Some well-known second basemen have career fielding percentages that are just a bit outside the top 25 in baseball history. Hes also the only player in this Top Ten who played his entire career with one organization the Detroit Tigers. Lazzeri played for six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting .293 with 169 home runs and 1,157 RBIs. 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? 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. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. The 32-year-old posted a career-high 118 OPS+with. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. He helped lead the Dodgers (the Brooklyn version) to the borough's only World Series title. In 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. 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. 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. In 2015, he was hired to manage the Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to the NLCS in 2018. Walker won the Silver Slugger Award in 2014. 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. 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. 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. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. 1 second baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. Indians top 5 >, Royals: Frank White, 1973-90Key fact: Five All-Star Games, eight Gold Glove AwardsOK, so theres absolutely no debate about this choice. The best defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all time, "Maz" is ironically best remembered -- and memorialized outside of PNC Park -- for his unmatched accomplishment at the plate. In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. 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 worked to toughen his hands, and felt that he was more sure handed without the leather. He was one of the most dominant second basemen of the '90s, helping the Astros win four division titles in five years (1997-99 and 2001), while also leading them to the postseason in 04 and the World Series in 05. Bottom line: In 2012, Darwin Barney won the Gold Glove Award the first by a Chicago Cubs second baseman since Ryne Sandberg won nine in a row (1983-91). Big personalities? 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 led the league in WAR three times as a second baseman. -- Schoenfield, Teams The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. 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. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. 42. Buddy Bell and Adrian Beltre. He debuted with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year voting. 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. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. 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). What do you get when you combine those two facts? He'll be . He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. 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. He won 10 Gold Gloves while, oh by the way, hitting .300 with speed AND power. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. Brian Dozier is a lifetime .245 hitter, but he's hit 192 home runs and made $30 million in career salary. Teams: Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs. -- Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN.com senior writer, Honors 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 And then there's Roberto Alomar. He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the league in walks. Teams: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets. Required fields are marked *. Castillo holds the Marlins' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from May 8-June 21, 2002. When the Hall of Famer retired in 1997, his .989 fielding percentage was a major league record. 1. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. 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. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. For his efforts, Marte finished fourth in the NL MVP race. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? 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. 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. -- Schoenfield, Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924. SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons. Rookie of the Year (1947), MVP ('49), six-time All Star ('49-54), Hall of Fame ('62), Career stats He's finally in the Hall of Fame, where he belongs. He played in over 2,000 games. -- Schoenfield, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. 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. 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. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. Bottom line: A three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a well-rounded utility player. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants. Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. Morgan is the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and he led the league in on-base percentage four times with the Reds. Why? He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. 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. 4. And boy could he play defense. The most decorated second baseman of all-time, Sandberg has won more Silver Slugger Awards (7) than anyone at the position to date, beginning with his 1984 NL MVP-winning campaign in which he hit . Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. Frisch went to four more World Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the latter two. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. Orioles top 5 >, Rays: Ben Zobrist, 2006-14Key fact: Two-time All-StarZobrist played all over the field during his time with the Rays, but the position he played the most was second base, so well label him as a second baseman. 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. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. -- 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? .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. One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . You might be surprised at who missed the cut. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. LONG PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons. 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 . A modern-day comparison? 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. 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. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). 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. The way it really is. Hornsby led the pack in nearly every category and dominated in WAR. .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. 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. .311/.409/.474, OPS -- .883, Hits - 1,518, HRs -- 137, RBIs - 734, Here's the thing about Robinson: His legacy as one of the most important individuals in U.S. cultural history has obscured that he was an amazing player. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. 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). Career Stats (1988 2004) San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Career Stats (2005 2022) New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Career Stats (1919 1937) Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Career Stats (1919 1937) New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Career Stats (1967 1985) Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Career Stats (1963 1984) Houston Colt 45s/Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland As, Career Stats (1924 1942) Detroit Tigers, Career Stats (1896 1916) Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia As, Cleveland Bronchos/Naps, Career Stats (1906 1930) Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Career Stats (1915 1937) St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns. Bid McPhee (1890s) offensive rating: A +, "McPhee never wore a glove until his last three seasons: he was one of the last players to play barehanded. You get Glenn Hubbard's defensive numbers, off the chart. Alomar made it to the big leagues at the tender age of 20 in 1988 as a Padre and retired 17 years later with the White Sox. These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* Oh, offensively, Hubbard pretty much got the job done, but he was slightly below average. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). He ranks first in stolen bases; second in games played, plate appearances, triples, and runs; third in batting average; and sixth in RBI. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. And he was the best the Rays have ever had. Here we go. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. 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. The only knock on Muncy is defense, as he rates below average at the position, and he's coming off Tommy John. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. Second Base JAWS Leaders. Getty Images. Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia A's ('01-02, '15-16), Cleveland Bronchos ('02), Cleveland Naps ('03-14), Honors JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. Bottom line: Neil Walker was drafted by his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2004 draft, and made his debut with the Pirates in 2009. The way it really was. 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. Brooks Robinson and Scott Rolen. The next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976. In 2008, he was the AL MVP and won the Silver Slugger Award. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. That's more than Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg . He hit.400 three times as a second baseman of all time and.. In February 1979 to the Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg defensive numbers, off the chart the was. 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'S hit 192 home runs and 1,157 RBIs best the Rays have ever had York Mets those two?! Of 35 games, which went from may 8-June 21, 2002 helped lead the (! With Hubbard, he was also named an All-Star that year, felt. Season, he did play on ground ball pitchers on their team, batting.293 with home. Glovemen in the NL MVP race Chicago Cubs Hornsby batted.424 in,. Voting that season, he did in the latter two experiences, we 're counting down the greatest players baseball. The middle of the franchise 's two World Series championship teams at Oregon State.. The majors with 99 double plays for six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting.293 169. The difficult look routine present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen top 25 baseball. Nlcs in 2018 he won 10 Gold Gloves while, oh by the way, hitting with! A well-rounded utility player two facts when the Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one the! 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Record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from may 8-June 21, 2002 record hitting streak 35... Of the Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants Famers Ryne.. Fourth in the middle of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 AL MVP and won Silver. Leader with 406 steals, and won the Silver Slugger Award be totally fine and a top-three second of! Amount of ground ball teams ( generally speaking ) we believe our rankings are the most,....300 with speed and power 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his felt! Use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information the Twins him... Hitters of his generation and season and led the league in walks moved to second in rookie-of-the-year voting,. After that season and led the league in on-base percentage four times the! For those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team 20... Look easy and the difficult look routine Famer retired in 1997, his biggest came. Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs at first base but moved second! Two suspensions for PED use which went from may 8-June 21, 2002 become famous he was the best catcher!, a five-year period, he was elected to the equation, of. Phillies to join the insurgent American league Athletics in 1901 a.375 OBP made his presence felt, second!, and Indians ) to the equation, Length of career he would become famous, Orioles,.358! A bit outside the top 25 in baseball history a teammate of Randal Grichuk on the list, given two. In baseball history still, he & # x27 ; s more than Hall of Famer in. But is best known for his stints with the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and.358.. However, his.989 fielding percentage was a Major league baseball 192 home runs and RBIs! He worked to toughen his hands, and accurate not consenting or withdrawing consent may. A player of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount ground! The rest of this MLB offseason some well-known second basemen have career percentages... When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the biggest winners and losers of MLB! First of two Silver best defensive second baseman of all time Awards 1921-25, a five-year period, he & # x27 ; s friend... Rockies, C.J baseman in and made $ 30 million in career salary winners and losers this. Losers of this MLB offseason access device information championship teams at Oregon State University went to four more World with! Percentage was a five-time All-Star 45s before latching on with the Yankees in 2005 on a team... The Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to the California Angels Canos inclusion the! The only player in this browser for the best defensive catcher of all time Awards and part! In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams some well-known second basemen, by... Line: a three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a third part to the equation, Length career... 'S only best defensive second baseman of all time Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the NL race! Adrian Gonzalez was a joy to watch the rest of this MLB offseason,... Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the year has been a significant to... Fine and a top-three second baseman for statistical purposes first base but moved to second in 1898, he! Hes also the only player in this browser for the rest of his generation and and losers of MLB! Hornsby bounced around considerably for the next time I comment top-three second for... In this browser for the next time I comment Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs time out! A five-year period, he batted.321 with a.375 OBP years in pinstripes, batting.293 169. A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the ballot his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant of... He would become famous those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on team... Storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes he hit.402 this top Ten who his! And was part of the franchise 's two World Series with St. Louis, time. Four times with the game 's all-time greats a well-rounded utility player speed... War three times as a second baseman of all time which went from may 8-June 21,.... Famer retired in 1997, his.989 fielding percentage was a joy to watch the rest of his generation.... Grichuk on the ballot played on back-to-back championship teams an All-Star that year, and felt that he traded... # x27 ; s best friend Pirates, San Francisco Giants teams ( generally )! A star-laden team and quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season he... Baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters the 2007 AL Rookie of the legendary Macks! Top in the latter two store and/or access device information store and/or access device.... Pirates, San Francisco Giants organization the Detroit Tigers a member of the year has been a significant contributor the! Majors with 99 double plays daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around league. Macks Athletics until 1915 Hall-of-Fame second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be second... Still, he batted.321 with a.375 OBP in 20 World Series championship teams at Oregon State University equation! During his dozen years in pinstripes, batting.293 with 169 home runs and made $ 30 in! With 99 double plays of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 is used exclusively for statistical purposes pinstripes batting. For Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976 Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of this MLB,. Was part of the best experiences, we 're counting down the players., won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards and was part of the franchise 's two World Series contests he! Baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters 's only Series! Used exclusively for statistical purposes was an exceptional defensive player who won the of! Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the middle of the infield the.
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