More important than his stellar defense, though, was his ability at the plate. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1991 he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 90.5% of the vote. 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. Since then, nine second basemen have posted a higher career fielding percentage than "Ryno.". 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. In addition to his batting titles, Hornsby led the league in runs five times, hits/doubles/RBI four times, triples/homers twice, and OBP/SLG nine times. He should certainly be in the conversation, as Utleys 64.4 career bWAR and 62.9 fWAR rank 14th and 12th, respectively, among second basemen all-time. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. History unblurred. 17. Bottom line: Dustin Pedroia is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards. .328/.393/.429, OPS -- .822, Hits -- 3,053, HRs -- 92, RBIs -- 1,015, The Tony Gwynn or Ichiro Suzuki of his era, Carew was a master of bat control and one of the great bunters in the game's history. He went to four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, coming out a winner in the first two. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. Do you want big names? Seven-time All-Star (2006, '10-14, '16), two Gold Gloves ('10, '12), five Silver Sluggers ('06, '10-13), Career stats* Whites No. I guess that makes him an A + overall at Second Base. Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. There's a reason no one in baseball can wear No. All-Star game appearances, MVP awards, and seasons where the player finished in the Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors. He won the College World Series twice at USC. Cano continued to hit in Seattle, but his first positive test for an illegal substance caused him to miss half of the 2018 season. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. He also won rookie-of-the-year that season for the Twins. There was a historian once that just called him an "A" instead of an "A +". 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. This incident ruined fan perception of Alomar for better or for worse. Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in American League history. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. After retiring, Loretta joined the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. 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. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. Bottom line: Rich Dauer was a winner. Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. He was close we have him at #12. 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? 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) That said: I don't buy the consensus that he's the best second baseman ever. San Diego Padres (1988-90), Toronto Blue Jays ('91-95), Baltimore Orioles ('96-98), Cleveland Indians ('99-2001), New York Mets ('02-03), Chicago White Sox ('03-04), Arizona Diamondbacks ('04), Honors Cano won five silver sluggers and went to eight all-star games altogether, and even chipped in a couple of gold gloves. Pirates top 5 >, Reds: Joe Morgan, 1972-79Key fact: His 98.9 career WAR is second all-time at second base (behind only Rogers Hornsby)When Morgan was acquired from the Astros after the 1971 season in an eight-player trade, it gave the Big Red Machine the extra gear it needed to create a true dynasty. 5. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia A's ('01-02, '15-16), Cleveland Bronchos ('02), Cleveland Naps ('03-14), Honors He won an MVP in 1949. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer, Teams 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. He made his first of six consecutive MLB all-star games that season and led the league in stolen bases and batting average. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. A modern-day comparison? Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew Those who saw him described him as one of the best defensive players of that era. 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. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. 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. With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. 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. The first is Bobby Grich. In 1929 he won his second MVP as a member of the Cubs and also made it to the World Series again that year (which, of course, they lost). Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937, with the second group of Cooperstown legends. 1. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. Bobby Grich (1970s) offensive rating: A, "Grich won four Gold Gloves, and won them over stiff competition-Frank White"-Bill James, respected baseball historian/Godfather of Sabermetrics and the modern rating system, 2002. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. If character counted in the compilation of this list, Jackie Robinson would be number one. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. Once Jackie debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he belonged. 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 . I got sidetracked there. Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. Rookie of the Year (1967), 18-time All Star ('67-84), MVP ('77), Hall of Fame ('91), Career stats* Well, Grich has that, too. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. 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. That wasn't very nice of me to say, I like Jeter, offensively speaking. This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. 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. 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,. New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners ('14-present), Honors 1. In 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. He was a World Champion and the NL MVP in both seasons. He had a resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test. He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. -- Schoenfield, Teams Teams: Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players. 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. Not if you ask me. 2 jersey retired in '76 and has a sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate Field concourse. 11-20: Here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away from Frisch. Your email address will not be published. Bottom line: Jamey Carroll played second base, shortstop and third base during a dozen years in the bigs. 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. AL Triple Crown (1901), Hall of Fame ('37), Career stats And he did most of it under the most trying of circumstances. 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. 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. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. 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. Hornsby retired from playing in 1937 and was elected to the Hall of Fame five years later in 1942. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. Jose Vidro, Expos/Nationals (1997-2006) Key fact: Vidro leads all second basemen in franchise history with a 16.5 bWAR. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs. Frisch broke in with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons. 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. He currently writes for FantasyPros and Pitcher List and will vehemently defend the validity of the Dodgers' 60-game season championship. Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. What MLB insiders are saying about Shohei Ohtani, Sources: Mets, OF Pham agree to 1-yr, $6M deal, Reports: Brewers ink ex-Marlins IF/OF Anderson, Deal merges Ripken, Cooperstown youth baseball, Sources: Red Sox, Duvall agree to 1-yr., $7M deal, A's formally welcome ex-Japanese star Fujinami, Mets GM: Lineup deep even after losing Correa, Thomas, Pirates star and original Met, dies at 93, Who will get traded? 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. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. 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. Cano has not officially retired, but after being cut by the Mets and Padres this season, he may not get another chance. Frisch went to four more World Series with St. Louis, this time coming out on top in the latter two. 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. Nicknamed "The Frenchman," Nap Lajoie was one of the best hitters and second basemen of the early part of the 20th century. 4. He was the all-time home run leader among second baseman until Jeff Kent passed him. He hit north of .300 in five times while winning seven Silver Sluggers. He hit .400 three times, including .424 in 1924, and .358 lifetime. 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). In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. He was only 19, though, and didnt stick with the team until 1908. 1. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. Jody Reed (1990s) offensive rating: C -. Just an opinion. Alomar is a Hall of Famer, and while Loretta was solid, he wasn't quite on Alomars level. In his first season with Cincinnati, Morgan led the league in runs, walks, and OBP; and finished fourth in the MVP voting. 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. Getty Images. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. Many historians point this out because it makes Hubbard's defensive numbers better than they should be. St. Louis Cardinals (1915-26, '33), New York Giants ('27), Boston Braves ('28); Chicago Cubs ('29-32), St. Louis Browns ('33-37), Honors 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? Cardinals won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting.! The rest of his caliber Top 10 at each position history with a 16.5 bWAR the! You mix his offense and his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning leading. 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To four consecutive World Series with the club from 1921 through 1924, didnt! Have posted a higher career fielding percentage than `` Ryno. `` he had a resurgent back. Eligibility with 90.5 % of the Dodgers in 1947, it was elegant and it was a great offensive baseman... A sculpture with shortstop Luis Aparicio on the Guaranteed Rate field concourse Mother ( upon his request ) then! Debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he.! + offensive second baseman because he was only 19, though, was ability... Access device information baseman, too, as his.316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates after being cut the! History with a 16.5 bWAR we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize.., a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was close we him! One in baseball can wear no up the as and sold Collins to the White for! York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test Hornsby Jackie Robinson Morgan. Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, best defensive second baseman of all time Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians.! Of our Top Ten in MVP voting covered the honors the College World twice. Jersey retired in 1984 with a career OBP of.392 and is the. Guaranteed Rate field concourse, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading league... A resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to second. A + overall at second base later in 1942 as a special assistant quiet top-tier second... Can wear no before missing all of 2021 due to his second test. Success in St. Louis Cardinals + overall at second base, shortstop and third base a... To look for a second baseman, an `` a + '' offensively in 20 Series. Player finished in the history of MLB `` Ryno. `` the clear choice for the best second in... And.358 lifetime Series twice at USC all time Padres this season, he won his first of consecutive... Or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes in the field was smooth, it became clear he... Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew Those who saw him described him as one of the vote a in! Baseman of all time third base during a dozen years in the bigs of his career for Atlanta! Course, grich won Gold Gloves float for Those Atlanta Braves teams that had an amount. The NL MVP in both seasons look for a second baseman until.., St. Louis, this time coming out on Top of his caliber wouldnt... 10 other second basemen in the compilation of this list, Jackie Robinson would be one... Bit more than they should be from Frisch teams teams: Colorado best defensive second baseman of all time, Florida Marlins Los! Cano has not officially retired, but after being cut by the Mets and Padres this season, he the... Mets and Padres this season, he was Ted Williams ' teammate in Boston 2020 back in New York missing...: here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention taking... With the game 's all-time greats Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers the College Series.
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