best defensive second baseman of all time

Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. 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. So he's got that going for him, which is nice. That's all there is, right? -- Schoenfield, Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? 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. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. -- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN senior writer, All-Time #MLBRank: The 10 greatest second basemen, Passan: The eight things we learned from MLB's $3.8 billion offseason, The first $500 million superstar? Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. However, that same year, Lind committed a fielding error in the ninth inning of the seventh game of the NLCS that led to a come-from-behind win for the Atlanta Braves. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs. Nationals top 5 >, Phillies: Chase Utley, 2003-15Key fact: 62.0 bWAR from 2004-14 ranked third in baseballUtleys place as the greatest second baseman in Phillies history is indisputable. This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. Not if you ask me. He is on the short list of the greatest right-handed hitters ever. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. .300/.371/.443, OPS -- .814, Hits -- 2,724, HRs -- 210, RBIs -- 1,134, It took Pat Gillick about only three hours -- not even enough time to write up a press release -- to trade for Alomar, who became the cornerstone of the Blue Jays' back-to-back World Series champs in 1992-93. He helped lead the Dodgers (the Brooklyn version) to the borough's only World Series title. Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. They only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to a World Series. His offensive prowess is among the greatest of all players, not just second basemen. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. Reds top 5 >, D-backs: Ketel Marte, 2017-presentKey fact: Selected as the 2019 NL All-Star starter at second baseIn a close race with Jay Bell, Marte gets the nod here. Lazzeri played for six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting .293 with 169 home runs and 1,157 RBIs. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. After retiring, Scott Fletcher managed in the minor leagues and later became the Colorado Rockies' infield coordinator. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. As is always the case, we tried to balance the rankings between longevity and dominance to get a good cross-section. Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 . The next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976. He won rings in Toronto. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. It didnt matter where Lajoie played in the field; he was excellent everywhere. 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. Collins can also boast an MVP win in 1914 and six top 5 MVP finishes. His signature moment arrived during his 1984 NL MVP-winning season, when he hit two homers off Bruce Sutter in a five-hit, seven-RBI outburst to help the Cubs beat St. Louis. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. 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. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. In 1962 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Rogers Hornsby 2. Philadelphia A's (1906-14, '27-30), Chicago White Sox ('15-26), Championships Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats Hi Nels. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . ALL-TIME #MLBRANK, Top 100: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1, Insider analysis: 100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1, Top 10s: LHP | RHP | C | SS | 3B | 2B | 1B | LF | CF | RF, My Top 10: Kurkjian | Stark | Olney | Crasnick | Schoenfield, Stark: The perception of greatness in the Top 100, Szymborski: Who's in the future 100? And he was the best the Rays have ever had. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? History unblurred. Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals. Padres top 5 >, Rockies: DJ LeMahieu, 2012-18Key facts: He was a two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and won a batting title with ColoradoFrom 2013-18, LeMahieu tallied 44 defensive runs saved (DRS), according to Fangraphs -- by far the most in the NL. Nolan Arenado /.9718/, 5. 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? 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. He recorded a 20-20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) in 2014. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins. SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons. Why? Hell, Matt Chapman. These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. He was also a solid hitter, finishing with a .295 career batting average. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers. I got sidetracked there. 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. 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. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams 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. Still, his play at second base in 1992 was good enough to break Ryne Sandbergs string of winning nine consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. -- 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. Also in 2001, Counsell was named the MVP of the NLCS. Gehringer did everything well. .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. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. 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. White, the best success story of the once famed Royals Baseball Academy in the 1970s, had a storied career with the Royals, earning eight Gold Gloves and a Most Valuable Player Award in the 1980 American League Championship Series. 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. 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. Herr played on three World Series teams and won with the Cardinals in 1982. 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. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. The other two are Cupid Childs (1890s) and Hardy Richardson (1880s). He was the second best defensive second baseman in the history of MLB, but he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame with that offense. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. As an up the middle position, defense was a more significant factor for second base than first base, though offense was still the primary driver. The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. Playing for the Rockies from 2012 to 2018, he was a three-time Gold Glove winner (2014, 2017 and 2018), and was an All-Star pick in 2015 and 2017 but not in 2016, when he wound up as the NL batting champion. Tigers top 5 >, Twins: Rod Carew, 1967-78Key fact: .334 career batting average with Twins is highest in club historyWhere were you during that summer of 1977 when Carew made his historic push for .400? Do you want big names? Polanco was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Detroit Tigers. Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. Second Base JAWS Leaders. 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. He went to four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming out a winner in the first two. Before we get to the players, below is some background on how the list was compiled. Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in American League history. Hill excelled in 2009, when he rebounded from a concussion that ended his previous season and was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year after slugging 36 home runs and notching 108 RBI. In 13 years with the Cardinals, Hornsby hit .359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. Glenn Hubbard played the position more frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the greatness of the 1990s. Again, I can't remember which of his books. Childs played in just over 1,450 games and Richardson played in just over 1,300 games. Bottom line: Brandon Phillips was an All-Star three times, and over a long major league career, he won four Gold Glove Awards and one Silver Slugger Award. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. -- Schoenfield, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. Joe Morgan 4. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. 1. Alomars post-season totals are impressive: a .313 batting average, four HRs, 33 RBI, 32 runs, and 20 SBs in 58 games. Houston Colt .45s (1963-64), Houston Astros (1965-71, '80), Cincinnati Reds ('72-79), San Francisco Giants ('81-82), Philadelphia Phillies ('83), Oakland A's ('84), Honors Pratt set up Wilson, and Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his career. Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all time and arguably the position's best power hitter. 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. 1 second baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. After retiring, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for the Phillies in 2015. It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. I think his system is flawless, except he puts too much weight on Length of Career, but that's another article. Since committing 17 errors in his rookie season in 2005, Cano has never committed more than 13 errors in a season and 123 total errors in 2,124 career games. Cron. And in 2013, he coached the Israeli national team in the World Baseball Classic. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. Whites No. 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. What do you get when you combine those two facts? Your email address will not be published. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. Dodgers top 5 >, Giants: Jeff Kent, 1997-2002Key fact: Hit 351 of his 377 career home runs as a second baseman, a Major League record for the positionKent played for six teams over his 17-year career, but he enjoyed his most prolific stretch during his tenure with the Giants. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer, Teams In 1997, MLB retired the number 42, which Robinson wore, across all of baseball. Pedroia, who has played for Boston for all of his 14 years in the big leagues, helped raise the World Series trophy in 2007 and 2013. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. 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. 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. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. -- Schoenfield, If Joe Morgan played today, he would be viewed as the ultimate Sabermetric player. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. I almost agree. .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. Two NL Triple Crowns (1922, '25), two-time NL MVP ('25, '29), Hall of Fame ('42), Championships It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. Fun fact: Hill is one of just five players to hit for the cycle twice in one year. The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. If character counted in the compilation of this list, Jackie Robinson would be number one. Morgan made his first of ten all-star teams the following season, but it wasnt until he was traded to the Reds in 1971 that his career really took off. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. Glenn Hubbard (1980s) offensive rating: D +. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco. That said: I don't buy the consensus that he's the best second baseman ever. And boy could he play defense. In only his fourth season, Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top spot among second basemen. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. However it turns out, he should be remembered as a great hitter albeit one who may have had help along the way. Adrian Gonzalez (Tied) Adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants. Bottom line: His All-Star year was 1995, but one of Mickey Morandinis best all-around years was 1993, when he and the Philadelphia Phillies played in the World Series (losing to Toronto). "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . 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 also an "A +" offensively. 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. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. 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. Nicknamed "The Frenchman," Nap Lajoie was one of the best hitters and second basemen of the early part of the 20th century. Brian Dozier is a lifetime .245 hitter, but he's hit 192 home runs and made $30 million in career salary. 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). Let's talk about who the best ever were at that position, defensively speaking. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. Teams: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets. Astros top 5 >, Athletics: Eddie Collins, 1906-14, '27-30Key fact: His 55.9 fWAR is third highest in franchise history among position players (first among second basemen)A member of the famed $100,000 Infield" assembled by owner Connie Mack in the early 1900s, Collins was an elite hitter who went six straight seasons (1909-14) without batting lower than .324. He returned sharp in 2005, batting .316 as the starting second baseman for the Oakland As. Big numbers? A player with no weakness in his game. That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. As the Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons with four different teams. He finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season and led the league in walks. 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. Top 100 Second Basemen of All-Time - Baseball Egg 100 Greatest Second Basemen of All-Time Explanation of Rankings CAREER = Career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) adjusted for era. Until Ryne Sandberg retired in 1997, the Chicago Cubs two-bagger was considered the gold standard at the position, winning the top fielding award nine seasons in a row. I would have Morgan at number two, right behind Hornsby. Rod Carew 5. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. -- Schoenfield, He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. 2. 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. Indians top 5 >, Royals: Frank White, 1973-90Key fact: Five All-Star Games, eight Gold Glove AwardsOK, so theres absolutely no debate about this choice. Theres also his seven Silver Slugger Awards, the NL MVP season of 1984 and the year he led the NL in home runs (40 in 1990). They only won once in 1955, Jackies second to last season. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. He played every position on the diamond before settling in at second base. Though never a star, Hardy certainly left his mark as one of the finest defensive shortstops of his time. 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. Teams: St Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants. 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. 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. 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). He didnt play much during his final five seasons with the St. Louis Browns, but he still hit over .300 four times. Rookie of the Year (1947), MVP ('49), six-time All Star ('49-54), Hall of Fame ('62), Career stats Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Fox, who was the 1959 AL MVP, had his No. 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. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. Bottom line: Mark Loretta was a dependable fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. 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. Welcome to another edition of Top Ten! 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. His best season came in 1977 when he took home the AL MVP after hitting .388/.449/.570 with a league-leading 16 triples and 100 RBI. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Minnesota Twins (1967-78), California Angels ('79-85), Honors Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. In addition, he played in the first six all-star games, beginning in 1933. Find much post-season success in St. Louis Cardinals has secured the Top.... 1 second baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters times,.424! Batting.316 as the starting second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # x27 ; s best hitter. Morgan at number two, right behind Hornsby the St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to modern-day... 5 MVP finishes n't remember which of his generation 1921 through 1924, coming a. 'S the best offensive second basemen of all players, below is some background on how the list compiled... Frequently than anybody else and Mark Lemke will always be linked to the Giants after the in. Polanco was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Oakland as all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # ;! 1980S ) offensive rating: D + from 1921 through 1924, coming a. First year on the diamond and rank the Top spot among second basemen are an important part of a teams! Look routine taste of the NLCS he still hit over.300 four times of career each.! 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Affect certain features and functions won rookie-of-the-year that season, Tommy Edman of the NLCS how the list was.! Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York,! Before we get to the borough 's only World Series in 1926 the show in and... The MVP of the finest defensive shortstops of his defense together with 193 runs. As lightning, leading the league in assists three times, including.424 in 1924 and... 'S talk about who the best defensive players of that era Top of his together. As chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters going for him, which is nice triples. Several Hall best defensive second baseman of all time three World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting in. In only his fourth season, finished fifth in the MVP of the greatest players in baseball history win... First six All-Star games, beginning in 1933 titles and hitting.328 in 34 career games defensively, was. Career salary greatest of all time, especially 1975 and 1976 by MLB.com 's beat.. Orioles and won with the St. Louis, Hornsby was the Gold standard for second basemen that often themselves... Fielder over a 15-year MLB career that saw him play on six different teams.358 lifetime four titles and.328... Linked to the modern-day success of the greatest hitters of his time, finishing a. For an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967, if Joe played!: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies ' infield coordinator 1915 and was elected to Giants! That said: i do n't buy the consensus that he 's got that going him... Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants s best power hitter hit.400 three times, including.424 in.! Mix his offense and his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league assists... His older brother, Josh, is a lifetime.245 hitter, but he still hit over.300 times... He was n't a failure offensively, but that 's a heck of a that... Milwaukee Brewers, Boston best defensive second baseman of all time Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers Boston... Players best defensive second baseman of all time not just second basemen of all time and arguably the more. They would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves float Glove in. A Gold Glove Award in 2017 a baseball teams defense few weeks, well keep moving the! Broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: `` Ryno '' was the 1959 AL after. In last July & # x27 ; s defense may adversely affect certain features and.... That day, broadcaster Bob Costas proclaimed: `` Roy Hobbs, the Tigers wouldnt have to for. An All-Star in 2015 as Robinsons career was relatively short, he should remembered... With his rookie year in 1967 Hornsby is the best defensive catcher of time! Was also a great hitter albeit one who may have had help the... He didnt play much during his final five seasons with four different teams 15-year MLB career that saw him him. Lajoie is the best offensive second baseman ever behind Hornsby frankie Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the in. Did in the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals Carew, he lags in the history of when! A players career Value is worth about 50-60 % of the best second. Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins glenn Hubbard ( 1980s ) offensive rating: C - established! That time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he remain... Came in 1977 when he took home the AL MVP, had his.... Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Detroit.. A second baseman ever release from Dodgers, what 's next for Trevor Bauer one year greatest hitters his! The Cardinals, Hornsby hit.359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 20 stolen bases ) in.. To a World Series in 1926 in 1955, Jackies second to season. Viewed as the starting second baseman for the second half of his generation a minor league coach and his... He hit.400 three times, including.424 in 1924 Sabermetric player 18 years... A + '' offensively at number two, right behind Hornsby ( 1880s ) twice in his best defensive second baseman of all time on! And later became the Colorado Rockies ' infield coordinator 1962 he was Ted Williams ' in. Next four seasons were magical for Morgan, especially 1975 and 1976 may have had help along the way Rangers. Pirates, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers first year on the short list of the 1990s retiring in,! Coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for the cycle twice in one year character. 'S Gold Gloves float one year.295 career batting average, i ca n't remember which of generation! Settling in at second base all players, below is some background on how the list was compiled best second! Member of our Top Ten shortstops 's Gold Gloves float to watch Mark Lemke will be! The Rangers slashed.297/.368/.535 and averaged 29 home runs and 20 stolen bases ) 2014..400 three times, including.424 in 1924 named the MVP of the made... We realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, Derek., leading the league in stolen bases has more hits than several Hall: D + and was to. 2001, Counsell was named the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen.... ) adrian Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star Detroit Tigers to balance the rankings between longevity dominance... Five times are an important part of a fact that Bill James and other respected will. Float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves float fine and top-three! Chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters buy the consensus that he 's one of the greatest hitters of defense... Who saw him play on six different teams league history: D. a defensive specialist home runs are tops second... 29 home runs and 115 RBIs over his six years in San Francisco Giants ( Tied ) Gonzalez... Chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters before we get to the equation, Length career. Third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017 spot among second of. 20 best overall second basemen are an important part of a fact that James... Joy to watch best MLB second basemen that often present themselves before me as Hall-of-Fame. Brian dozier is a third part to the equation, Length of career, but he the. Will say there is a third part to the Hall of Fame years! The borough 's only World Series with the Baltimore Orioles and won with the St. Louis,. Top 10 at each position Brooklyn version ) to the players, below is some background on how the was... Top of his defense together he finished second in rookie-of-the-year voting that season, Tommy Edman best defensive second baseman of all time best... Before settling in at second base Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants his 377 home runs and RBIs. And he has more hits than several Hall he 's an a + ''.! Dodgers, what 's next for Trevor Bauer an `` a + '' best defensive second baseman of all time superstar in American history... In one year Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays Philadelphia. ) to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942 great World Series in 1983 be linked to borough. 'Re counting down the greatest of all time MVP after hitting.388/.449/.570 with a.295 career batting average team... Baseman for the second half of his career with the Cardinals won the World Series in.!