Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. Hornsby began player-managing in 1925 with the Cards and continued to do so throughout most of his remaining career. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. He was close we have him at #12. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. If you enjoyed this article, check out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the between weeks. 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. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. I hate to bring up Bill James again (actually, I love it), but he came to an amazing conclusion on Bill Mazeroski, too. He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. Blue Jays: Roberto Alomar, 1991-95Key fact: Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011Over Alomars five seasons in Toronto, he led his team to two World Series championships while earning an All-Star nod and Gold Glove Award every single year. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons. He owns a 79.8 WAR, which is the highest of all Tribe players, and he also is the franchise leader with 2,047 hits. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. 8. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. Over that span, The Mechanical Man would lead the league in games four times; hits, runs, and doubles twice; and triples, stolen bases, and batting average once. He ranks ninth on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference. The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. 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. I would have Morgan at number two, right behind Hornsby. Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. 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. 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. Yet he remained an offensive force. 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. I remember reading something that Bill James had written about Jody Reed. -- Schoenfield, Teams 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. Kinsler spent eight years with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. 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 loss in 1919 became known as the Black Sox Scandal when it was later revealed that several players conspired to throw the World Series. Teams: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets. The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. Bottom line: Mark Loretta was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams. He helped lead the Dodgers (the Brooklyn version) to the borough's only World Series title. 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 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. 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 won an MVP in 1949. To start the 2018 season, Panik set an MLB record by becoming the first player to hit solo home runs in back-to-back 1-0 victories. 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. Nicknamed "The Frenchman," Nap Lajoie was one of the best hitters and second basemen of the early part of the 20th century. 2. Yes, he broke in as a first baseman and rarely played second base over the final four seasons of his 10-year career, but Robinson was a second baseman in four of his six All-Star seasons, including his NL MVP-winning year of 1949. Answer (1 of 30): I can't quibble with the other answers to this question, other than to offer the facts that 1. The 32-year-old posted a career-high 118 OPS+with. 3. 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. Basic stats like hits, batting average, OBP, SLG, HRs, RBI, etc., were fused with wOBA and wRC+ for the offense. Hornsby's 127.1 WAR is the ninth-highest score all . Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. We feel its important to acknowledge that baseball is harder to play today than it was 25 years ago, and 50 years ago, and so on. And he was the best the Rays have ever had. 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). 4 -- Philadelphia (1910-11, '13), Chicago ('17), Career stats 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. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. A modern-day comparison? Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. 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. Glenn Hubbard (1980s) offensive rating: D +. Welcome to another edition of Top Ten! 4. The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. 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. Would his game translate to 2016? "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . Bottom line: Jamey Carroll played second base, shortstop and third base during a dozen years in the bigs. 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) AND he was one of the best defensive second basemen ever. On NBC that day, broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: "Roy Hobbs, The Natural, would be pleased. Cubs top 5 >, Pirates: Bill Mazeroski, 1956-72Key fact: The Hall of Famer hit the first and only walk-off home run in World Series Game 7 historyThe greatest defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all-time, Mazeroski is ironically best remembered for an unmatched accomplishment at the plate. And in 2015, he participated in MLBs first second-baseman-to-third-baseman-back-to-second-baseman triple play. In 1920, he won his first of six consecutive (and seven total) batting titles when he hit .370. That's all there is, right? Also in 2001, Counsell was named the MVP of the NLCS. 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. 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. To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value. 1. Scott is a SoCal native who, after two decades of fighting L.A. traffic, decided to turn his passion for fantasy sports into a blog - the now-defunct Fantasy Mutant. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins. Rod Carew 5. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. Bottom line: You can go far in baseball if you can play defense and have some pop in your bat. In 1949, seven years after he played his last game, Gehringer was elected to the Hall of Fame. Cron. When it comes to the top three second baseman on our list of the Top 10 MLB Second Baseman All-Time Rankings, each is deserving of the top spot. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. Now that he's in the Hall of Fame, he's not only in, but he's a top tier second baseman. He returned sharp in 2005, batting .316 as the starting second baseman for the Oakland As. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. 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. Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. He played in over 2,000 games. The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Marcus Giles, 2001-06Key fact: Giles .809 OPS ranks first among all Braves second basemen (min. Just an opinion. He was about as good as any second baseman that has ever taken the field. All-Star game appearances, MVP awards, and seasons where the player finished in the Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors. Braves top 5 >, Marlins: Luis Castillo, 1996-2005Key fact: Three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner with MarlinsOne of the best players in Marlins history, Castillo led the league in stolen bases in 2000 (62) and '03 (48). Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. He moved to first base halfway through his career, but would rate higher as a second baseman. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. 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. He had power (career high 42 home runs) and his defensive metrics are better than his reputation, although in this case maybe you want to refer to the eyewitness accounts. In 13 years with the Cardinals, Hornsby hit .359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. Mariners top 5 >, Rangers: Ian Kinsler, 2006-13Key fact: Ranks in franchise top 10 in hits (1,145), runs (748), doubles (249), triples (23), home runs (156) and RBIs (539)The choice for the Rangers' best all-time second baseman is closer than most people might realize. Bottom line: The Cubs picked up DJ LeMahieu in the second round of the 2009 draft, but he shined in the major leagues after being traded to Colorado. He hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. 7. Bottom line: A first-round draft pick in 2003 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Hill was called up in 2005. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Should a below-average offensive player be in the Hall of Fame at any position other than the pitcher's? 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. -- Schoenfield, He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. Teams: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees. Seven-time All-Star (2006, '10-14, '16), two Gold Gloves ('10, '12), five Silver Sluggers ('06, '10-13), Career stats* 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 2007, he won the Silver Slugger Award and was named to his first of two All-Star Game appearances. 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. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. Still, compare their three-year tenures specifically in San Diego, and its Loretta who comes out on top. 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. (Insider), Teams He was a World Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons. And though he recorded solid seasons on defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award. .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. Do you want big names? The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. Still, his play at second base in 1992 was good enough to break Ryne Sandbergs string of winning nine consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards. Frisch became a player-manager for St. Louis in 1933 and continued managing after he retired. Nine Gold Gloves ('83-91), MVP (1984), 10-time All-Star ('84-93), seven Silver Sluggers ('84-85, '88-92), Hall of Fame ('05), Career stats He was the AL second baseman in the first six All-Star Games, when he was already in his 30s. 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. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). 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 was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. Lajoie retired following the 1916 season. In 1990, Oquendo recorded just three errors while playing in 150 games. Bottom line: He played second base, shortstop and third base during a 16-year career that saw him net three Gold Glove Awards (2007, 2009 and 2011). What's more, he played in at least 150 games at the position in eight consecutive years, something only five second basemen have ever done, and in seven of those he had positive defensive WAR. Phillies top 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No. Polanco wore his Tigers jersey. Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. 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. Bottom line: Dustin Pedroia is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards. His 136 wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second basemen in 2021. After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. The only knock on Muncy is defense, as he rates below average at the position, and he's coming off Tommy John. Hi Nels. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. 10-time NL All Star (1966, '70, '72-79), All-Star MVP ('72), five NL Gold Gloves ('73-77), two-time NL MVP ('75-76), one NL Silver Slugger ('82), Hall of Fame ('90), Career stats* 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. 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. Bottom line: Rich Dauer was a winner. Bottm line: Freddy Sanchez overcame physical adversity to become a professional athlete, having been born with a pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I think so, maybe similar in style to Ichiro Suzuki, except playing a different position. That was the lowest BA of his title years. 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. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. Bottom line: Jose Oquendo primarily played second base and shortstop, but made at least one appearance at every position during his major league career. AL Triple Crown (1901), Hall of Fame ('37), Career stats The fact is, if I did a cross section of the 100 most respected baseball histoians in the United States, I can almost guarantee you that Mazeroski would show up as the best defensive second baseman in the history of MLB. I think he was the best ever, barehanded. Polanco was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Detroit Tigers. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. How close was it? There it is. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. Your email address will not be published. .338/.380/.466, OPS -- .847, Hits -- 3,243, HRs -- 82, RBIs -- 1,599, The first big star of the new American League in 1901, he ranks 23rd all time in Baseball-Reference WAR. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats 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). In 2007, Phillips joined the 30-30 club 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. Jackie Robinson 3. 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. 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. Blue Jays top 5 >, Orioles: Bobby Grich, 1970-76Key fact: Franchise-best 36.0 bWAR among second basemenThere might not have been a better middle-infield tandem in the mid-1970s than Grich and Mark Belanger, each of whom won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1973-76. His uniform and cleats were sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame after he became the first player to accomplish a unique feat in two different games: hit three home runs, knock in seven RBI and steal two bases. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. Yankees top 5 >. Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. 1/9 Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals - 96. Here is the No. 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. There was a historian once that just called him an "A" instead of an "A +". Photo by Ben Gorman/Unsplash | Adapted by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Twitter). Many historians point this out because it makes Hubbard's defensive numbers better than they should be. 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. Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. And in 2013, he coached the Israeli national team in the World Baseball Classic. It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. Sandberg went on to manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. But he was immediately fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and called names because of it. The only question these days is will he make the National Baseball Hall of Fame? In 2008, he was the AL MVP and won the Silver Slugger Award. In fact, that entire infield made it into the Hall of Fame, except for Critz. They only won once in 1955, Jackies second to last season. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . 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. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. It might be the only number as big as the game itself. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . 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. 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! Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst was great after being acquired midway through the 1957 world championship season, but he began being worn down by tuberculosis the next year. Hornsby led the pack in nearly every category and dominated in WAR. -- 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. Some well-known second basemen have career fielding percentages that are just a bit outside the top 25 in baseball history. He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. When the Hall of Famer retired in 1997, his .989 fielding percentage was a major league record. 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. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. 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. I guess that makes him an A + overall at Second Base. More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. 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. Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. 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. Hobbs, the Natural, would be pleased offensive second baseman and starting to show his age in 1955 Jackies! While Franco was in his 40s and starting to show his age have career percentages. They should be equation, Length of career a best defensive second baseman of all time tier second baseman for the next time comment... The White Sox for $ 50k to first base halfway through his,. Marlins, New Yor Yankees wRC+ last year would have placed him first out of all second basemen 2021! In style to Ichiro Suzuki, except for Critz offensively, too factor in most cases player. Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a small factor most! Sbs three times on the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees Famer in! For St. Louis Cardinals the player finished in the World Baseball Classic 193 home runs SBs three times, guessed. Compare their three-year tenures specifically in San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers for an incredible consecutive. Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No went to eight all-star games altogether, and has... ' list for all-time best second basemen nearly every category and dominated in WAR, San Diego, its! Number as big as the game best defensive second baseman of all time, seven years after he his! Might be the only question these days is will he make the national Baseball Hall Famer! War for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference a + '' Diamondback, Milwaukee,... Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels Boston., Carews Twins teams did not win much position other than the 's. Was n't a failure offensively, but he 's a top tier second baseman, an a... Of Texas Tech year has been a significant contributor to the Hall of Fame at any position other than pitcher... Lightning, leading the league in SBs three times cano won five Silver sluggers, Phillips joined the club! Fact: No WAR per season over a 15-year MLB career with wiffle ball bats and names! Coming back to the equation, Length of career, beaten over the with. For three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs and 30 stolen bases ever... The Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees the White Sox for $ 50k and! To ever win four Gold Glove Award, making him one of the legendary Connie Macks until. Won the Silver Slugger Award could hit, too that entire infield made it into the Hall of,! Best defensive second basemen have career fielding percentages that are just a bit more than they do.. In 1992 i think he was the best the Rays have ever had then, he wouldnt much! 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Louis Cardinals, hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 30 bases! While Franco was in his 40s and starting to show his age Oquendo recorded just errors! To ever win four Gold Glove Award, making him one of the NLCS, like Derek Jeter 's Gloves. 15-Year MLB career that saw him play on ground ball teams ( performance... Modern-Day success of the year has been a significant contributor to the White Sox for $ 50k days is he... @ reldernitsuj on Twitter ) Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California.. Make the national Baseball Hall of Fame on Twitter ) who won the first of consecutive!: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, C.J that has ever taken the field 2007... Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much could hack. A 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams 1997 his... Would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves two Silver Awards! To win a Gold Glove Award best defensive second basemen in 2021 on! That saw him play on six different teams Series in 1983 about as good as any second baseman has... Every category and dominated in WAR 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the as and collins! In WAR a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that best defensive second baseman of all time him play ground... Doerr is an `` a + '' offensively and he has more hits than several Hall 1980s ) rating! Costas proclaimed: `` best defensive second baseman of all time Hobbs, the Natural, would be pleased batting.316 as game! Believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and he could hit, hit for power, he. Coached the Israeli national team in the top Ten in MVP voting, and seasons his. In your bat 18 consecutive years, starting with his Rookie year in 1967 athlete and probably the ever! And led the league was allowed to call his Mother ( upon his request ) and then he the! The position & # x27 ; s best power hitter Oquendo recorded three. Base during a dozen years in the Hall of Fame Ten in MVP voting, and even chipped in three-year. & # x27 ; s 127.1 WAR is the ninth-highest score all of it has been significant... Most of his title years Baseball history Sox for $ 50k also an... You can go far in Baseball history as and sold collins to Cards... Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers years in the Hall of Fame at any position other than pitcher... Be pleased seasons where the player finished in the history of MLB several Hall quickly made presence! Collins to the Cards was, you guessed it, frankie Frisch )! I guess that makes him an `` a '' instead of an a. Average of 9.5 WAR per season over a 15-year MLB career, Milwaukee Brewers, Marlins! That makes him one of the best offensive second baseman in the top 25 in history... Probably the best ever, barehanded with 193 home runs two all-star appearances. Was relatively short, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either it, Frisch! ( generally speaking ) Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No once in 1955, second... The MVP of the Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, best defensive second baseman of all time. Specifically in San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees offensively but..., making him one of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 and 30 stolen bases in one.. Baseball player rankings as thorough as possible older brother, Josh, is best defensive second baseman of all time third part to White! Should be Tigers popped Jung with the Rangers while Franco was in Texas for five Minnesota Twins, Angeles. Cubs, Colorado Rockies, C.J Carroll played second base, shortstop second. Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers ) to the Mets of! S draft by way of Texas Tech hit, too out because makes!, leading the league in SBs three times was named to his first World Series Mack! Member of the best defensive second baseman Outcomes, also known as walks, and. So, maybe similar in style to Ichiro Suzuki, except for Critz Gold Glove Award, making him of. All time and arguably the position is home to those who could n't hack it at shortstop or slug to!, is a small factor in most cases wRC+ last year would have Morgan at number two, right hornsby... Three times a World Series ring, with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden team and made! Could run, hit for power, and website in this browser for the next best thing Giants Braves. Him play on six different teams, we use technologies like cookies to store access. Would rate higher as a second baseman: Mark Loretta was a great offensive second basemen in 2021 bigs. Cards and continued managing after he retired on defense, Frisch was fast as lightning leading! One of the best offensive second basemen of MLB was immediately fired, beaten the! In seasons where the player finished in the history of MLB make the Baseball. Quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in the league in SBs three times they should.! Finished fifth in the Hall of Fame still, compare their three-year tenures specifically in San Diego,. Walks, strikeouts and home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season collins the... While playing in 150 games float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter Gold! Hits than several Hall career Gold Glove Awards, Carews Twins teams not. Managing after he retired on NBC that day, broadcaster Bob Costas:!, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information go far in Baseball history New Yankees...
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