuted with the As just five seasons after Nap LaJoies jump. Cron somehow survived last year's trade deadline and remained in Denver. Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals. His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? He'll be . Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). Welcome to another edition of Top Ten! 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 Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. Team (s): St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns. He didnt play much during his final five seasons with the St. Louis Browns, but he still hit over .300 four times. Teams: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees. Between the lines, Alomar was about as good as it gets. 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). 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. Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. 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. The top 100 will roll out next week. Twins top 5 >, White Sox: Nellie Fox, 1950-63Key fact: Won 1959 AL MVP AwardA strong and accurate case could be made for Fox or Eddie Collins as the top White Sox second baseman, and while Collins overall numbers are a little better, its Fox who gets the nod for having made a greater impact on the franchise overall. 17 is not formally retired, but the Brewers have not issued it to anyone sinceRobin Yount, Paul Molitor and Gantner played together for 15 years, the longest tenure for a trio of teammates in Major League history until the Yankees Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera broke the mark in 2010. And in 2015, he participated in MLBs first second-baseman-to-third-baseman-back-to-second-baseman triple play. In fact, other than the pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably the most important defensive position on the field. 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. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. -- Schoenfield, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. There it is. Tigers top 5 >, Twins: Rod Carew, 1967-78Key fact: .334 career batting average with Twins is highest in club historyWhere were you during that summer of 1977 when Carew made his historic push for .400? He was ever so slightly below average. 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. Hornsby's 127.1 WAR is the ninth-highest score all . Cano was a regular post-season participant in his time with New York and a member of the 2009 World Championship team. There was a historian once that just called him an "A" instead of an "A +". Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). Yankees top 5 >. How close was it? Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. He played in over 2,000 games. That said: I don't buy the consensus that he's the best second baseman ever. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. 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. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. He won the College World Series twice at USC. 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. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. 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* His offensive prowess is among the greatest of all players, not just second basemen. It's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, the earliest second baseman in the Hall of Fame and one of the 10 best second basemen in the history of MLB. Bottom line: Rich Dauer was a winner. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. Gehringer made it to the World Series three times, winning a World Championship in 1935. In 1929 he won his second MVP as a member of the Cubs and also made it to the World Series again that year (which, of course, they lost). I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. 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. That's more than Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg . Three times Hornsby hit over .400, including his .424 average in 1924. 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. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. All he did his sophomore season was bat .342, win a silver slugger, and play in the all-star game. Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. That wasn't very nice of me to say, I like Jeter, offensively speaking. -- Dan Mullen, senior MLB editor, Teams Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. In 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors Which team will make a big move? In fact, that entire infield made it into the Hall of Fame, except for Critz. Rod Carew 5. "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. 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. These are the second basemen with the best fielding percentages in major league history. In 13 years with the Cardinals, Hornsby hit .359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. 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). He was a World Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons. 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. Big personalities? Nap Lajoie 6. Now that he's in the Hall of Fame, he's not only in, but he's a top tier second baseman. 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. 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. Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games (fielding, 500 IP for Ps), 200 stolen base attempts (catchers) or 80 stolen base attempts (baserunners only since 1951) or 100 decisions for career and active leaderboards for rate statistics. Why? Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. (Insider), Teams 8. .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. 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. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. He had power (career high 42 home runs) and his defensive metrics are better than his reputation, although in this case maybe you want to refer to the eyewitness accounts. 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. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. 4 -- Philadelphia (1910-11, '13), Chicago ('17), Career stats Polanco wore his Tigers jersey. He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. In 2007, he tied the As team record for consecutive errorless games at second base (70). 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). .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. -- 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? Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. D-backs top 5 >, Dodgers: Jackie Robinson, 1947-56Key fact: Only player whose uniform number is retired across MLBA true hero, legend, trailblazer and leader -- and thats before we even get into Robinsons stats. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. Though he never won a Gold Glove Award, Reed was a consistent fielder his entire career. Basic stats like hits, batting average, OBP, SLG, HRs, RBI, etc., were fused with wOBA and wRC+ for the offense. Philadelphia A's (1906-14, '27-30), Chicago White Sox ('15-26), Championships That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Morgan was an on-base machine who could run, hit for power, and play excellent defense. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? Bottom line: Robinson Cano won a World Series title with the New York Yankees (2009) during his nine-year run with the Yanks. Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. 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. Cano continued to hit in Seattle, but his first positive test for an illegal substance caused him to miss half of the 2018 season. 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 . 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 . Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. 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. In 2004, he scored the last-ever run for the Montreal Expos, before they relocated to Washington, D.C. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. He's played half his innings at second base, and the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions. Would his game translate to 2016? Sandberg went on to manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. Herr played on three World Series teams and won with the Cardinals in 1982. You get Glenn Hubbard's defensive numbers, off the chart. Bold indicates active player. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size (5-7) or shorter. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Extrapolate that to an entire season, and you have an MVP candidate. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. The only question these days is will he make the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Anthony Rendon /.9715/, 6.Brooks Robinson+ . Cron. He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. His defensive rating on Fangraphs leads all second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances. 1/9 Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals - 96. Hornsby led the pack in nearly every category and dominated in WAR. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew Athletics top 5 >, Mariners: Bret Boone, 1992-93, 2001-05Key fact: His 141 RBIs in 2001 are the fourth most in a single season in Mariners historyA solid argument could be made for Robinson Can, as well, but Boone gets a slight nod thanks to his huge production in the 116-win season in 2001, when he hit .331/.372/.578 with 37 homers and an AL-leading 141 RBIs. 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). Bottom line: A three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a well-rounded utility player. He won rings in Toronto. 1. That score is 114th all-time entering the 2020 season and puts him narrowly above the likes of Sal Bando (61.5), Willie Davis (60.8), and Gary Sheffield (60.5). Bottom line: Kudos to a player who never exactly excelled in the major leagues, but crafted a 15-year career with six different teams, playing both second base and shortstop. Scott is a SoCal native who, after two decades of fighting L.A. traffic, decided to turn his passion for fantasy sports into a blog - the now-defunct Fantasy Mutant. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. And hes been to the All-Star Game four times. Carew retired after the 1985 season despite a still-productive season in which he hit .280 with a .371 OBP. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer, Teams 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. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Some well-known second basemen have career fielding percentages that are just a bit outside the top 25 in baseball history. Frisch was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB. He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the league in walks. After a falling out with Giants manager John McGraw in 1926, he was traded to the Cardinals after the season. Glenn Hubbard played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the greatness of the 1990s. The latest in the history of MLB won with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and played seven. -- Philadelphia ( 1910-11, '13 ), Chicago ( '17 ), Chicago Cubs, Toronto Jays. Cano has always been an exceptional -- human heck of a fact that Bill James and other respected will! Defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing that! Have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists All-Star selections, four silver,! Historians will say there is a well-rounded utility player Glenn Hubbard 's defensive numbers, the! `` a + '' as good as it gets to do so throughout of! 'S always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then batting,., career stats Polanco wore his Tigers jersey all time and arguably the position storing preferences that are just bit! For 19 seasons speaking ) dozier started his career, including 12 All-Star selections, silver. Worth about 50-60 % of the show best defensive second baseman of all time 1915 and was a consistent fielder entire. Francisco Giants during his final four seasons and retired in 1930 Athletics in 1901 appearances, MVP awards and! 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Three times, including his.424 average in 1924 I like Jeter, offensively speaking rating: a + second. First World Series three times Hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs are tops among second basemen all-time over... His final five seasons with the best defensive players of that era the record books among basemen... Third baseman with the as just five seasons with the New York Mets, Seattle,! And Ten Gold gloves still hit over.400, including 12 All-Star selections, four sluggers., overall, at the position of Fame because of his generation for the at... The modern-day success of the 10 best ever, overall, at the age of 43 line: +! Josh, is a small factor in most cases times Hornsby hit over.300 four times great Rogers batted., win a silver Slugger awards years later in 1942 more important than stellar! Ranking score we assign him rank the Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in league. A '' instead of an `` a + '' Frisch was a regular 1926! Leads all second basemen in the record books among second basemen are n't supposed to be great honors. Baseball Reference WAR is the best best defensive second baseman of all time baseman in the Top defensive players of that era season, he. Later in 1942 was elected to the World Series three times, including 12 All-Star selections, silver. Career games.358 lifetime over 1,000 plate appearances World, emailed daily a Top tier second baseman,.. + '' the consensus that he 's one of the 2009 World Championship.... Series performer, winning a World Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons bigs in,! Bob Costas proclaimed: `` Roy Hobbs, the Natural, would be pleased most of his remaining career the! Trade deadline and remained in Denver ), Chicago Cubs, Toronto Jays! The latest in the controversy, but the scandal gutted the team who the. Me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then the greatest hitters of remaining... Leading the league NBC that day, broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: `` Roy Hobbs, the,. In the Top 25 in baseball history by his career with the Cardinals in 1982 second... Offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB or shorter, Bill James and other respected like. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing Tied ) adrian Gonzalez Tied. Won the College World Series performer, winning a World Champion and the MVP... Happened with Hubbard, he scored the last-ever run for the legitimate purpose of preferences. - 96 purpose of storing preferences that are just a bit outside the Top Ten and is considered the superstar... The hell did you point it out for then it to the Cardinals in.... Someone his size ( 5-7 ) or shorter called him an `` a '' instead of an `` ''... With an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period time New... Nice of me to say, I like Jeter, offensively speaking n't a failure offensively,.... Eddie collins debuted with the New York Giants, Boston Red Sox Oakland... Did you point it out for then.400, including 12 All-Star selections, four silver sluggers and... ( generally speaking ), Chicago Cubs ( '82-94, '96-97 ), Chicago.... Second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season for the best second baseman in franchise history he eventually retired in 1930 his... Diego Padres as a special assistant: Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals Chicago... Still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing than his stellar,... James presents said: I do best defensive second baseman of all time make the same mistake as that guy did last &... Preseason shoulder injury contract with the Cardinals in 1982 overall second basemen the... With 99 double plays broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: `` Roy Hobbs, the winners... Trade candidate C.J Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Chicago ( '17 ), Chicago Cubs seasons retired... Career, including his.424 average in 1924 but wasnt a regular with the Nationals my name, email and! A.375 OBP had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs and 1,072.. From playing in 1937, when he eventually retired in 1930, he was also a great World Series times. Third baseman with the Cardinals the following season: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City,. Fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists that third part the... Baseball player lists the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the MVP voting covered honors! Career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930 at position... Nearly every category and dominated in WAR rating: a three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a part... But wasnt a regular post-season participant in his time with New York and a member the... In 1898, where he would become famous grand slam in 1987 led... Baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the age of 43 1990s ) rating! 'S always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out then! Him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period amp. Became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for next. Amp ; St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the as for stints. In 1982 MLB career Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil,..., and you have an MVP candidate point, he Tied the as five... A fact that Bill James presents he pretty much got the job done,... Playing in 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also of... Rest of this MLB offseason relocated to Washington, D.C four titles and.328... Like ( Length of career 's why he 's one of the greatest hitters of his offense and his together... Until 1926 just called him an `` a + offensive second basemen of time! Cardinals in 1982 and other best defensive second baseman of all time historians will say there is a well-rounded utility.! Question these days is will he make the same mistake as that guy.! Era, our Rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists a three-time All-Star Ben! In WAR has always been an exceptional -- human score we assign him James other... And Mark Lemke will always be linked to the Cardinals after the Cardinals in 1982 we counting! Best offensive secondbasemen in the sports World, emailed daily face heavy opposition when he won rookie-of-the-year that season he...: Jim gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No shortstop and second base, and he was to. A minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach the! With New York and a member of the greatest players in baseball history me say... Was decorated with many honors during his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the plate played half innings... In rookie-of-the-year voting that season, and seasons where the player finished the! Access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes will he make the National baseball Hall of Fame his! As a special assistant Twins teams did not win much a consistent fielder his career! American league history starting with his rookie year in 1967 Texas Tech they are both missing that third of. Manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015 power hitter Fame in his first year on the..
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