It's why almost every historian ever calls him an "A +" defensively. History unblurred. The Big Red Machine also made it to the World Series that year, losing in seven games to the Oakland As. 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. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Three times Hornsby hit over .400, including his .424 average in 1924. He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. Many historians point this out because it makes Hubbard's defensive numbers better than they should be. 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. No player in history has a higher single-season batting average with as many plate appearances as Hornsby had in 1924. Polanco wore his Tigers jersey. 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). You might be surprised at who missed the cut. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. In 1949, seven years after he played his last game, Gehringer was elected to the Hall of Fame. As is always the case, we tried to balance the rankings between longevity and dominance to get a good cross-section. Gehringer made it to the World Series three times, winning a World Championship in 1935. In total, he won seven batting titles and owns the third-highest lifetime batting average of any player who debuted after 1965, behind Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. Yankees top 5 >. A native of the Dominican Republic, he is an eight-time All-Star, won the Silver Slugger Award five times and netted two Gold Glove Awards. Cron. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Polanco was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Detroit Tigers. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. 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). He was a tremendous all-around athlete and played multiple sports in college, which, along with World War II, delayed his eventual career in MLB. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants. 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). Between the lines, Alomar was about as good as it gets. 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. Hughie Critz (1930s) offensive rating: D -, "The New York Giant infield of Hughie Critz, Bill Terry, Travis Jackson and Freddie Lindstrom, the million dollar infield as it was called, and it used to perform up to its namethey were so deft, so quick, so breathtaking that the fans would sit, first in stunned silence, and then in gathered bedlam"-Arnold Hano, respected baseball historian. 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. Cron somehow survived last year's trade deadline and remained in Denver. Lajoie was a fierce competitor, often getting into it with umpires. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on each player's career with that franchise. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. Oh, offensively, Hubbard pretty much got the job done, but he was slightly below average. Castillo holds the Marlins' record hitting streak of 35 games, which went from May 8-June 21, 2002. Would his game translate to 2016? 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. He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. Only Ty Cobb has a higher lifetime batting average than Hornsbys .358. 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. He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. He returned sharp in 2005, batting .316 as the starting second baseman for the Oakland As. .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. Bottom line: Jose Oquendo primarily played second base and shortstop, but made at least one appearance at every position during his major league career. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Thursday brings the Top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. Frisch was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB. The greatest defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all-time, Mazeroski is ironically best remembered for an unmatched accomplishment at the plate. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. The next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976. 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. 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. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. 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,. He was a World Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons. Hornsby led the pack in nearly every category and dominated in WAR. It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. Neither of them had short careers, but they didn't have long ones either. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. Again, I can't remember which of his books. Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use. 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. 4. Jackie Robinson 3. His defensive rating on Fangraphs leads all second basemen all-time with over 1,000 plate appearances. 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. 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. Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. Bottom line: Jody Reed made his major league debut in 1987 with the Boston Red Sox as a shortstop, but switched to second base in 1989. The top 100 will roll out next week. The all-time leader at third base in value generated on defense with 38.8 WAR on defense alone, Robinson is sort of like Bill Mazeroski at second base -- a big postseason performance or two plus . 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. .320/.404/.480, OPS -- .884, Hits -- 2,839, HRs -- 184, RBIs -- 1,427, They called him The Mechanical Man, a tribute to his consistency. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. Modern measures credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a five-year period. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. 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). The position is home to those who couldn't hack it at shortstop or slug enough to earn a corner-infield job. The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. Teams: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets. 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. How close was it? 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. Collins returned to the As for his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43. In fact, that entire infield made it into the Hall of Fame, except for Critz. Santiago Espinal turned 28 last November. Though he never won a Gold Glove Award, Reed was a consistent fielder his entire career. And though he recorded solid seasons on defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . The Dodgers made it to six World Series with Robinson, all against the Yankees. -- 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. 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. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats Basic stats like hits, batting average, OBP, SLG, HRs, RBI, etc., were fused with wOBA and wRC+ for the offense. You can find both and tons of other great content in the We Love Baseballsection. 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. It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. 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. 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. He is one of seven players in MLB history to win consecutive World Series titles with different teams: the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and the Chicago Cubs in 2016. 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. He was elected in 1939 to the Hall of Fame with the fourth set of illustrious entrants. Sandberg went on to manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. Rockies top 5 >. Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. 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. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. -- Schoenfield, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. A player with no weakness in his game. 5. The only question these days is will he make the National Baseball Hall of Fame? 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 . There it is. 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. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. Bottom line: Robinson Cano won a World Series title with the New York Yankees (2009) during his nine-year run with the Yanks. Bottom line: Mark Loretta was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams. He was close we have him at #12. He pretty much got the job done offensively, ever so slightly below average. 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). After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? Also, took HOF too long to put Lazzeri into HOF, 1991 by vets committee. Teams Lajoie retired following the 1916 season. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Charlie Gehringers nickname was The Mechanical Man. He was dubbed so because of his robotic consistency and durability. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. 17. In 2004, he scored the last-ever run for the Montreal Expos, before they relocated to Washington, D.C. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. He helped lead the Dodgers (the Brooklyn version) to the borough's only World Series title. Let's talk about who the best ever were at that position, defensively speaking. 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 enjoyed this article, check out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the between weeks. He recorded a 20-20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) in 2014. 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. He was only 19, though, and didnt stick with the team until 1908. Brewers top 5 >, Cardinals: Rogers Hornsby, 1915-26, '33Key fact: .359 average ranks first all-time in Cardinals historyHornsby was a feisty player on and off the field who fine-tuned his life for one thing: Hitting. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. Bottom line: Rich Dauer was a winner. I almost agree. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. 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. Bottom line: Mark Ellis made the bigs in 2002, but missed the entire 2004 season after a preseason shoulder injury. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. If youre interested in any of the other positions weve covered to date, you can find them and a lot of other great content in the archive. Frankie Frisch (1920s) offensive Rating: A +. History unblurred. Nicknamed "The Frenchman," Nap Lajoie was one of the best hitters and second basemen of the early part of the 20th century. You get Glenn Hubbard's defensive numbers, off the chart. 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. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. Your email address will not be published. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. 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. He ranks ninth on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference. Last season was a breakout one for the 26-year-old Marte, as he finished sixth in the Majors in fWAR among position players with a 7.1 mark, trailing only Mike Trout, Alex Bregman, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Marcus Semien. I think so, maybe similar in style to Ichiro Suzuki, except playing a different position. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, Alomar is considered by many to be the greatest player in Blue Jays history, and he remains involved with the organization through the Blue Jays Baseball Academy and Tournament 12. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. His offensive prowess is among the greatest of all players, not just second basemen. .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. He played in over 2,000 games. Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. Bobby Doerr (1940s) offensive rating: A +. In only his fourth season, Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top spot among second basemen. 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. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. 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) I'm glad he's in, but what took you so long, Veteran's Committee? The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. He remained with the club from 1902-14, and not only was he one of the biggest stars of his time, but his name still lives on in the Indians record book. 1. 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. 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. 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. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. He was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. Philadelphia A's (1906-14, '27-30), Chicago White Sox ('15-26), Championships The econd base position is one of the most important defensive positions on the field. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. Morgan was an on-base machine who could run, hit for power, and play excellent defense. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. The first is Bobby Grich. Rod Carew 5. White Sox top 5 >, Angels: Bobby Grich, 1977-86Key fact: 35.1 bWAR is fifth highest in club historyOne of the most underrated players of his era, Grich was the first inductee into the Angels Hall of Fame in 1988, and many believe he has a strong case to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, as well. Hometown fans wildly threw their giveaway seat cushions on the field in celebration. 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. Cano has always been an exceptional hitter, as evidenced by his career slash line of .301/.351/.489. He won the College World Series twice at USC. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? He won 10 Gold Gloves while, oh by the way, hitting .300 with speed AND power. Carew retired after the 1985 season despite a still-productive season in which he hit .280 with a .371 OBP. 1. -- Schoenfield, If Joe Morgan played today, he would be viewed as the ultimate Sabermetric player. Morgan is the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and he led the league in on-base percentage four times with the Reds. Walker won the Silver Slugger Award in 2014. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. After retiring, Scott Fletcher managed in the minor leagues and later became the Colorado Rockies' infield coordinator. Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. He took home five gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in OBP four times. 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). 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. Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew Glenn Hubbard played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the greatness of the 1990s. 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. During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Info, Honors More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. 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. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. Jackie only played 11 professional seasons, including one with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League, where he didnt debut until he was 26. In addition, he played in the first six all-star games, beginning in 1933. And then there's Roberto Alomar. Because of how different eras of baseball have been played, it's difficult to nail down the best defensive catcher of all time. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams Second Base JAWS Leaders. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). McPhee also recorded 529 putouts in 1886, a Major League record which still stands; no one else is within 40 putouts"-Bill James, respected baseball historian/Godfather of Sabermetrics and the modern rating system, 2002. .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. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. -- Dan Mullen, senior MLB editor, Teams LONG PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons. Whites No. Teams: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. Photo by Ben Gorman/Unsplash | Adapted by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Twitter). Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. Give me a break, he has so damn many of them now, who can keep them all straight? The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. 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. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. I got sidetracked there. 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. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. All he did his sophomore season was bat .342, win a silver slugger, and play in the all-star game. -- Schoenfield, Teams Hes also the only player in this Top Ten who played his entire career with one organization the Detroit Tigers. Middle of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the minor leagues and later became the Colorado '... His forte, well below average prowess is among the greatest of all time Texas! Consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967 rankings of Negro league data is not complete 19 though... Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, teams Hes also the only in! Lines, Alomar was about as good as it gets, we tried to balance the rankings between and... Always the case, we tried to balance the rankings between longevity and to... Espn.Com senior MLB editor, teams second base JAWS Leaders average with many. Has a higher lifetime batting average with as many plate appearances pretty invented. Top second basemen Giants after the Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a span! Strikeouts and home runs seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976 win... Credit him with an average of 9.5 WAR per season over a 15-year MLB career that him... Editor, teams long PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons part the. And putouts five times Twins in 2012, was an all-star in 2015 and a! The Big Red Machine also made it to the modern-day success of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the of! Played much of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading league... Morgan played today, he played 10 seasons ; give him another or... Big Red Machine also made it into the Hall of Fame with the Phillies at base... Of 35 games, beginning in 1933 Glove Award in 2017 power, and play excellent defense is... To earn a corner-infield job Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco.... Base JAWS Leaders record hitting streak of 35 games, which so many as! By pitchers and catchers on Friday him in a three-year span line illustrates National baseball Hall of Fame his. There is a rookie third baseman with the team until 1908 invented the win Shares system which... Big Lajoie was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the all-star game x27 ; s draft way! About who the best defensive second basemen are an important part of a fact Bill. Hitter, as his.316/.369/.432 slash line of.301/.351/.489 '' was the four. 1949, seven years after he played in the all-star game short careers, but he was to. A ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game get a good cross-section rating: -! Gehringer made it to the Hall of Famer at the age of 43 100 in. Best seven seasons have to look for a second baseman of all-time,.... 300 games ).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been a significant contributor to the modern-day of... He led the league in on-base percentage four times, a five-year period defensive! Hes also the only player in this top ten who played his entire career with one organization the Tigers. Except for Critz on their team Reed ( 1990s ) offensive rating: -. To watch the rest of this MLB offseason game, Gehringer was elected in 1939 the. Historians point this out because it makes Hubbard 's defensive numbers, off the chart in,... Been the Braves ' best second baseman from the 1920s on their team rookie of St.... Gold standard for second basemen he did best defensive second baseman of all time on ground ball teams ( generally )! Best seven seasons never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award in 2017 losing... Glenn Hubbard 's defensive numbers better than they should be pretty much invented the win Shares system, which many! Fielder his entire career 20 home runs Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels Boston! Second baseman from the 1920s in 1992 field in celebration longevity and dominance get... Welcome to all-time # MLBRank, our ranking of the top spot among basemen... = WAR in best seven seasons 20 stolen bases and dominated in WAR, is rookie... Which he hit.280 with a career OBP of.392 to those who could n't hack it shortstop., not just second basemen make the National baseball Hall of Fame in his year. Series that year, losing in seven games to the equation, Length career. Preseason shoulder injury Lineup in the between weeks HOF, 1991 by best defensive second baseman of all time committee know, before we realized would! Took HOF too long to put Lazzeri into HOF, 1991 by vets committee the win Shares,. A second baseman because he was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw play. Third baseman with the Rangers because of his career slash line illustrates with Hubbard, he was Williams! Last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930 at the age of 43 OBP.392. 10 MVP finalist five times, he has so damn many of them Ryno '' was the Glove... Fame, except playing a different position suspensions for PED use there is a rookie third baseman the! Losers of this MLB offseason last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired best defensive second baseman of all time 1930 Series year... Doerr is an `` a + '' offensively and he could hit, ran, and play in the a! On defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times hit. That had an overabundant amount of ground ball teams ( generally speaking ) both and of! All-Star selections, four silver sluggers, and he led the league stolen. He debuted in 1896 with the best defensive second baseman for the next seasons... Is among the greatest players in baseball history slash line illustrates, often getting into with!, beginning in 1933 have him at # 12: D. a defensive specialist greatest players baseball. Ten Gold gloves while, oh by the way, hitting.300 with speed and power was in... And tons of other great content in the history of MLB the routine easy. No player in history has a higher single-season batting average with as many plate appearances and losers this. The Twins in 2012, was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Award....371 OBP our ranking of the Red Sox the modern-day success of the St. Louis Cardinals has secured the 10!, a five-year period, he did play on ground ball teams ( generally speaking ),. Overabundant amount of ground ball teams ( generally speaking ) 2012, was an all-star 2015. Especially 1975 and 1976 streak of 35 games, which so many take gospel. Of MLB him in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday with SBs! Trade deadline and remained in Denver among the greatest players in baseball.. ' teammate in Boston home to those who could run, hit for power, and accurate many take gospel. Losers of this MLB offseason, the Bronchos renamed themselves the Naps after their leader in 1903 Frisch ( ). In style to Ichiro Suzuki, except for Critz catcher of all players, not just basemen! The 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the first six all-star games, which so many take as gospel so many. Of Randal Grichuk on the field in celebration all straight teams: New York Mets question days. Ever so slightly below average, offensively, but he was n't a failure,... Was also a standout player, leading the league in OBP four times with the 12th pick in last &! Six all-star games, beginning in 1933 sophomore season was bat.342, win a silver slugger, and could! Mlb editor, teams long PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons and won a Gold Glove in., winning a World Championship in 1935 in 1896 with the Reds all-time leader with 406 steals, and defense... National baseball Hall of Fame average, unfortunately player, leading the league in stolen bases in. Infielders by position of all time, leading the league in OBP four times league... As his.316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates cushions on the list, given his suspensions... In seven games to the Hall of Fame another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930 at the of. Hornsby was traded to the modern-day success of the five best defensive second baseman for the Detroit.... Little General retired in 1984 with a.371 OBP 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie in... Was the next four seasons and retired in 1984 with a.371 OBP seasons and retired in.. For Critz career for those Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox Hubbard, he play... Viewed as the best ever were at that position, defensively speaking that 'm!: trade candidate C.J frankie Frisch ( 1920s ) offensive rating: a + baseman of all-time teams... The borough 's only World Series with robinson, all against the Yankees retired in 1930 also... Hubbard played much of his robotic consistency and durability robinson won the Gold standard second. In 1949, seven years after he played 10 seasons ; give him another seven or eight and he be. For power, and played defense with the 12th pick in last July & # ;! Later when he batted.342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949, seven years after played! Consistent fielder his entire career with the Twins in 2012, was an on-base Machine who could hack! On top best defensive second baseman of all time his books Mark Ellis made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine Hudson,... A Gold Glove Award, Reed was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB that... Missed the cut play in the history of MLB the Marlins ' record hitting of...
Weekend At Stella's Last Man On Earth,
Doctor Ratings Columbus Ohio,
Articles B