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. In fact, that entire infield made it into the Hall of Fame, except for Critz. We use bWAR. His lone All-Star appearance was 1985 the year he notched 110 RBI while hitting just eight home runs. Giants top 5 >, Padres: Mark Loretta, 2003-05Key fact: Loretta, who hit .314 in three seasons with San Diego, and Tony Gwynn are the only qualifying Padres with a batting average above .300Overall, Loretta vs. Roberto Alomar isnt much of a debate. He took home five gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in OBP four times. Whites No. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. 10-time NL All Star (1966, '70, '72-79), All-Star MVP ('72), five NL Gold Gloves ('73-77), two-time NL MVP ('75-76), one NL Silver Slugger ('82), Hall of Fame ('90), Career stats* What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. .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. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. Just an opinion. Team (s): St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns. Getty Images. And they can be a pitcher's best friend. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. 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. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. Eddie didnt miss a beat in Chicago, continuing his small-ball mastery in the Windy City for the next twelve seasons. He played in Baltimore and New York. Ozzie Albies might soon be considered the franchises best. And in 2019, he won his first World Series ring, with the Nationals. Bottom line: Rich Dauer was a winner. His 377 home runs are tops among second basemen, and he has more hits than several Hall . 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. 1 -- St. Louis Cardinals (1926), Career stats After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. Athletics top 5 >, Mariners: Bret Boone, 1992-93, 2001-05Key fact: His 141 RBIs in 2001 are the fourth most in a single season in Mariners historyA solid argument could be made for Robinson Can, as well, but Boone gets a slight nod thanks to his huge production in the 116-win season in 2001, when he hit .331/.372/.578 with 37 homers and an AL-leading 141 RBIs. I will list them in order, from oldest to newest: Fred Dunlap (1880s), Nap Lajoie (1900s), Lonny Frey (1940s), Eddie Mayo (1940s), Gil McDougald (1950s), Jackie Robinson (1950s), Red Schoendienst (1950s), Fernando Vina (1990s), Craig Counsell (2000s)and Pokey Reese (2000s), 9. 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. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? 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. Mazeroski remains the only player in Major League history to hit a walk-off homer in Game 7 of the World Series, which he did to lead the Bucs . Rockies top 5 >. If you want to know how bad things got, over Kilian's first nine starts in Iowa, he went 2-0 with a 2.06 ERA. 6. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. The econd base position is one of the most important defensive positions on the field. Collins was not implicated in the controversy, but the scandal gutted the team. Cron somehow survived last year's trade deadline and remained in Denver. Once Jackie debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he belonged. 11-20: Here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away from Frisch. His offensive prowess is among the greatest of all players, not just second basemen. -- Schoenfield, If Joe Morgan played today, he would be viewed as the ultimate Sabermetric player. His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. Thus, in addition to career WAR, we looked at WAR7 (seven best seasons), WAR/162 (Avg WAR per season), and the number of seasons the player was among the WAR leaders in the league. St. Louis Cardinals (1915-26, '33), New York Giants ('27), Boston Braves ('28); Chicago Cubs ('29-32), St. Louis Browns ('33-37), Honors He was also an "A +" offensively. Hell likely face heavy opposition when he eventually becomes eligible for Cooperstown. Napolean LaJoie is the oldest member of our Top Ten and is considered the first superstar in American League history. After retiring, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for the Phillies in 2015. When Fletcher was playing for the Texas Rangers, and former President George W. Bush was the owner, Bush named his dog Spot Fetcher, in recognition of Fletcher. Thursday brings the Top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday. 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. Nolan Arenado /.9718/, 5. .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. Following his MLB career, Dauer spent 19 seasons as a pro coach and won the 2017 World Series with the Houston Astros as a first-base coach. Zobrist was named MVP of the 2016 World Series. if u dont have Maz in the top ten,your list is bogus.NO-ONE did the double play pivot better,not to mention the only 9th inn walk off homer in a game 7 of the wrld series,not to mention ,against the highly favored New York Yanks! Bottom line: A three-time All-Star, Ben Zobrist is a well-rounded utility player. 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. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. He'll be . 1. He had a resurgent 2020 back in New York before missing all of 2021 due to his second positive test. Eddie Collins debuted with the As just five seasons after Nap LaJoies jump. He ranks first in stolen bases; second in games played, plate appearances, triples, and runs; third in batting average; and sixth in RBI. Nine Gold Gloves ('83-91), MVP (1984), 10-time All-Star ('84-93), seven Silver Sluggers ('84-85, '88-92), Hall of Fame ('05), Career stats He was also a solid hitter, finishing with a .295 career batting average. Hi Nels. 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. And though he recorded solid seasons on defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award. Grich also tops the Orioles' list for all-time best second basemen. 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). 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. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. Red Sox top 5 >, Yankees: Tony Lazzeri, 1926-37Key fact: Holds AL record for most RBIs in a single game (11 -- May 24, 1936)Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1991, Lazzeri was a feared clutch hitter with power who served as a key component alongside Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in the fabled Murderers Row lineups for the Yankees. Fun fact: Hill is one of just five players to hit for the cycle twice in one year. Which team will make a big move? Well, Grich has that, too. 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. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Bottom line: Robinson Cano won a World Series title with the New York Yankees (2009) during his nine-year run with the Yanks. He ranks second in all-time WAR-162 and sixth in WAR7 among second basemen, representing his dominance. Cron. After losing the 1914 World Series, Mack broke up the As and sold Collins to the White Sox for $50k. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees. 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 . 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). -- Schoenfield, Teams After release from Dodgers, what's next for Trevor Bauer? 17 is not formally retired, but the Brewers have not issued it to anyone sinceRobin Yount, Paul Molitor and Gantner played together for 15 years, the longest tenure for a trio of teammates in Major League history until the Yankees Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera broke the mark in 2010. Your email address will not be published. He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. However it turns out, he should be remembered as a great hitter albeit one who may have had help along the way. Bottom line: Jose Lind was an exceptional defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award in 1992. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. Now that he's in the Hall of Fame, he's not only in, but he's a top tier second baseman. Seven-time All-Star (2006, '10-14, '16), two Gold Gloves ('10, '12), five Silver Sluggers ('06, '10-13), Career stats* Had Robinson played more seasons, he would have been towards the top of this list. The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. The Cardinals, Giants and Braves all got rid of him in a three-year span. History unblurred. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. NL All Star ('90), 11-time AL All-Star ('91-2001), 10 AL Gold Gloves ('91-96, '98-01), four AL Silver Sluggers ('92, '96, '99-00), All-Star MVP ('98), Hall of Fame ('11), Career stats Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. In 20 World Series contests, he batted .321 with a .375 OBP. It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. When the Hall of Famer retired in 1997, his .989 fielding percentage was a major league record. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). 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. However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. He played every position on the diamond before settling in at second base. I guess that makes him an A + overall at Second Base. He batted .274 in his career, and while he didnt hit for much power -- Gantners homer off Oaklands Dave Stewart on Sept. 3, 1991, was his first in 1,762 at-bats spanning 544 games -- Gantner became a steady hand at second base, thanks in part to a strong throwing arm hed honed as a boy playing catcher. Matt Chapman /.9737/, 4. 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. Roberto Alomar FAQ Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? He was a 10-time All-Star (from 1984-93) and a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner (1983-91). He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Let's begin with the long ball. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. He led the league in WAR three times as a second baseman. 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. 1. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he won a World Series in 2010. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Frisch was also one of the 10 best offensive secondbasemen in the history of MLB. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Info, Honors Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. Not if you ask me. I hate to bring up Bill James again (actually, I love it), but he came to an amazing conclusion on Bill Mazeroski, too. Coming back to the Cards was, you guessed it, Frankie Frisch. Defensively, Lajoie was also a standout player, leading the league in assists three times and putouts five times. It's always made me wonder, what the hell did you point it out for then? And in 2013, he coached the Israeli national team in the World Baseball Classic. Of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which many. 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