Welcome to another position ranking and today I’m doing my Top 15 2nd basemen in modern MLB history. Second base is an underrated position that might not require the arm strength of shortstop or third, but it does require accuracy, quick reflexes, a wide range or motion, the ability to get rid of the ball quickly and a smooth and fluid motion for turning double plays. It’s definitely a lot harder than professional second basemen make it look. But to be one of the greatest, they also have to hit and today we’ll be talking about the most elite second basemen, most of whom could field and hit at an elite level, some with big power. Many on today’s list are in the Hall of Fame and the ones who aren’t probably should be. But let’s start with 10 quick honorable mentions.
Dustin Pedroia
The 2007 Rookie of the Year and 2008 MVP looked like a future Hall of Famer until injuries derailed his career. He still won four Gold Gloves and hit .299 for his career with 140 bombs and was instrumental in helping the Red Sox win World Series championships in 2007 and 2013.
Bobby Doerr
Another Red Sox legend, Bobby Doerr never played another position besides second base. He was a great all around player who could hit for average and power. He made 9 All Star Teams and hit .288 with 223 bombs while being regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of his era.
Willie Randolph
A player who just missed the top 15, Willie Randolph was a patient hitter, excellent bunter, speedster and phenomenal defender who played second base for 18 years, most notably for the New York Yankees. He walked 1,243 times in his career, had a .373 on base percentage, stole 271 bases, won 2 World Series rings and made 6 All Star Teams.
Frank White
Frank White had an incredible glove and could fly on the basepaths while swinging a solid bat. He won 8 Gold Gloves and made five All Star Games. White had some pop as well, crushing 22 home runs in back to back seasons and was also clutch in the big moments, winning the 1980 ALCS MVP, crushing a home run in the ‘85 World Series and even hitting a deciding home run in the 1986 All Star Game.
Bill Mazeroski
Mazeroski didn’t quite make my top 15, but he is a Hall of Famer mostly for his absolutely exceptional defense at second base. He broke an MLB record for career double plays at the position and is also remembered for an iconic walk off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.
Tony Phillips
One of the best players to never make an All Star Team, Tony Phillips was one of the most versatile players in the league, with an elite ability to play defense, steal bases, and get on base. He even hit 160 career home runs including 27 in 1995. Despite all he did to help his team win games, Phillips was underrated during and after his career, never receiving a single award of any kind.
Ian Kinsler
A 5-tool talent who could crush the baseball and play elite defense, Ian Kinsler made four All Star teams and won Two Gold Gloves, playing mostly for the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers. He’s one of just 16 players with multiple 30-30 seasons, crushing 30 bombs and stealing at least 30 bases.
Nellie Fox
Nellie Fox had World Class hand-eye coordination and came to the plate 10,351 times in his career,. striking out 216 times, an unbelievable statistic. He was also a slick fielder and won a Gold Glove the first year it became an award, playing for Chicago White Sox. He went on to win two more and even won an MVP in 1959.
Joe Gordon
Hall of Famer Joe Gordon played for the Yankees and Indians. He was the most powerful second basemen in MLB history when he retired with 253 bombs. He was a 9-time all star and also helped the Yankees to win 4 World Titles. Gordon was also a member of the last Cleveland team to win a World Series in 1948.
Chase Utley
16-year MLB star Chase Utley was a major piece of the Philadelphia Phillies teams of the 2000s and early 2010’s and he helped them win a World Championship in 2008. During his peak, from 2006 to 2010, he made 5 straight All Star teams and was one of the betters players in the game, hitting for average and power while playing excellent defense.
Now, let’s jump into the Top 15…
15. Lou Whitaker
Coming in at #15 is a 5-Tool Player who did almost everything well for 19 years, Sweet Lou Whitaker. He was insultingly thrown off the hall of fame ballot after receiving less than 5% of the vote in 2001. With 2,369 hits and 244 bombs, he didn’t hit the major milestones, but he did help his team win games for 19 years, all for the Detroit Tigers. He won a Rookie of the Year award, was a 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover and even won 4 Silver Sluggers. His career WAR on Baseball Reference is better than Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Tony Gwynn among many other Hall of Famers. He also had over 1100 career walks and an impressive .363 career on base percentage. He was a key member of the World Champion 1984 Detroit Tigers and the team retired his number in 2022.
14. Robinson Cano
Up next is Robinson Cano, a smooth fielding, power hitting second baseman who crushed 335 career bombs, hit over .300 for his career and made 8 All Star teams. Unfortunately, he also failed not one, but two steroid tests and was suspended for an entire season in 2021. That certainly holds him back on this list, but he still makes the Top 15 as one of the greatest second basemen to ever play. He hit .297 with the Yankees in 2005, finishing second for the Rookie of the Year. The next year, he became an absolute superstar, hitting .342 and making his first All Star Team. In 2009, he crushed 25 bombs, helping the Yankees reach the playoffs. They went on to win it all that season and Cano won his first and only ring. He finished his career with 2,639 hits and also won two Gold Gloves with the Yankees. Cano was considered the best second baseman in the game for about a decade. He never won an MVP but finished in the Top 10 six times. Most of his best years were with the Yankees and Mariners, but he also played for the Mets, Padres and Braves. Cano had a hall of fame career statistically, but with 2 failed steroid tests, there’s no way he will get voted in with players like Bonds and Clemens still on the outside looking in.
13. Jeff Kent
Coming in at #13 is the 2000 MVP, Jeff Kent, who is the recordholder with the most home runs as a second baseman with 354 bombs at the position. Kent played for 17 years in the league but never really became a huge star until he was traded to the San Francisco Giants from Cleveland and hit 29 bombs in 1997, finishing 8th for the MVP. From there, he continued to consistently hit at least 20 home runs per season. He accomplished this 12 times in his career, and got up to 37 bombs in 2002, a season in which he helped lead the Giants to the World Series. He could also hit for average, hitting .290 for his career. In his MVP season, he hit .334 with 33 home runs and 125 RBIs. Although he never won a Gold Glove and isn’t considered an elite defender, Kent did make most of the routine plays and each season, made multiple spectacular plays. During his career, no one considered Jeff Kent a poor defender from what I remember as a Giants fan. But his best skillset was certainly his bat and Kent won four Silver Sluggers and made 5 All Star Teams during his 17 year career. He was a solid postseason performer and smashed 3 bombs for the Giants in the 2002 World Series, then 3 more for the Astros in the 2004 World Series. Unfortunately, his team lost both Fall Classics, although he also played for the 1992 Blue Jays, who went on the win the World Series, but Kent was traded to the Mets before the postseason, although I assume he was given a ring. Kent is definitely up there among the greatest hitting second basemen of all time and deserves a plaque in Cooperstown, but after 10 tries, failed to gain the votes necessary for election.
12. Bobby Grich
Coming up next is a vastly underrated player who made 6 All Star Teams and won 4 Gold Gloves. When comparing Grich to other second basemen, he is one of the greatest of all time and gets nowhere close to that type of respect. On The JAWS list for second baseman, he comes in at #8, above several Hall of Fame second basemen. Grich had an incredible ability to work a walk and was one of the best defensive second baseman in the game. Although he did have power, Grich only hit more than 20 home runs twice, which prevented him from entering into superstardom. However, he worked at least 75 walks 9 times in his career and retired with a .371 on-base percentage. On defense, he was probably the best in the game for a 5 year period. Although he only had 1,833 hits in his career, he also had 1,087 walks, which gave him far less total at bats, because he worked the count so well. He got on base however possible, and even led the league with 20 hit by pitches in 1974. Because voters don’t do any research and just look at a name then vote, Grich did not even get the 5% required to stay on the ballot more than one year – he received an unfathomable 2.6% of the vote.
11. Roberto Alomar
Up next is Hall of Famer Robert Alomar, one of the greatest second basemen to ever play the game. He won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in MLB history with 10 and also made 12 straight All Star teams. He started his career with the San Diego Padres and quickly became a superstar with a consistent solid bat, but also an absolutely incredible glove. He was incredibly smooth and elegant, but could also be acrobatic and flamboyant, making the toughest plays look easy. He was traded to Toronto before the 1991 season and helped them win back to back World Series. In 1993, he hit .326 with 17 bombs in the regular season but was absolutely phenomenal in the postseason. He won the 1992 ALCS MVP, hitting .423, then hit .480 in the ‘93 World Series. He has a postseason batting average of .313. Alomar also played with Cleveland alongside defensive wizard Omar Vizquel at shortstop and turned some of the smoothest double plays ever seen. He retired with an even .300 batting average, 210 homers and 2,724 hits. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his second ballot, perhaps losing some votes on the first ballot due to a controversial moment when he spit in an umpire’s face. Later, during his retirement, he was fired and banned from MLB due to sexual harassment allegations, but his plaque will remain in Cooperstown since they don’t retroactively ban players. This is a huge topic for another video, but despite the controversies, Alomar is one of the greatest second basemen to ever play the game.
10. Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio had a 20-year MLB career, all with the Houston Astros, and accumulated 3,060 hits. He started his career as a catcher in 1988, then started playing the outfield a bit before moving permanently to second base in 1992. He won four consecutive gold gloves at the position and went on to become one of the greatest Astros players of all time. He hit at least .300 four times, scored at least 100 runs eight times and holds franchise records in career games, at bats, hits, runs scored, doubles, total bases and extra base hits. He also has a National League record for most times leading off a game with a home run with an incredible 53 lead off bombs. He’s among the best in MLB history in every defensive stat at second base as well. Although he never won an MVP, he was incredibly consistent, performing at an elite level year after year. For his career, he hit .281 with 291 home runs and led the league multiple times in runs scored and doubles. He was also an iron man and rarely went on the disabled list and is definitely deserving as a Top 10 second baseman in MLB history.
9. Frankie Frisch
At #9 we have Frankie Frisch, who played for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. He has the most hits in World Series history for some one who never played for the New York Yankees. Frisch signed with the Giants in 1919 and went straight to the big leagues without playing a single game in the minors. He made a quick impact, with an incredibly consistent bat, blazing speed and elite defense. He led the league with 49 stolen bases in 1921 and also hit .341, beginning an 11 year streak in which he never finished a season with a batting average under .300. He led the league in steals 3 times and even won an MVP in 1931. He was especially elite in the World Series and helped the Giants win it all in 1921 and 1922. In ‘22, he hit .471 in the Fall Classic. With the Cardinals, he also won two World Series titles. For Frisch’s career, he had 2,880 hits, 1,244 RBIs, a .316 batting average and 419 stolen bases. He also made the first 3 All Star Games. Frisch was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947.
8. Ryne Sandberg
Up next is Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who after a quick stint with Philadelphia, played 15 seasons as a Chicago Cub. In 1984, he made a name for himself on national television with two dramatic bombs, one in the 9th and one in the 10th, propelling the Cubs to a 12-11 victory. That season, he led the league in triples, runs and WAR, made his first of 10 consecutive All Star teams and won the MVP award. He became a massive MLB star, not only as a hitter, but also as an elite defender. He won nine straight Gold Glove Awards and retired with the best fielding percentage in MLB history as a second baseman. He is also tied with Jose Altuve for the most career Silver Sluggers with seven. He led the league in home runs with 40 bombs in 1990. Sandberg surprisingly retired early on in 1994 after a slow start, but returned in 1996 and crushed 25 home runs. When he retired after 1997, he had the MLB record for most home runs as a second baseman, a record that was eventually broken by Jeff Kent. Sandberg was somehow snubbed on two ballots before being elected to the Hall of Fame in 2005.
7. Jackie Robinson
Up next is the legendary Jackie Robinson, who is most famously remembered for breaking the color barrier and becoming a national hero and civil rights activist. However, he was also one of the greatest second basemen to ever play baseball. Due to military service and, of course, segregation in MLB, he didn’t make his MLB debut until he was 28 years old, but made the most of his 11 year career. Robinson used his incredible speed, plate discipline, quick swing, and elite defense to propel the Brookyln Dodgers to 6 World Series appearances and a championship in 1955. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, stealing a league leading 29 bases with a .297 average. In 1949, he was simply the best in the game, with a .342 average, 37 steals, 16 bombs and 124 RBIs, all while playing excellent defense at second base. He won the MVP that season. Robinson made 6 consecutive All Star teams, and led the league in multiple offensive categories throughout his career, despite dealing with on-field abuse and racism, especially in the early stages of his career. Unfortunately, he only played 11 years so his all-time totals are not overly impressive, but Robinson was still a Hall of Fame caliber player and was elected to the Hall on his first year on the ballot, 1962.
6. Rod Carew
Up next is Rod Carew, who played primarily second base from 1967 to 1978 with the Minnesota Twins. He moved to 1st base for the for the latter part of his career with the Angels, and continued to be a great player, but his best years were in Minnesota. Carew was an incredible all-around talent who could hit, defend and run. He started his career with a bang in 1967, winning the Rookie of the Year Award with a .292 average and .341 on-base-percentage. By 1969, he was a superstar, leading the league with a .332 batting average. He led the A.L. in batting average in 7 separate seasons, maxing out at an incredible .388 mark in his MVP season of 1977. He also led the league in on-base-percentage, OPS, hits and runs that year. Overall, he picked up 3,053 hits in his career, 353 stolen bases, and over 1,000 RBIs. But what’s most impressive is that he made the All Star Team every single season of his career except the final one. Since he had a 19 year career, that makes 18 consecutive All Star appearances. He received over 90% of the vote on his first ballot, becoming a Hall of Famer in 1991.
5. Charlie Gehringer
Coming in at #5 is an underrated Tigers legend who played his entire career at second base – Charlie “The Mechanical Man” Gehringer. In the 1930’s, he was a massive star and played every single inning of the first six All Star Games. During his 19 year MLB career, he had seven 200+ hit seasons, seven 100+ RBI seasons, 181 stolen bases, 184 home runs and 2,839 total hits. In 1937, he led the league with a .371 batting average, taking home the A.L. MVP. He was a pivotal member of the 1930’s and early 40’s Detroit Tiger teams that won three pennants. In the 1935 World Series, he hit .375 with 4 RBIs, helping lead the Tigers to a World Championship. In addition to his incredible bat, he was one of the greatest fielding second basemen of all time. When Gehringer retired, he was #1 in double plays turned as a second baseman. He is still second all time in assists and 6th in putouts. Gehringer is 53rd all time with an 84.7 career WAR, better than many more well-known all-time greats like Joe Dimaggio, Ken Griffey Jr., and Nolan Ryan. He might be the most overlooked great player in MLB history and he comes in as the 5th greatest second baseman in MLB history.
4. Joe Morgan
An unlikely future Hall of Famer in High School, Morgan received no offers from MLB teams and ended up playing college ball at Oakland City College. He was signed by the Houston Colt .45’s and given a $3,000 bonus. He impressed in the minor leagues with stellar defense and a consistent and patient approach at the plate. Morgan made his big league debut in 1962 with the Colt .45’s. In 1965, they became the Houston Astros and Morgan led the league with 97 walks, finishing the season with a .373 on-base percentage, 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases. In ‘66, he made his first of 10 All Star Teams and only got better from there. He was traded to the Reds before the 1972 season, and became an absolute superstar in Cincinnati, winning 5 straight Gold Gloves, and 2 consecutive MVPs, each which corresponded with a World Series championship. He drew walks like no one else, rarely struck out and also brought some power with him, averaging 22 home runs per season for a 6 year period. In 1976, he led the league in on-base percentage, slugging, OPS and OPS+. He returned to Houston in 1980 and helped them make the playoffs, leading the league with 93 walks. Then, he signed with the Giants and hit a famous home run on the last day of the season in 1982 that knocked the rival Dodgers out of the playoffs. He won a Silver Slugger that year and had a 5.1 WAR for the Giants. He also played with the Phillies and A’s before retiring with a .392 career on-base percentage. His 100.6 career WAR is 31st all time and Morgan was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
3. Nap Lajoie
Nap Lajoie’s career started in 1896 but continued into the modern era, and he became one of the greatest hitters in the early years of professional baseball. He played almost exclusively second base, but occasionally filled in at the other infield spots. Lajoie hit .338 for his career, maxing out at a ridiculous .463 batting average in 1901. He led the league multiple times in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, RBIs, and doubles. He led the league in WAR 6 times and batting average 5 times. His career lasted over 21 seasons, playing for the Phillies, A’s, and Cleveland Bronchos, who changed their name to the Cleveland Naps in honor of Lajoie while he was still on the team – that’s how much of a legend he was. He even won a Triple Crown in 1901, hitting .426 with 125 RBIs and 14 home runs, a huge number during the dead ball era. He would’ve easily won the MVP that season, but it didn’t exist at that time. He retired with a .338 batting average and over 3,200 hits.
2. Eddie Collins
No one in MLB history has played in more games at second base than Eddie Collins, with 2,650 games played the position with the Philadelphia A’s and Chicago White Sox. He also had an incredible combination of elite defense, blazing speed a pure bat. He had his breakout season in 1909 when he hit .347 with 63 stolen bases. In 1910, he led the league with 81 steals while hitting .324. The only tool that was lacking was his power, but other than that, he could do it all. From 1911 to 1914, he never finished lower than 6th for the MVP. He won the award in 1914 with a .344 batting average, but hit even higher in the previous 3 seasons, maxing at .365 in 1911. He also had an amazing eye and was consistently among the league leader in walks. He was one of the best bunters in MLB history as well and the current leader all time in sacrifice bunts. Collins continued to produce year after year and finished second for the MVP in 1923 and 1924, leading the league in steals in each season. He finished his career with 3,315 hits and a .333 batting average. He also earned 6 World Series rings, hitting .429 in the 1910 World Series, .421 in 1913 and .409 in 1917. Collins inexplicably was not elected on his first few ballots, but finally reached the 75% threshold in 1939 and got his much deserved plaque in Cooperstown.
1. Rogers Hornsby
But coming in at #1 has to be Rogers Hornsby, perhaps the greatest right handed hitter to ever live. He started his career as a shortstop but settled into second base in 1920 and stayed there for the rest of the decade, playing a total of 1,561 games at the position. He was one of the best players in baseball for well over a decade, and led the National League in WAR in an astonishing 11 out of 13 seasons. He was consistently among the league leaders, oftentimes #1, in almost every offensive category including home runs, and led he league in batting average for six straight seasons, 3 times finishing above .400. In 1924 with the St. Louis Cardinals, he had a superhuman season, hitting .424 with a 1.203 OPS but finished 2nd for the MVP, because pitcher Dazzy Vance went 28-6 with a 2.16 ERA, before the Cy Young Award existed. Hornsby did win the MVP the next year, and also became a player-manager, a position he would hold for most of the remainder of his career. He won a second MVP with the Cubs in 1929 before injuries slowed him down in the 1930’s, but he continued to play when he could through the 1937 season. He retired with 2,930 hits, 301 home runs and an insane .358 batting average. His career OPS was over 1.000. He did not have a reputation as the nicest guy – more on that in a future video – but his talent cannot be denied and based on the decade of the 1920’s alone, he has to come in as the greatest second baseman in MLB history.