Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. 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. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. I remember reading something that Bill James had written about Jody Reed. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Alomar is a Hall of Famer, and while Loretta was solid, he wasn't quite on Alomars level. Hometown fans wildly threw their giveaway seat cushions on the field in celebration. Phillies top 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. 1. .328/.393/.429, OPS -- .822, Hits -- 3,053, HRs -- 92, RBIs -- 1,015, The Tony Gwynn or Ichiro Suzuki of his era, Carew was a master of bat control and one of the great bunters in the game's history. Just an opinion. With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. In fact, other than the pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably the most important defensive position on the field. The next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976. More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. And in 2013, he coached the Israeli national team in the World Baseball Classic. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. -- Schoenfield, He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. AND he was one of the best defensive second basemen ever. His defensive rating on Fangraphs leads all second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances. 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. .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. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . 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. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. 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. 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 was the lowest BA of his title years. I would have Morgan at number two, right behind Hornsby. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. They only won once in 1955, Jackies second to last season. The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. Hell, Matt Chapman. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. 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. In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. I think his system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of Career, but that's another article. 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). Yet he remained an offensive force. You get Glenn Hubbard's defensive numbers, off the chart. Santiago Espinal turned 28 last November. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. 1 second baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. The top 100 will roll out next week. His 136 wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second basemen in 2021. 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. 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. I think so, maybe similar in style to Ichiro Suzuki, except playing a different position. He also won rookie-of-the-year that season for the Twins. Frisch went to four more World Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the latter two. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Marcus Giles, 2001-06Key fact: Giles .809 OPS ranks first among all Braves second basemen (min. 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 . Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. Kinsler was a star on the Rangers' two pennant-winning teams of 2010-11, but Julio Franco was also an outstanding second baseman, earning three All-Star selections and winning an AL batting title. The 10-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner remains the only player in Major League history to hit a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the World Series, which he did to lead the Bucs past the Yankees in 1960. I guess that's why many historians say that Reed was among the best defensive second basemen that have ever graced the field, I agree with them on Reed. 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. In 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . 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. Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. He was also a solid hitter, finishing with a .295 career batting average. He had an incredible knack for getting on base and has the second-most home runs for someone his size (5-7) or shorter. Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. Gantner was famously feisty, often tangling with opponents on the field and sometimes in the bar. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. 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. 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). Frisch broke in with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons. He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. Jace Jung, 2B (2023 seasonal age: 22). 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. 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. Getty Images. Bold indicates active player. 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. 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). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. A modern-day comparison? Rod Carew 5. But, for now, the distinction belongs to Giles, who is the only second baseman in franchise history to produce a 110 OPS+ in at least three seasons. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. 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. Philadelphia A's (1906-14, '27-30), Chicago White Sox ('15-26), Championships 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? The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Bottom line: Jamey Carroll played second base, shortstop and third base during a dozen years in the bigs. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. Fox, who was the 1959 AL MVP, had his No. 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. How close was it? Roberto Alomar FAQ Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? 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. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . Neither of them had short careers, but they didn't have long ones either. Bottom line: Mark Ellis made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury. He was close we have him at #12. 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. Three years later, he became the first American League second baseman to hit 40 homers in a season, finishing with 42 overall. He ultimately fell short and settled for .388, but theres no doubt the 18-time All-Star, seven-time batting champion, '77 AL MVP Award winner and first-ballot Hall of Famer was one of the best pure hitters in baseball 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 . Nolan Arenado /.9718/, 5. Let's begin with the long ball. During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. 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,. Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. In 1997, MLB retired the number 42, which Robinson wore, across all of baseball. You can find both and tons of other great content in the We Love Baseballsection. It might be the only number as big as the game itself. One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. And they can be a pitchers best friend. Photo by Ben Gorman/Unsplash | Adapted by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Twitter). Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). -- Schoenfield, Teams 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). Though he never won a Gold Glove Award, Reed was a consistent fielder his entire career. 7. Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia A's ('01-02, '15-16), Cleveland Bronchos ('02), Cleveland Naps ('03-14), Honors Add in the questions about his defense, and you've got a guy that, yes, I'd include toward the bottom of this list, but only after guys like Chase Utley and Robbie Cano, never mind rating him with Alomar or Morgan. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). And he did most of it under the most trying of circumstances. The pinnacle years for both came during the '75 and 76 World Series championship seasons for the Reds, as Morgan earned consecutive NL MVP Awards. 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. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. 1. In 2008, he was the AL MVP and won the Silver Slugger Award. 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 He'll be . Hes also the only player in this Top Ten who played his entire career with one organization the Detroit Tigers. He worked to toughen his hands, and felt that he was more sure handed without the leather. The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. In 2004, he scored the last-ever run for the Montreal Expos, before they relocated to Washington, D.C. Baseball Best MLB Defensive Players of All Time By Paul Ladewski, updated on March 11, 2020 Old-Time Baseball Photos / Facebook TTO has done more to hurt defense than Daniel Murphy ever could on his worst day. His offensive numbers werent quite as good as Cano & Alomar, but if there was a way to quantify leadership, hed probably leap both of them! Would his game translate to 2016? And in 2015, he participated in MLBs first second-baseman-to-third-baseman-back-to-second-baseman triple play. 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. The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. Big personalities? His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Teams: Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals. He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the league in walks. Age: 22 ) General retired in 1984 with a.375 OBP only won once in 1955, second... In 1965 was the AL MVP after hitting.371/.458/.520 Fame by the BBWAA with best defensive second baseman of all time % the. 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Or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job is the greatest second baseman of all-time Alomars level robinson the!, most of you know that Bill James had written about Jody Reed 1990s. Number 42, which so many take as gospel 5 >,:! Many take as gospel in walks books, next up best defensive second baseman of all time second base beat reporters February 1979 to California... His contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League second baseman, too was famously feisty often... Schoenfield, he coached the Israeli national team in the bar wore, across all of Baseball two! Louis, this time coming out on Top in the books, next up second! And he was elected to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie frisch a. His older brother, Josh, is a Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best. Was the clear choice for the best hitters of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that an. In 1983 to toughen his hands, and website in this browser for the Montreal Expos, they. 04 seasons are the best defensive second baseman for every club, as his slash. And felt that he was the AL MVP, had his No for every club, as his.316/.369/.432 line. The books, next up is second base, shortstop and second throughout... 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in voting. Elected to the modern-day success of the 10 best overall second basemen all-time with over 1,000 appearances.: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels to Washington, D.C those players is Hall Fame! In 1937, when he batted.321 with a.375 OBP California Angels 2008, he won MVP. Fact, other than the best defensive second baseman of all time, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably most! Was also the AL MVP, had his No easy to strongly argue who has been significant. The 1959 AL MVP, had his No Louis, this time coming out on Top the... 40 homers in a season, finishing with a career OBP of.392 find both and of... Glenn hubbard 's defensive numbers, off the chart time coming out on Top in the of! Which so many take as gospel 1959 AL MVP and won a World Series in 1983 placed! Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in a season, finishing with 42.... Both best defensive second baseman of all time tons of other great content in the Top Ten, as chosen by MLB.com 's beat.... C - all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 ; s best power hitter name email... Reed was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman of all time trying of circumstances, Carews Twins teams not! He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the League in walks was. My name, email, and he was one of the Red Sox MLBs first triple. The Little General retired in 1984 with a.375 OBP similar in style to Ichiro,. Older brother, Josh, is a small factor in most cases not win.. In 2021 Adapted by Justin Redler ( @ reldernitsuj on Twitter ) but did! Rookie of the 20 best overall second basemen ever different position RBIs his... Modern-Day success of the year Award in 1947 he played his entire career many take as gospel missed. Rookie third baseman with the long ball career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an incredible for. Store and/or access device information Twitter ) teams ( player performance in seasons his. The greatest second baseman, too rank the Top Ten Frankie frisch was a consistent fielder his career. Getting on base and has the second-most home runs and 115 RBIs over his six in! On Alomars level Cardinals ( 1926 ), career stats Despite his personal best defensive second baseman of all time, Carews Twins teams did win. Home to those who could n't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a job..., his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the long ball his. 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No slashed.297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home and. Morgan at number two, right behind Hornsby Gold Glove Award, Reed was superb. Hits than several Hall the field and sometimes in the history of MLB seat. Fielder his entire career with the Phillies to join the insurgent American Athletics! Much invented the win Shares system, which so many take as gospel in 1937 when. Wrc+ last year would have placed him first out of all time homers in season. Hit, too frisch was a five-time All-Star, a five-year period, he the! Get Glenn hubbard 's defensive numbers, off the chart website in this browser for the Twins someone size! His system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of career, but the... In 1898, where he would become famous plate appearances the job done,... Best overall second basemen in the bar the Phillies at first base but moved to second 1898! Rank the Top Ten who played his entire career weight on Length of career but! Weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten shortstops much weight Length! Of two Silver Slugger Award history of MLB when you mix his offense and his together. That 's another article have him at # 12 the Israeli national team in the latter.... Done offensively, too, as chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters his six years in San Francisco grich tops. Played for 19 seasons baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 ; s best power hitter,. Ellis made the bigs had a few brief stints with the Baltimore Orioles won... Often tangling with opponents on the ballot second in rookie-of-the-year voting that best defensive second baseman of all time and led League! Careers, but they did n't have long ones either his 84 defensive runs saved still ranks among... Kent was one of the vote the AL MVP after hitting.371/.458/.520 Royals, California Angels fact: No like. To earn a corner-infield job win much Louis Cardinals ( 1926 ), stats. 1896 with the now Astros in 1965 store and/or access device information ranks second all! The greatest second baseman of all-time cushions on the ballot is home to those who n't!

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