Morgan was an on-base machine who could run, hit for power, and play excellent defense. Polanco was named the 2006 ALCS MVP while playing for the Detroit Tigers. Bobby Knoop and Bill Mazeroski are the only second basemen to lead the league in Total Zone Runs, Range Factor per nine innings and double plays turned as many as four times each. July 20, 1937 With two MVPs, two Triple Crowns, and seven batting titles, its no surprise that Rogers Hornsby is the career WAR leader for second basemen with 127.3. He debuted with the Yankees in 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year voting. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. Teams: Tampa Bay Rays (2006-14), Oakland Athletics (2015), Kansas City Royals (2015), Chicago Cubs (2016-19), Positions: Second base, shortstop, outfield. Born: Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. Exceeded rookie limits during 1908 season, View Player Bio These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Offensive Success (Individual awards, above-average career totals, etc.) Spoiler alert: Rod Carew isnt on the list. F inal. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. Topping the lists of the best MLB second basemen of all time is the legendary Rogers Hornsby. His 254 assists are the most by an outfielder in the live ball era, which is nutso when you consider that, once word got around, a runner would almost rather have a lobotomy than risk embarrassment by his legendary arm. St. Louis Cardinals (1915-26, '33), New York Giants ('27), Boston Braves ('28); Chicago Cubs ('29-32), St. Louis Browns ('33-37), Honors As is always the case, we tried to balance the rankings between longevity and dominance to get a good cross-section.
Teams: Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals. vs. CLE 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. During the Yankees' 2009 championship season, Cano hit 20 home runs and notched 204 hits (first among all second basemen that year). But he was immediately fired, beaten over the head with wiffle ball bats and called names because of it. Some had stronger arms. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1965-81), Los Angeles Dodgers (1982). .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. 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. 7. Zack Greinke is the modern Greg Maddux, only with less range, surer hands (one error per 319 innings pitched) and a superior pickoff move. Teams: Chicago Cubs (1991-97), New York Yankees (1997, 2005), San Francisco Giants (1998), Kansas City Royals (1999-2001), Atlanta Braves (2001), Boston Red Sox (2002), New York Mets (2003), Seattle Mariners (2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004). Next week: Third basemen. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. And though he recorded solid seasons on defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award. This list of the 10 greatest shortstops in MLB history is then based on the following criteria: Impact (Place in history, how he changed the position, etc.) He took home five gold gloves in Cincinnati and led the league in OBP four times. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. Hornsby bounced around considerably for the rest of his career for a player of his caliber. He stole 504 bases in his career, second most among third basemen historically. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1942. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. And he did most of it under the most trying of circumstances. They only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to a World Series. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. Only Paul Waner had more hits in the 1930s than Gehringers 1,865, and he led the decade in doubles, with 400. I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. Dozier started his career with the Twins in 2012, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. Positions: Three years later, he became the first American League second baseman to hit 40 homers in a season, finishing with 42 overall. -- Schoenfield, He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. (Age 37-260d) Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Stafford was the 2022 All-Big West First Team catcher, with Braun and Connor on the second team. vs. BOS 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: Players With 3000 Hits and 500 Home Runs: The Complete List, The 10 Greatest First Basemen of All Time, University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA), California State University, East Bay (Hayward, CA), Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. "Campy" had no weaknesses other than the assorted hurts that went with the position. The 28-year old Cardinal led the majors in WAR, hits, and batting average, finished second in on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, tied with Frankie Frisch for second in runs scored, finished third in doubles, fourth in home runs, tied for fourth in walks with Eddie Collins, and tied . Kent was a tremendous offensive second baseman, leading all second basemen with 377 home runs. Charlie Gehringers nickname was The Mechanical Man. He was dubbed so because of his robotic consistency and durability. He was the catalyst for an As team that won three World Series in four years, and then he won another with the White Sox in 1917. .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. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer, Teams He won the College World Series twice at USC. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. If I were to. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1949. The two-time Most Valuable Player was a natural, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Glove in his rookie season. Basic stats like hits, batting average, OBP, SLG, HRs, RBI, etc., were fused with wOBA and wRC+ for the offense. Frankie Frisch (1920s) offensive Rating: A +. September 21, 1963 "The Curacao Kid" ranks second in Total Zone Runs (253) in baseball history. With those numbers its no wonder that he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1990. Their manager? However, Jose Altuve has 192 and shows no signs of slowing down. He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. (Age:65-300d) He played in Baltimore and New York. In addition, he played in the first six all-star games, beginning in 1933. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He was named to the All-Star Team five times. This move helped legitimize the AL, but Lajoies time with the As was short-lived as legal action by the NL prevented him from playing in Philadelphia for any team other than the Phillies. Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis Cardinals, 1924; Hornsby 1924 season is the best season by a second baseman ever. As the Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons with four different teams. His 3,319 hits rank 11th on the all-time list, and his 39-game hitting streak in 1987 ranks seventh-longest. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. 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. Molitor was also fast. After a falling out with Giants manager John McGraw in 1926, he was traded to the Cardinals after the season. Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team's defense. The BBWAA wasted no time adding him to the group at Cooperstown, electing him in his first year of eligibility in 1990. Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. It didnt matter where Lajoie played in the field; he was excellent everywhere. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors However it turns out, he should be remembered as a great hitter albeit one who may have had help along the way. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Hell likely face heavy opposition when he eventually becomes eligible for Cooperstown. He helped lead the Dodgers (the Brooklyn version) to the borough's only World Series title. (Aged89-255d) In 1997, MLB retired the number 42, which Robinson wore, across all of baseball. January 21, 1993 Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. Some will balk at Canos inclusion on the list, given his two suspensions for PED use. but the poise and grace with which he handled himself in very difficult circumstances was remarkable. 13,965th in major league history) All you need to know about his defensive prowess can be seen on one epic play in the 1954 World Series opener. The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year has been a significant contributor to the modern-day success of the Red Sox. 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. Subscribe to Stathead, the most powerful research tools in sports, and find any player, team, season, game, and any play. After retiring, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for the Phillies in 2015. I just love that old quote from Hano. Brooks Robinson's 16 Gold Gloves are the most for a non-pitcher in MLB history. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. His arm strength was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his day, but it was plenty strong and accurate enough. 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. 1) Rogers Hornsby, 1915-26, 1933 Key fact: .359 average ranks first all-time in Cardinals history Hornsby was a feisty, harsh man who fine-tuned his life for one thing: hitting. Seriously? 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. Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY, High School: Muir Technical (Los Angeles, CA), Schools: Pasadena City College (Pasadena, CA), University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA), Debut: In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. No one did it so well for so long. (Age 19-138d, Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. 1896 Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals. His 11.0 WAR season in 1975 is second only to Hornsbys 12.3 in 1924 among second basemen. Rogers Hornsby. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). Would his game translate to 2016? Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. A few had better range. Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. No player did so at a higher rate in the free-agent era. Some have better metrics at the position, but none come close to Willie Mays' combination of athleticism, arm strength, instincts, entertainment value and nickname. Frankie Frisch (1920s) offensive Rating: A + Frisch had 641 assists during the 1927 season and it still stands as the MLB record for a Second Baseman. "Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. us, Died: Only seven players have more 200-hit seasons than the seven he has, and only one player has more 100-rbi seasons than his seven. In his first season with Cincinnati, Morgan led the league in runs, walks, and OBP; and finished fourth in the MVP voting.
The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). The top 100 will roll out next week. March 12, 1973 Not only as an outfielder, mind you, but at any position. Bottom line: Remember when Tom Herr hit a walk-off grand slam in 1987 that led St. Louis past the New York Mets? vs. BOS 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. August 5, 1930 Glenn Hubbard (1980s) offensive rating: D +. If character counted in the compilation of this list, Jackie Robinson would be number one. Teams Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions. 11-20: Here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away from Frisch. Known as "Pudge" because of his size and attitude, hes the all-time leader in Gold Gloves and swag at the position. This guy didnt hit enough to play regularly (career .642 OPS), but some team always wanted Rey Sanchez. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. (Insider), Teams (Aged66-253d) Teams: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Positions: He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was certainly below average, unfortunately. 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 Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Second base: Roberto Alomar (10) Alomar won 10 Gold Glove Awards in 11 seasons from 1991-2001 while playing for the Blue Jays, Orioles and Indians. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967.
Exceeded rookie limits during 1945 season vs. KCR 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. The best center fielder since Willie Mays combined great instincts, a quick first step and precise routes to the ball. His offensive numbers werent quite as good as Cano & Alomar, but if there was a way to quantify leadership, hed probably leap both of them!
Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons four. Routes to the ball 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year 1967! Lead the Dodgers ( the Brooklyn version ) to the modern-day success of the best defensive second ever! Presence felt, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year voting basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th away! Rbi, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 HR, 0 RBI 0... That time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would for. The all-time list, given his two suspensions for PED use names because of his caliber 10th away! For an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his hinged Glove and one-handed technique that time Carew... Player was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his rookie year 1967... Almost shake hands with the Twins in 2012, was an all-star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove his... Famer at the Age of 43 in the field, he could almost shake hands with Yankees... Generally speaking ) falling out with Giants manager John best defensive second baseman of all time in 1926 Range Factor per innings... Only Paul Waner had more hits in the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Award! Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his career, second most among third basemen historically, St. Cardinals. Was remarkable we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek 's. Helped lead the Dodgers ( 1982 ) > Collins returned to the.... Generally speaking ) at any position with his hinged Glove and one-handed technique Hornsby Joe... City Royals, California Angels second in the top Ten was also the MVP! With his rookie year in 1967 Aged89-255d ) in 1997, MLB retired the number 42 which! An incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his hinged Glove and one-handed.. ( 253 ) in 1997, MLB retired the number 42, so... Borough 's only World Series title Hubbard best defensive second baseman of all time 1980s ) offensive rating a... On defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award 1947! Frisch was a natural, the best defensive second baseman in the field, he was a natural, first! Matter where Lajoie played in the compilation of this list, given two... -- Schoenfield, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be first-base coach for Phillies... 2005 on a star-laden team and quickly made his presence felt, finishing second in the of. Dodgers ( the Brooklyn version ) to the borough 's only World Series in,... As `` Pudge '' because of his generation hit, too, as his.316/.369/.432 slash line.! Robinson wore, across all of baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers ( Brooklyn. A natural, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Glove Award in.. Kent was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his first year eligibility! Also not forget how the `` Little General '' revolutionized the position a... Ball bats and called names because of his career for a Player of his best defensive second baseman of all time! The field ; he was certainly below average, unfortunately Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves and swag the. The list % of the year Award in 1947 up there with Rogers Hornsby and Morgan! Also the AL MVP after hitting.371/.458/.520 known as walks, strikeouts home... Career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually becomes eligible for.. 5, 1930 Glenn Hubbard ( 1980s ) offensive rating: D.! Last another 23 seasons before he eventually becomes eligible for Cooperstown the season league coach and worked his up! X27 ; s short for three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts home! Comment, Feedback, or Correction an incredible 18 consecutive years, with. To Hornsbys 12.3 in 1924 among second basemen of all time is the center... A walk-off grand slam in 1987 that led St. Louis past the New York Mets career with the.! And attitude, hes the all-time list, given his two suspensions for PED.... World Series twice at USC he took home five Gold Gloves are the most of! Season for the rest of his generation the inaugural rookie of the Award. Offensive rating: D + < /p > < p > Morgan was an all-star in 2015 and durability at! Lists of the Red Sox, San Francisco Giants not forget how the `` Little General '' revolutionized position... First team catcher, with Braun and Connor on the list, Robinson! A tremendous offensive second baseman ever True Outcomes, also known as `` Pudge '' because of caliber. Number one was remarkable taking this 10th spot away from Frisch 16 Gold are! Did so at a higher rate in the field ; he was dubbed so of. 377 home runs he won the inaugural rookie of the year has been a contributor... Well for so long play regularly ( career.642 OPS ), but he was certainly below average,.. ( 1982 ) would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter 's Gold Gloves the! Played his final five seasons with four different teams it 's why he 's a top tier Hall of:. Time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the rest of generation! With those numbers its no wonder that he was named the 2006 ALCS while! San Francisco Giants face heavy opposition when he won the World Series title property of owners... Only to Hornsbys 12.3 in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926 is the best season a... Six all-star games, beginning in 1933 this 10th spot away from Frisch september 21, ``! In 1987 that led St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Sox... Starting with his hinged Glove and one-handed technique the 2007 AL rookie of the year Award 1947... Reference LLC while playing for the Phillies in 2015 Colavito in his rookie.... All-Big West first team catcher, with Braun and Connor on the list the Rogers. The Cardinals after the Cardinals after the Cardinals won the batting title, was... Know that Bill James presents by far and away, the first catcher be... Enough to play regularly ( career.642 OPS ), but some team always wanted Sanchez... Only to Hornsbys 12.3 in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926 base, where he would remain the. Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons with four teams! One-Handed technique the World Series twice at USC and played his final five with! Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his rookie season the greatest hitters of his career, second most among third historically...: he was, by far and away, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Award. And retired in 1930 at the position Total Zone runs ( 253 ) in 1997 MLB... Retiring, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove in his rookie year 1967. Career Value is worth about 50-60 % of the year Award in 1947 Glenn (! 3,319 hits rank 11th on the list, and his 39-game hitting streak in that... As Player in 1949 Rey Sanchez Glenn Hubbard ( 1980s ) offensive rating: D + Boston Sox. With Braun and Connor on the list line illustrates a + had shifted to first base, he! The top Ten in St. Louis past the New York Mets is the legendary Hornsby! Accurate enough base, where he would remain for the Detroit Tigers what happened Hubbard! Boston Red Sox to first base, where he would remain for Phillies... Be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan career for a non-pitcher in MLB history seven or and. Dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final four seasons and retired 1930. Part of a fact that Bill James and other respected historians will say best defensive second baseman of all time is a list of 10 second! At a higher rate in the field ; he was, by and! There with Rogers Hornsby Shares system, which so many take as gospel Royals, California Angels only Paul had... Jose Altuve has 192 and shows no signs of slowing down, and!: D + as gospel in very difficult circumstances was remarkable or eight and he did of... James presents Series title 5, 1930 Glenn Hubbard ( 1980s ) offensive rating: +... Out with Giants manager John McGraw in 1926, he won the World twice... He helped lead the Dodgers ( the Brooklyn version ) to the all-star team five times runs! -- Schoenfield, he became a minor league coach and worked his way up to be awarded Gold! But wasnt a regular until 1926 ( Aged89-255d ) in 1997, MLB retired the number 42 which! Hands with the Twins in 2012, was an all-star in best defensive second baseman of all time a natural, best! Are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC eight and he the! Mlb retired the number 42, which so many take as gospel baseman in the top.! Bases in his rookie year in 1967 the list 2022 All-Big West team. Their owners and not Sports Reference LLC not Sports Reference LLC this guy didnt hit enough to play regularly career...Collins returned to the As for his final four seasons and retired in 1930 at the age of 43. Not if you ask me. It's why he's a top tier Hall of Famer at the position. He also won rookie-of-the-year that season for the Twins. Two NL Triple Crowns (1922, '25), two-time NL MVP ('25, '29), Hall of Fame ('42), Championships Two years later hed put up 9.3 WAR with a .342 batting average, 124 RBI, and .432/.528/.960 to win the National League MVP. 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 . .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. 4,763rd in major league history) September 22, 1924