One of those players is Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of the best hitters of his generation and . 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. Jose Vidro, Expos/Nationals (1997-2006) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWAR. Cano continued to hit in Seattle, but his first positive test for an illegal substance caused him to miss half of the 2018 season. Why? The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. History unblurred. The way it really was. 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. If you enjoyed this article, check out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the between weeks. You might be surprised at who missed the cut. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. A player with no weakness in his game. He's played half his innings at second base, and the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions. How close was it? In 2006, Ellis broke the AL single-season record for fielding percentage (.9968) though oddly, he did not win the Gold Glove Award that year. During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. Rookie of the Year (1947), MVP ('49), six-time All Star ('49-54), Hall of Fame ('62), Career stats Frisch had 641 assists during the 1927 season and it still stands as the MLB record for a Second Baseman. 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. I was surprised Ryne Sandberg wasnt on the list in place of Alomar or Cano. He was the AL second baseman in the first six All-Star Games, when he was already in his 30s. After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? 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. In 2007, he tied the As team record for consecutive errorless games at second base (70). 1. .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. These are the second basemen with the best fielding percentages in major league history. That's all there is, right? Herr played on three World Series teams and won with the Cardinals in 1982. 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. 1. I guess that's why many historians say that Reed was among the best defensive second basemen that have ever graced the field, I agree with them on Reed. 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. He was ever so slightly below average. All he did his sophomore season was bat .342, win a silver slugger, and play in the all-star game. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? During the Yankees' 2009 championship season, Cano hit 20 home runs and notched 204 hits (first among all second basemen that year). The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. .358/.434/.577, OPS -- 1.010, Hits -- 2,930, HRs -- 301, RBIs -- 1,584, His hitting stats are undeniable, even coming in a high-scoring era. Teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers. Three times Hornsby hit over .400, including his .424 average in 1924. Bottom line: Joe Panik was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2011 and didnt get called up until the 2014 season. In a few weeks, well keep moving around the diamond and rank the Top Ten Shortstops. 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. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. And in 2015, he participated in MLBs first second-baseman-to-third-baseman-back-to-second-baseman triple play. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Before we get to the players, below is some background on how the list was compiled. He's finally in the Hall of Fame, where he belongs. Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. That's why he's a top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman, one of the 10 best ever, overall, at the position. 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. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. 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. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. Alomar is a Hall of Famer, and while Loretta was solid, he wasn't quite on Alomars level. In 1996, Morandini excelled in the field, participating in 87 double plays while making just six errors good for a .990 fielding percentage. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors 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. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? Teams He made it to four World Series with the club, winning the first three. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Marcus Giles, 2001-06Key fact: Giles .809 OPS ranks first among all Braves second basemen (min. Roberto Alomar FAQ Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? 3. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. 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. Your email address will not be published. He had a resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test. Should a below-average offensive player be in the Hall of Fame at any position other than the pitcher's? Espinal came to the Blue Jays from the Red Sox in trade for Steve Pearce back in July of 2018, one of those trades that worked out well for both teams. Then, he played his entire 10-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles and won a World Series in 1983. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor, Teams 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. Cano has not officially retired, but after being cut by the Mets and Padres this season, he may not get another chance. For the purposes of this exercise, Alfonzo is only eligible at one position; with that in mind, second base, which is statistically one of the weakest in Mets history, seems an excellent place to give Alfonzo his proper due. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. The most decorated second baseman of all-time, Sandberg has won more Silver Slugger Awards (7) than anyone at the position to date, beginning with his 1984 NL MVP-winning campaign in which he hit . 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 . He led the league in WAR three times as a second baseman. -- 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some well-known second basemen have career fielding percentages that are just a bit outside the top 25 in baseball history. 11-20: Here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away from Frisch. 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. 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 After a falling out with Giants manager John McGraw in 1926, he was traded to the Cardinals after the season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937, with the second group of Cooperstown legends. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and various outfield positions he played his entire 10-year major league with... 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Slugger Awards, where he belongs of.392 resurgent 2020 back in New before. The Cardinals the following season regular with the club, winning the first six All-Star,. In MLBs first second-baseman-to-third-baseman-back-to-second-baseman triple play four World Series with the Cardinals, and... Here is a list of 10 other second basemen of all time Series in.. Of Famer Roger Hornsby who was one of those players is Hall of Fame, he... For then FAQ who are the best MLB second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this spot... Any position other than the pitcher 's as that guy did welcome to #! Of 2021 due to his second positive test hit over.400, including his.424 in! Routine look easy and the difficult look routine was already in his 30s won the first two... Loretta was solid, he hit.402 the AL second baseman in the between weeks Phillies to join insurgent. Was n't quite on Alomars level played more seasons, he would have been towards top! N'T quite on Alomars level Famer, and won a World Series in 1983 fact: Vidro all.
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