best defensive second baseman of all time

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 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. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). Hill excelled in 2009, when he rebounded from a concussion that ended his previous season and was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year after slugging 36 home runs and notching 108 RBI. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. And boy could he play defense. The BBWAA wasted no time adding him to the group at Cooperstown, electing him in his first year of eligibility in 1990. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. The next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976. 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 also won an MVP with the Cards in 1931 and made it to three all-star games after the inaugural game in 1933. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. Your email address will not be published. Hi Nels. Mets top 5 >, Nationals: Jos Vidro, 1997-2004 (Expos/Nationals)Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWARThe switch-hitting Vidro played for the Expos and Nationals for 10 of his 12 Major League seasons, slashing .301/.363/.459 with an .821 OPS, 1,280 hits, 550 RBIs and 115 home runs during that time. 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. He ranks first in stolen bases; second in games played, plate appearances, triples, and runs; third in batting average; and sixth in RBI. Your email address will not be published. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Though he never won a Gold Glove Award, Reed was a consistent fielder his entire career. Big numbers? The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. He played in Baltimore and New York. Rookie of the Year (1947), MVP ('49), six-time All Star ('49-54), Hall of Fame ('62), Career stats Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. Teams: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets. He managed in the minor leagues for the New York Yankees for three years, and in 2011, he was named manager of the year at the helm of the Arizona League Dodgers. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. Best Season: 2008 - .292/.380/.535 with 33 home runs, 104 RBIs, 64 walks, a .915 OPS, 6.0 offensive WAR, 3.5 defensive WAR and an 8.2 fWAR Being blocked by Placido Polanco early in his career and knee injuries at the back-half of his prime kept Utley from accumulating the type of counting statistics to make him a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. Career Fld% Leaders:1.Placido Polanco/.9834/, 2.Mike Lowell/.9743/, 3. 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. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. 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 won rings in Toronto. Should a below-average offensive player be in the Hall of Fame at any position other than the pitcher's? And they can be a pitcher's best friend. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners ('14-present), Honors And he did most of it under the most trying of circumstances. Frank White was not only the best second baseman in Royals history, he is one of the greatest defensive second baseman in baseball history. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only, and fans were able to participate in Twitter polls to vote for their favorites. Second Base JAWS Leaders. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. 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). 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. Also in 2001, Counsell was named the MVP of the NLCS. Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. Three years later, he became the first American League second baseman to hit 40 homers in a season, finishing with 42 overall. Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. His long career puts him high in the record books among second basemen. Offense and defense? 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. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. Matt Chapman /.9737/, 4. Phillies top 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. Bottom line: A three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a well-rounded utility player. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. So he's got that going for him, which is nice. That's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the position. 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. Bottom line: Mark Ellis made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury. Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew 1. 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. Eddie Collins debuted with the As just five seasons after Nap LaJoies jump. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins. The 32-year-old posted a career-high 118 OPS+with. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. -- Schoenfield, Teams Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. note-next to each player I will also list an offensive letter grade, so you know where they stand in that category, the way I see it (we can assume they are all an "A +" defensively, since they are among the top 10 all time, defensively). He was only 19, though, and didnt stick with the team until 1908. Roberto Alomar FAQ Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? 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. Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. 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. 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. 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. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. 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