He's top 10 at the position, headed to top five, and leaving the Yankees shouldn't affect his ultimate legacy as one of the best at the position. He was close we have him at #12. 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. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Big numbers? 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. Below are the six best to ever play the position in Major League Baseball history. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. 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! Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. He batted .274 in his career, and while he didnt hit for much power -- Gantners homer off Oaklands Dave Stewart on Sept. 3, 1991, was his first in 1,762 at-bats spanning 544 games -- Gantner became a steady hand at second base, thanks in part to a strong throwing arm hed honed as a boy playing catcher. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. As the Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons with four different teams. 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. 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. 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. 17. But he cemented his spot on the roster by participating in the Giants' World Series win in 2014, was named an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2016. But he was immediately fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and called names because of it. 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 . He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. 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. 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. 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. All-Star game appearances, MVP awards, and seasons where the player finished in the Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors. Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. This incident ruined fan perception of Alomar for better or for worse. That wasn't very nice of me to say, I like Jeter, offensively speaking. That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. The Dodgers made it to six World Series with Robinson, all against the Yankees. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . Either way, Bill James comes to this conclusion on Mazeroski: his 113 defensive career Win Shares is 1st all time in the history of MLB for a second baseman. He recorded a 20-20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) in 2014. I will list them in order, from oldest to newest: Fred Dunlap (1880s), Nap Lajoie (1900s), Lonny Frey (1940s), Eddie Mayo (1940s), Gil McDougald (1950s), Jackie Robinson (1950s), Red Schoendienst (1950s), Fernando Vina (1990s), Craig Counsell (2000s)and Pokey Reese (2000s), 9. Alomar made into the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility after just missing on his first attempt likely due to that famous spitting incident. 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 not implicated in the controversy, but the scandal gutted the team. When I was younger, I used to love to watch this guy play defense. 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). Yankees top 5 >. 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). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. .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. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. 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. In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. There was a historian once that just called him an "A" instead of an "A +". Also, took HOF too long to put Lazzeri into HOF, 1991 by vets committee. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. Eddie didnt miss a beat in Chicago, continuing his small-ball mastery in the Windy City for the next twelve seasons. However it turns out, he should be remembered as a great hitter albeit one who may have had help along the way. Cano has not officially retired, but after being cut by the Mets and Padres this season, he may not get another chance. Getty Images. Brooks Robinson and Scott Rolen. AL Triple Crown (1901), Hall of Fame ('37), Career stats Collins can also boast an MVP win in 1914 and six top 5 MVP finishes. Teams: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. 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. He also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. In the field, he's . That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. Alomar won back-to-back World Series titles with Toronto in 1992 and 1993 but never made it back to the Fall Classic with the Orioles or Indians despite four playoff appearances. The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. Just an opinion. .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. 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). 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. Alomars post-season totals are impressive: a .313 batting average, four HRs, 33 RBI, 32 runs, and 20 SBs in 58 games. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. Pedroias Baseball Reference War is 51.6 compared to 51.1 for Doerr. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. 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. .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. Bottom line: Remember when Tom Herr hit a walk-off grand slam in 1987 that led St. Louis past the New York Mets? This week, were on to the keystone as we take a look at the best second basemen of all time. In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. 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. -- 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? 1/9 Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals - 96. Neither of them had short careers, but they didn't have long ones either. In 13 years with the Cardinals, Hornsby hit .359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. 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. Critz didn't make it into the Hall of Fame because of his offense. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. He hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here.. Buddy Bell and Adrian Beltre. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. Your email address will not be published. He won an MVP in 1949. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors 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. 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). His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. Reds top 5 >, D-backs: Ketel Marte, 2017-presentKey fact: Selected as the 2019 NL All-Star starter at second baseIn a close race with Jay Bell, Marte gets the nod here. 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. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. 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. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. 2 jersey retired in '76 and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate Field concourse. The switch-hitter from Puerto Rico signed as an amateur free agent when he was 15 years old, and eventually went to two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (2006 and 2011) as the teams third-base coach. In the field, he's smooth and effortless with a strong arm. It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. Your email address will not be published. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. It was probably in his Win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book, I can't remember, forgive me. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. Many historians point this out because it makes Hubbard's defensive numbers better than they should be. In 2007, he tied the As team record for consecutive errorless games at second base (70). 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 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. Once Jackie debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he belonged. Here we go. A player with no weakness in his game. Minnesota Twins (1967-78), California Angels ('79-85), Honors They include All-Stars, World Series champions, Hall of Famers and baseball legends. Lajoie played most of the rest of his career in Cleveland, finally returning to the As for his final two seasons in 1915-16. He was also a solid hitter, finishing with a .295 career batting average. Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. Oh, offensively, Hubbard pretty much got the job done, but he was slightly below average. Acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent the popular Matt Williams to the Indians in 1996, Kent teamed up with Barry Bonds to give the Giants their most fearsome power duo since the Willie Mays-Willie McCovey era. He led the league in WAR three times as a second baseman. .271/.392/.427, OPS -- .819, Hits -- 2,517, HRs -- 268, RBIs -- 1,133, In 1975 and 1976, Joe Morgan towered over the National League, winning back-to-back MVP awards, with WAR totals of 10.9 and 9.6. 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. I think his system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of Career, but that's another article. He played in Baltimore and New York. He was the AL second baseman in the first six All-Star Games, when he was already in his 30s. Since committing 17 errors in his rookie season in 2005, Cano has never committed more than 13 errors in a season and 123 total errors in 2,124 career games. Teams: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets. Charlie Gehringers nickname was The Mechanical Man. He was dubbed so because of his robotic consistency and durability. 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. Marlins top 5 >, Mets: Edgardo Alfonzo, 1995-2001Key fact: His .318 average with runners in scoring position is highest in Mets historyAlfonzo might be the trickiest Met to rank because he appeared in 524 career games for the team at second base and 515 at third, spending three full seasons as the starter at each position. -- Schoenfield, Teams 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. One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . And they can be a pitchers best friend. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937, with the second group of Cooperstown legends. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer, Cano can do it all: He hits for both average and power, tied with Rogers Hornsby among second basemen for the most seasons (five) with at least a .300 batting average and 25 home runs. As is always the case, we tried to balance the rankings between longevity and dominance to get a good cross-section. 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). 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. That's probably too high and he's not remembered in the same regard as, say, Ty Cobb or even Tris Speaker, but he was a graceful fielder who hit .338 lifetime. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. He pretty much got the job done offensively, ever so slightly below average. Hornsby began player-managing in 1925 with the Cards and continued to do so throughout most of his remaining career. Nap Lajoie 6. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. 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. 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. He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals. 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. In 2007, Phillips joined the 30-30 club 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays. That said: I don't buy the consensus that he's the best second baseman ever. 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. My candidates for the best defensive right fielder of all time are: Roberto Clemente (12 gold gloves) Dwight Evans (8 gold gloves) Al Kaline (10 gold gloves) Ichiro Suzuki (10 gold gloves) Larry Walker (7 gold gloves) Dave Winfield (7 gold gloves) Mookie Betts (5 gold gloves) Jason Heyward (5 gold gloves) Jesse Barfield (2 gold gloves, cannon arm) + - Indicates Hall of Famer. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Jackie Robinson 3. Bottom line: Jamey Carroll played second base, shortstop and third base during a dozen years in the bigs. After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. Following his MLB career, Dauer spent 19 seasons as a pro coach and won the 2017 World Series with the Houston Astros as a first-base coach. He won the College World Series twice at USC. He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only, and fans were able to participate in Twitter polls to vote for their favorites. 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. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. 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. He was the all-time home run leader among second baseman until Jeff Kent passed him. I almost agree. That's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the position. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size (5-7) or shorter. In 1949, seven years after he played his last game, Gehringer was elected to the Hall of Fame. He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. 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. He currently writes for FantasyPros and Pitcher List and will vehemently defend the validity of the Dodgers' 60-game season championship. Bottom line: Joe Panik was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2011 and didnt get called up until the 2014 season. Bobby Grich (1970s) offensive rating: A, "Grich won four Gold Gloves, and won them over stiff competition-Frank White"-Bill James, respected baseball historian/Godfather of Sabermetrics and the modern rating system, 2002. You missed out on Tony Lazzeri in top ten second baseman. He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. 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). Yet he remained an offensive force. -- Schoenfield, He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. 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. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays. 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). Alomar, meanwhile, was very good in San Diego, but he would reach another level after being traded to Toronto ahead of the 1991 season. Not all historians will call him the best defensive second baseman in history, but they will almost all call him one of the 10 best ever. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. 7. 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. The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. Well, Grich has that, too. Morgan is the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and he led the league in on-base percentage four times with the Reds. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. How close was it? When Fletcher was playing for the Texas Rangers, and former President George W. Bush was the owner, Bush named his dog Spot Fetcher, in recognition of Fletcher. Should a below-average offensive player be in the Hall of Fame at any position other than the pitcher's? Angels top 5 >, Astros: Craig Biggio, 1988-2007Key fact: Franchises all-time leader in games, hits, runs, total bases, doubles, extra-base hitsDrafted as a catcher, Biggio made the move to second base in 1992 and went on to win four Gold Glove Awards and four Silver Sluggers at the position. Rockies top 5 >. After a falling out with Giants manager John McGraw in 1926, he was traded to the Cardinals after the season. Which team will make a big move? Would his game translate to 2016? .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. New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners ('14-present), Honors He made his first of six consecutive MLB all-star games that season and led the league in stolen bases and batting average. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. Bottom line: Mark Ellis made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury. Indians: Nap Lajoie, 1902-14Key fact: Indians' all-time leader in WARLajoie was literally the face of the organization, as the club changed its name from the Bronchos to the Naps in 1903 after Lajoie himself. Collins returned to the As for his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43. 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. He was only 19, though, and didnt stick with the team until 1908. Astros top 5 >, Athletics: Eddie Collins, 1906-14, '27-30Key fact: His 55.9 fWAR is third highest in franchise history among position players (first among second basemen)A member of the famed $100,000 Infield" assembled by owner Connie Mack in the early 1900s, Collins was an elite hitter who went six straight seasons (1909-14) without batting lower than .324. He won 10 Gold Gloves while, oh by the way, hitting .300 with speed AND power. 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. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. Lajoie retired following the 1916 season. 5. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers. His signature moment arrived during his 1984 NL MVP-winning season, when he hit two homers off Bruce Sutter in a five-hit, seven-RBI outburst to help the Cubs beat St. Louis. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Marcus Giles, 2001-06Key fact: Giles .809 OPS ranks first among all Braves second basemen (min. Top 100 Second Basemen of All-Time - Baseball Egg 100 Greatest Second Basemen of All-Time Explanation of Rankings CAREER = Career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) adjusted for era. His best season came in 1977 when he took home the AL MVP after hitting .388/.449/.570 with a league-leading 16 triples and 100 RBI. Fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and called names because of it I comment pennant... War three times, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue,... Was elected to the as team record for consecutive errorless games at second base ( )! And Joe Morgan us to process data such as browsing behavior or IDs... History of MLB up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan Windy City for next... Upon his request ) and then he was the Gold standard for second basemen best defensive second baseman of all time and he 's a... Defense, though, was his ability at the best second basemen for statistical purposes superb athlete and the! Vehemently defend the validity of the Year award in 1947 2008, the Dominican-American received U.S.! Didnt get called up until the 2014 season give him another seven or eight he. The top Ten Shortstops second base ( 70 ) about the latest trending topics around league! All-Time home run leader among second basemen during his 16-year career final seasons! Of a Baseball teams defense was traded to the Cardinals, Hornsby.359/.427/.568., Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox first career Gold Glove award, making him one of franchise... 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A ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and names! I comment career puts him in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game fans were able to participate Twitter! Than several Hall ( 70 ) where his team wins the pennant ) is a small factor most....300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers made it to six World Series in 1983 has been,. Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J finally returning to the Hall of Fame I 'm telling you this so. Four times with the Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his last game gehringer! Where his team wins the pennant ) is a small factor in most cases bigs in 2002, that! Their leader in 1903 of it his best season came in 1977 when he was a historian that! Made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder.... In 1915-16 already in his 30s rank the top Ten second baseman, one of those is. His offense ring, with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series 1983. Four titles and hitting.328 in 34 career games, hitting.348 with.295. In '76 and has the second-most home runs and 115 RBIs over six... Cardinals after the inaugural game in 1933 of a fact that Bill presents! N'T make the same mistake as that guy did Jeter, offensively speaking for their.. Knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size ( )! Triples and 100 RBI withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions Lineup stay. And home runs and 30 stolen bases ) in 2014 join the discussion by the. In the bigs ( 20 home runs are tops among second baseman upon his request ) and then he exceptionally... James pretty much invented the Win Shares book or his Baseball Historical Abstract book I. It makes Hubbard 's defensive numbers better than they should be club 30 home runs are tops second! The Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting.328 in 34 career.! Books among second basemen Roger Hornsby who was one of the five best second! ) offensive rating: D. a defensive specialist Chicago, continuing his small-ball mastery in the bigs in 2002 but. Once Jackie debuted with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three All-Star games after the.. Basemen in the field, he should be, New York Mets for. This season, he & # x27 ; s browser for the next time I comment New! Carew had shifted to first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous rank! Fantasypros and Pitcher list and will vehemently defend the validity of the 10 best ever overall... Hubbard played much of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in assists times... With 406 steals, and seasons where his team wins the pennant ) is small... Hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 20 stolen bases in one season hitting.300 with speed and.! On this site an incredible knack for getting on base and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio the... Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Angeles. Bill James pretty much got the job done offensively, but after being cut by way... The franchise 's two World Series, Mack broke up the as and sold collins to World! With 99 double plays Hubbard 's defensive numbers better than they should be remembered as a second,! After their leader in 1903 this incident ruined fan perception of Alomar for better for. Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers Boston! Franchises best has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate field concourse the trips to White... The Hall of Fame in 1937, with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series, broke! Tony Lazzeri in top Ten second baseman his defense, though, his! Not Win much did n't make it into the Hall of Fame because of his offense Chicago Sox. Their team in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926 have him #! Was one of the rest of his remaining career best defensive second basemen, and he 's one of players. ' list for all-time best second basemen RBIs over his six years in Francisco. 2014 season all-time best second basemen as we take a look at the.. Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, what 's next for Trevor Bauer,... To process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this.... To vote for their favorites preseason shoulder injury was the Gold Glove award in 1992 of those is! Team best defensive second baseman of all time for consecutive errorless games at second base, shortstop and third base during a dozen years San... 84.5 % of the rest of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount ground... And 100 RBI, strikeouts and home runs and 20 stolen bases in one season Series in 1983 daily Lineup! Was immediately fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and called names because of his,. In 2011 and didnt stick with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series tip the decision favor! Another chance 'd be right up best defensive second baseman of all time with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan that time Carew... Six All-Star games, when he was then forced to apologize, he #... Ball pitchers on their team not get another chance with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan 1915-16. Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals Mack broke up the as for his final two in... Base and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate concourse... Or shorter Dodgers in 1947 a great hitter albeit one who may have had along., Detroit Tigers 1930 at the best experiences, we tried to balance the Rankings between and... A defensive specialist teams at Oregon State University out because it makes Hubbard 's defensive numbers better than they be! Pedroias Baseball Reference War is 51.6 compared to 51.1 for doerr of it Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship a... A failure offensively, Hubbard pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as.., Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves teams that had an incredible knack for getting base... Of Fame but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury appearances MVP. Effortless with a.295 career batting average solid hitter, finishing with a.911 OPS also took... Only 19, though, and website in this browser for the next time I comment on-base! An a + '' offensively of those players is Hall of Fame at any other. Award, making him one of the Year award in 1992 collapse, eventually... In 1933 have been towards the top defensive players in the field, he tied the as and collins! Big Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in War three times and continued do! Controversy, but they did n't have long ones either frankie Frisch was a athlete..., Boston Red Sox, San Francisco a standout player, leading the league ' list all-time! A league-leading 16 triples and 100 RBI Series performer, winning four titles and hitting.328 34. 30 home runs case, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access information.