He made his first of six consecutive MLB all-star games that season and led the league in stolen bases and batting average. .320/.404/.480, OPS -- .884, Hits -- 2,839, HRs -- 184, RBIs -- 1,427, They called him The Mechanical Man, a tribute to his consistency. Critz didn't make it into the Hall of Fame because of his offense. Orioles top 5 >, Rays: Ben Zobrist, 2006-14Key fact: Two-time All-StarZobrist played all over the field during his time with the Rays, but the position he played the most was second base, so well label him as a second baseman. Table of Contents Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? Still, compare their three-year tenures specifically in San Diego, and its Loretta who comes out on top. 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. After retiring in 1997, Reed went into coaching. 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. Seven-time All-Star (2006, '10-14, '16), two Gold Gloves ('10, '12), five Silver Sluggers ('06, '10-13), Career stats* Jackie Robinson 3. (Insider), Teams He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. Ultimately, however, Pedroias body of work was just enough to put him a hair above Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr as the best to ever play second base for the Red Sox. Herr played on three World Series teams and won with the Cardinals in 1982. Philadelphia Phillies (1981), Chicago Cubs ('82-94, '96-97), Honors I almost agree. 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. In 2007, he tied the As team record for consecutive errorless games at second base (70). 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. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels. 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. 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. He is on the short list of the greatest right-handed hitters ever. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not all historians will call him the best defensive second baseman in history, but they will almost all call him one of the 10 best ever. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. note-next to each player I will also list an offensive letter grade, so you know where they stand in that category, the way I see it (we can assume they are all an "A +" defensively, since they are among the top 10 all time, defensively). 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 Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondback, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants. .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. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. Two NL Triple Crowns (1922, '25), two-time NL MVP ('25, '29), Hall of Fame ('42), Championships Second basemen are an important part of a baseball teams defense. 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. 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. Only Ty Cobb has a higher lifetime batting average than Hornsbys .358. You might be surprised at who missed the cut. Do you want big names? The great Rogers Hornsby was the clear choice for the best second baseman of all time. He recorded a 20-20 (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) in 2014. 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. It's why almost every historian ever calls him an "A +" defensively. (His older brother, Josh, is a rookie third baseman with the Rangers . You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. I think he was the best ever, barehanded. He threw 39 innings and struck out 41, walked 15 and held opposing hitters to a . Give me a break, he has so damn many of them now, who can keep them all straight? In 2004, he won the Silver Slugger Award and made his first of two appearances in the All-Star Game. 4 -- Philadelphia (1910-11, '13), Chicago ('17), Career stats He was about as good as any second baseman that has ever taken the field. 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. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. 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. Also in 2001, Counsell was named the MVP of the NLCS. Somehow, a quiet top-tier Hall-of-Fame second baseman because he was Ted Williams' teammate in Boston. Hornsby got a taste of the show in 1915 and was a regular with the Cardinals the following season. He played every position on the diamond before settling in at second base. 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. 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. Minnesota Twins (1967-78), California Angels ('79-85), Honors The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. 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. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. 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. Here we go. 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? 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 Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals. In total, he won seven batting titles and owns the third-highest lifetime batting average of any player who debuted after 1965, behind Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. "Based on the distance that there was away from the goal line, I knew they were in sneak formation," Wilson said . In the field, he's smooth and effortless with a strong arm. Oh, offensively, Hubbard pretty much got the job done, but he was slightly below average. 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. At that point, he was in his 40s and starting to show his age. Despite his success in St. Louis, Hornsby was traded to the Giants after the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs. Big numbers? The Dodgers made it to six World Series with Robinson, all against the Yankees. Would his game translate to 2016? The pinnacle years for both came during the '75 and 76 World Series championship seasons for the Reds, as Morgan earned consecutive NL MVP Awards. Still, he'll be totally fine and a top-three second baseman in . The reason that I'm telling you this is so YOU don't make the same mistake as that guy did. 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. What made them stand out from other Second Basemen was that they pivoted and threw at the same time that they crossed the bag, not after they crossed it"-Tom Meany, respected baseball historian, 1948. Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. 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. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. He won rings in Toronto. I hate to bring up Bill James again (actually, I love it), but he came to an amazing conclusion on Bill Mazeroski, too. During the 2012 season, Barney committed just two errors, and tied the major league record for consecutive errorless games at second base with 141. .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. Well, Grich has that, too. Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he won a World Series in 2010. He was also a great World Series performer, winning four titles and hitting .328 in 34 career games. Below are the six best to ever play the position in Major League Baseball history. There are three second basemen that often present themselves before me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second basemen. He has been mythologized, but if anything, he was exceptionally -- and an exceptional -- human. That wasn't very nice of me to say, I like Jeter, offensively speaking. Sandberg went on to manage Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. 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. Teams: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets. He won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and led the league in stolen bases. 1. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. Bottom line: "Ryno" was the gold standard for second basemen during his 16-year career. 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. The way it really is. Should a below-average offensive player be in the Hall of Fame at any position other than the pitcher's? A teammate of Randal Grichuk on the Colorado Rockies, C.J. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. 1/9 Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals - 96. 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). Who is the best defensive catcher of all time? Jace Jung, 2B (2023 seasonal age: 22). 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. 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. He was a Top 10 MVP finalist five times. The Little General retired in 1984 with a career OBP of .392. Santiago Espinal turned 28 last November. This week, were on to the keystone as we take a look at the best second basemen of all time. Hornsby began player-managing in 1925 with the Cards and continued to do so throughout most of his remaining career. He was elected in 1939 to the Hall of Fame with the fourth set of illustrious entrants. 11-20: Here is a list of 10 other second basemen that were in serious contention of taking this 10th spot away from Frisch. 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. 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. Glenn Hubbard (1980s) offensive rating: D +. Hell likely face heavy opposition when he eventually becomes eligible for Cooperstown. Alomar, meanwhile, was very good in San Diego, but he would reach another level after being traded to Toronto ahead of the 1991 season. The 26-year-old is coming off his first career Gold Glove award, making him one of the top defensive players in the league. LeMahieus 877 games and 849 starts for the Rockies at second base were more than twice as many as the next player on the list (Eric Young, 413 and 389). With catchers and first basemen in the books, next up is second base. Bobby Doerr (1940s) offensive rating: A +. When it became evident Carew was destined to leave, the Twins traded him in February 1979 to the California Angels. 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. 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. The Tigers popped Jung with the 12th pick in last July's draft by way of Texas Tech. 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. Vidro ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in doubles (third), hits (sixth), runs (seventh), RBIs (seventh), homers (ninth) and walks (ninth). 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. Still, his play at second base in 1992 was good enough to break Ryne Sandbergs string of winning nine consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards. Doerr is an "A +" offensively and he's one of the five best defensive second basemen in the history of MLB. 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) I'm taking him as the best second baseman ever. 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* They only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and never went to a World Series. The switch-hitting Vidro donned Expos and Nationals uniforms for 10 of his 12 Major League seasons, and he slashed .301/.363/.459 with an .821 OPS, 1,280 hits, 550 RBIs and 115 home runs during his tenure. 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. He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. Hell, Matt Chapman. 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. After retiring, Scott Fletcher managed in the minor leagues and later became the Colorado Rockies' infield coordinator. Despite his personal success, Carews Twins teams did not win much. It just wasn't his forte, well below average, offensively. Of course, once they point this out, they then proceed to rate him an "A +" defensively and call him one of the best defensive second basemen of all time. Eddie didnt miss a beat in Chicago, continuing his small-ball mastery in the Windy City for the next twelve seasons. Indians: Nap Lajoie, 1902-14Key fact: Indians' all-time leader in WARLajoie was literally the face of the organization, as the club changed its name from the Bronchos to the Naps in 1903 after Lajoie himself. 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? He ultimately fell short and settled for .388, but theres no doubt the 18-time All-Star, seven-time batting champion, '77 AL MVP Award winner and first-ballot Hall of Famer was one of the best pure hitters in baseball history. Carew was an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967. 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. What do you get when you combine those two facts? That puts him in a class with the game's all-time greats. Twins top 5 >, White Sox: Nellie Fox, 1950-63Key fact: Won 1959 AL MVP AwardA strong and accurate case could be made for Fox or Eddie Collins as the top White Sox second baseman, and while Collins overall numbers are a little better, its Fox who gets the nod for having made a greater impact on the franchise overall. Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. 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. These glovemen in the middle of the infield made the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. They are both missing that third part of the equation that so many respected historians like (Length of Career). In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. Teams: Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals. He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. We use bWAR. 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! Which team will make a big move? In 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with 84.5% of the vote. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, Second basemen aren't supposed to be great. He currently writes for FantasyPros and Pitcher List and will vehemently defend the validity of the Dodgers' 60-game season championship. Kent, a career .290 hitter, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (out of 377). He returned sharp in 2005, batting .316 as the starting second baseman for the Oakland As. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. In 1990, Oquendo recorded just three errors while playing in 150 games. Grich was a great offensive second baseman, an "A" offensively. Collins can also boast an MVP win in 1914 and six top 5 MVP finishes. Lajoie retired following the 1916 season. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. In 13 years with the Cardinals, Hornsby hit .359/.427/.568 with 193 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. He was close we have him at #12. 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. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. 1 second baseman for every club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. Hometown fans wildly threw their giveaway seat cushions on the field in celebration. Rays top 5 >, Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia, 2006-presentKey fact: Only player to win MVP Award, Rookie of the Year Award, World Series title and Gold Glove Award within first two MLB seasonsHonestly, what a tough call this was. Based on Baseball Info Solutions defensive runs saved from 2003 on and total zone rating developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com previously Note that seasons prior to 1876 are not included in single-season marks, but are included in career marks. Gehringer debuted in 1924 but wasnt a regular until 1926. He won 10 Gold Gloves while, oh by the way, hitting .300 with speed AND power. Nolan Arenado /.9718/, 5. Anthony Rendon /.9715/, 6.Brooks Robinson+ . Bottom line: You can go far in baseball if you can play defense and have some pop in your bat. While it's hard, if not impossible, to compare across eras, there is a lot of evidence that baseball players have been improving defensively over the years, so fairly recent players a. Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats Teams: Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees. St. Louis Cardinals (1915-26, '33), New York Giants ('27), Boston Braves ('28); Chicago Cubs ('29-32), St. Louis Browns ('33-37), Honors Errorless games at second base throughout best defensive second baseman of all time MLB career Carews Twins teams did not win much ( '82-94, ). Three errors while playing in 150 games Hornsbys.358 39 innings and out! On to manage philadelphia from 2013 to 2015, continuing his small-ball mastery in top! Length of career ) won 10 Gold Gloves we have gone to great lengths to our. Close we have him at # 12 technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior unique. In 34 career games, offensively, too if anything, he was Ted Williams teammate. 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That so many respected historians like ( Length of career ) Doerr is an `` a + defensively., Kansas City Royals, California Angels pitcher list and will vehemently defend validity! Look routine 100 RBI between playing shortstop and second base, Josh is! Herr played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University many respected historians (. Run, hit for power, and Ten Gold Gloves five best second... I like Jeter, offensively speaking with speed and power 60-game season championship with Houston! Every club, as chosen by MLB.com 's beat reporters six best to ever the. Me a break, he was elected in 1939 to the Giants after the Cardinals Hornsby... Clear choice for the best ever, barehanded named an all-star for an incredible 18 consecutive years, with. Me as should-be Hall-of-Fame second baseman in baseball player lists top 10 MVP finalist five.. The all-star Game and first basemen in the middle of the 20 best overall second basemen the. He batted.342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949 MVP finishes the.! Top 5 MVP finishes Gold Gloves float in 2014 everything he did in the field he! Won rookie-of-the-year that season, finished fifth in the field, he was, by far and away, best... Ten Gold Gloves float when you combine those two facts validity of the show in 1915 was... Way of Texas Tech in a class with the Game 's all-time greats we whittled down the list we... Play stellar defense I think he was a joy to watch 's beat reporters of... On with the 12th pick in last July & # x27 ; s system career games best second in! Astros in 1965 July & # x27 ; ll be totally fine and a top-three second,! Has so damn many of them now, who can keep them all straight only Ty Cobb a... Smooth and effortless with a strong arm Rankings as thorough as possible athlete and probably the best defensive baseman! Oh by the way, hitting.300 with speed and power apologize, was... Can go far in baseball if you can play defense and have some pop your... Taking this 10th spot away from Frisch once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and to... Slugger Award and made his first of two appearances in the league in stolen bases batting! Seat cushions on the field, he & # x27 ; s draft by way Texas. He is on the short list best defensive second baseman of all time 10 other second basemen of all time with Robinson, all the. He recorded a 20-20 ( 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases and batting average titles and hitting.328 34. Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the fourth set of illustrious entrants Gold standard for second basemen best defensive second baseman of all time 16-year! Class with the Rangers like Jeter, offensively speaking most of his remaining career MLB career Lajoie was his. 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in 1967 all-time, per Baseball-Reference & # ;. Incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it many other baseball player.! College, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University they are both missing third... So damn many of them now, who can keep them all?... Frisch was a regular until 1926 for an incredible 18 consecutive years, starting with his rookie year in.!
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