Jose Altuve, Chase Utley and the 25 Greatest Second Basemen in Modern MLB History
Welcome once again to Bleacher Report's series of the 25 greatest players at each position in modern MLB history. Up next, the second basemen, which was the thinnest position we've done thus far in terms of all-time great talent.
The first step in this exercise was to decide what "modern" means for the sake of this discussion, and we settled on everything from the 1969 season forward.
That was the first year of the "divisional era," when each league expanded from 10 to 12 teams and split those clubs into two divisions. That also meant an expanded playoff format, with the ALCS and NLCS played for the first time that year. The postseason had previously consisted of just the World Series.
That gives us 54 years of players to consider for a spot in our rankings, but we didn't simply ignore what happened prior to 1969. A pair of top-10 lists were also created for the dead-ball era (pre-1920) and the pre-divisional era (1920-68).
Players were ranked throughout based on a combination of their overall body of work and their peak performance, with postseason success also taken into account.
Catch up on our other Top 25 All-Time lists: First Basemen, Shortstops, Third Basemen
Top 10 Dead-Ball Era (Pre-1920)
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Top 10 Dead-Ball Era
1. Eddie Collins
2. Nap Lajoie
3. Bid McPhee
4. Johnny Evers
5. Larry Doyle
6. Del Pratt
7. Cupid Childs
8. Hardy Richardson
9. Danny Murphy
10. Ross Barnes
One of the best contact hitters in MLB history, Eddie Collins played 25 MLB seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox, piling up 3,315 hits with a .333 career batting average. He also won six World Series rings.
Nap Lajoie had 3,243 hits and a .338/.380/.466 line over 21 seasons, and he is on the short list of players who have won a Triple Crown when he hit .426/.463/.643 with 14 home runs and 125 RBI during the 1901 season.
Bid McPhee and Johnny Evers are the other Hall of Famers on this list.
Top 15 Pre-Divisional Era (1920-68)
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Top 15 Pre-Divisional Era
1. Rogers Hornsby
2. Jackie Robinson
3. Charlie Gehringer
4. Frankie Frisch
5. Joe Gordon
6. Newt Allen
7. Billy Herman
8. Bobby Doerr
9. Tony Lazzeri
10. Nellie Fox
11. Red Schoendienst
12. Bill Mazeroski
13. George Scales
14. Jim Gilliam
15. Buddy Myer
Rogers Hornsby won seven NL batting titles during the 1920s, hitting over .400 three times during that stretch and winning NL MVP honors in 1925 and 1929. His .358 career batting average trails only Ty Cobb (.366) and Oscar Charleston (.364) among all qualified hitters, and his 127.3 WAR checks in 12th on the all-time list.
The numbers that Jackie Robinson put up in the face of tremendous adversity speaks to what a special talent and person he was, and while his MLB career lasted just 10 seasons, his enduring legacy lives on.
Other MLB Hall of Famers on this list include Charlie Gehringer, Frankie Frisch, Joe Gordon, Billy Herman, Bobby Doerr, Tony Lazzeri, Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst and Bill Mazeroski, who is widely regarded as the best defensive second baseman of all time.
Newt Allen and George Scales were the top second basemen in Negro League history.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Carlos Baerga
Baerga earned three All-Star selections and won two Silver Slugger Awards as one of the premier second basemen of the 1990s while hitting in the middle of some stacked Cleveland lineups. Several other players were also considered for the final spot, including Brian Dozier, Howie Kendrick, Robby Thompson, Luis Castillo, Orlando Hudson and Dan Uggla.
24. Brian Roberts
During a six-year peak with the Orioles from 2004 through the 2009 season, Roberts hit .290/.365/.438 for a 111 OPS+ while averaging 46 doubles, 12 home runs, 62 RBI, 101 runs scored, 35 steals and 4.2 WAR. Injuries limited him to just 283 games after his age-31 season, but he was one of the best in the game during his prime.
23. Bret Boone
Boone was a steady everyday second baseman for the first nine seasons of his career before he exploded for a 37-homer, 141-RBI campaign with the Seattle Mariners during their 116-win season in 2001. He was a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, and he wrapped up his career with a 101 OPS+, 252 home runs and 1,021 RBI in 14 seasons.
22. Brandon Phillips
A durable everyday starter for the Cincinnati Reds for more than a decade, Phillips hit .279/.325/.429 while averaging 17 home runs, 77 RBI and 18 steals in 11 seasons. During that stretch, he was a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, and he played in at least 140 games in 10 of those 11 years.
21. Ray Durham
Durham quietly racked up 2,054 hits, 192 home runs and 33.8 WAR in 14 seasons, and he made a pair of All-Star Game appearances and had a 20/20 campaign during his time with the Chicago White Sox. He had seven seasons in which he was at least a 3.0 WAR player and remained productive into his late 30s with the San Francisco Giants.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Frank White
White spent his entire 18-year career with the Kansas City Royals, winning eight Gold Glove Awards and averaging 11 home runs, 62 RBI and 12 steals per 162 games. He had three 4.0 WAR seasons and was the starting second baseman for the 1985 Royals team that won a World Series title.
19. Plácido Polanco
One of the most underrated players of his era, Polanco quietly racked up 41.9 WAR and 2,142 hits across 16 seasons with the Cardinals, Phillies, Tigers and Marlins. He hit .341/.388/.458 with 200 hits and 6.1 WAR in 2007 to earn his first All-Star selection and win Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors.
18. Davey Lopes
Lopes was part of some great Los Angeles Dodgers infields during the 1970s and early 1980s that also included Steve Garvey, Bill Russell and Ron Cey. He was a four-time All-Star and twice led the NL in steals on his way to 557 career stolen bases. He compiled 32.3 of his 42.4 career WAR in a Dodgers uniform.
17. Chuck Knoblauch
Knoblauch won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 1991 and was one of the best second basemen in the game during the 1990s. In seven seasons with the Minnesota Twins, he hit .304/.391/.416 and averaged 43 extra-base hits, 39 steals and 5.4 WAR. He won his first ring in 1991 and then three more as a member of the New York Yankees later in his career, though a bad case of the yips eventually forced the former Gold Glove winner to the outfield.
16. Ben Zobrist
One of the first true super-utility players, Zobrist played more than 1,000 career innings at second base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots. During the six-year stretch from 2009 when he first became an everyday player through 2014, which was his final season in Tampa Bay, his 36.1 WAR trailed only Robinson Canó (39.8) and Miguel Cabrera (38.9) among all position players. He won a ring with the Royals in 2015 and the Cubs in 2016. He was the World Series MVP for his second championship.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Ian Kinsler
With 54.1 WAR for his career, Kinsler is one of only 23 second basemen to reach the 50.0 WAR milestone, and he did it with a dynamic mix of power, speed and defense. There have only been six 30/30 seasons by a second baseman in MLB history, and two of them belong to Kinsler, who did it in 2009 (31 HR, 31 SB) and 2011 (32 HR, 30 SB) with the Texas Rangers.
14. DJ LeMahieu
LeMahieu is the only player in MLB history to win a batting title in both leagues, doing it in 2016 with the Colorado Rockies (.348) and 2020 with the New York Yankees (.364). He has bounced around defensively during his time in New York. But he is also a four-time Gold Glove winner, and his success with the Yankees has helped shake the Coors Field stigma.
13. Dustin Pedroia
Pedroia gets a slight edge over LeMahieu thanks to a more dominant peak, which included AL Rookie of the Year in 2007, AL MVP in 2008 and 38.8 WAR over his first seven seasons as an everyday player. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to just 496 games and 13.9 WAR in his 30s, but he was a key contributor on World Series winners in 2007 and 2013.
12. Willie Randolph
With six All-Star selections, 2,210 hits and 65.9 WAR across 18 seasons, Randolph has one of the best career resumes of any second baseman not currently enshrined in Cooperstown. The Yankees acquired a 21-year-old Randolph from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 1976 season in exchange for pitcher Doc Medich in what goes down as one of the best trades in franchise history.
11. Robinson Canó
It's difficult to ignore the fact that Canó was suspended not once but twice for PED use. That time missed cost him the opportunity to join the 3,000-hit club and will also likely keep him out of Cooperstown. At his peak, he was one of the best offensive second basemen the game has ever seen. If he decides to hang it up this offseason, he'll retire with a .301/.351/.488 line, 2,639 hits, 335 home runs, 1,306 RBI and 68.1 WAR in 17 seasons.
10. Jose Altuve
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Stats: 1,578 G, 128 OPS+, 1,935 H, 192 HR, 696 RBI, 986 R, 279 SB, 46.5 WAR
Accolades: 8x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 6x Silver Slugger, 2017 AL MVP
Jose Altuve is the only active player ranked inside of the top 10, and he still has a chance to pass a few more players on this list before he calls it a career.
The 32-year-old led the league in hits four years in a row, winning three AL batting titles during that same span, and capping things off with AL MVP honors in 2017 when he hit .346/.410/.547 with 39 doubles, 24 home runs, 81 RBI, 32 steals and 7.7 WAR for the eventual Word Series champions.
With eight more home runs, he will become just the seventh second baseman in MLB history with 200 home runs and 200 steals, joining Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio, Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips.
On top of his terrific regular-season numbers, he is also a .271/.344/.500 hitter with 23 home runs in 92 career postseason games. The big question is how the Astros' sign-stealing scandal will impact his legacy.
9. Jeff Kent
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Stats: 2,298 G, 123 OPS+, 2,461 H, 377 HR, 1,518 RBI, 1,320 R, 94 SB, 55.4 WAR
Accolades: 5x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger, 2000 NL MVP
Jeff Kent holds the all-time record for home runs by a second baseman, but that wasn't enough to punch his ticket to Cooperstown. He fell off the Hall of Fame ballot in 2023 following 10 years of eligibility.
A bit of a late bloomer, he hit 270 of his 377 home runs after he turned 30, and he was at his best during his six seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
During that span, he posted a 136 OPS+ and averaged 41 doubles, 29 home runs, 115 RBI and 5.3 WAR per season. His best season came in 2000 when he hit .334/.424/.596 with 41 doubles, 33 home runs, 125 RBI and 7.2 WAR to edge out teammate Barry Bonds for NL MVP honors.
Will he get another look from the Veterans Committee in the coming years?
8. Chase Utley
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Stats: 1,937 G, 117 OPS+, 1,885 H, 259 HR, 1,025 RBI, 1,103 R, 154 SB, 64.5 WAR
Accolades: 6x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger
Is Chase Utley a Hall of Famer?
He did not become an everyday player until his age-26 season, but during his first five seasons as a staple in the Philadelphia lineup, he hit .301/.388/.535 for a 135 OPS+ while averaging 39 doubles, 29 home runs, 101 RBI, 111 runs scored and 7.9 WAR.
That stands as one of the greatest peak runs ever by a second baseman, but he falls a bit short in terms of counting numbers. Injuries were an issue during the second half of his career, and he averaged 116 games per season over his final nine years in the majors.
Despite that, he still ranks 15th all-time in WAR among second basemen, slotted right in between Hall of Famers Craig Biggio (65.5) and Jackie Robinson (63.8).
He will be eligible to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2024.
7. Bobby Grich
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Stats: 2,008 G, 125 OPS+, 1,833 H, 224 HR, 864 RBI, 1,033 R, 104 SB, 71.1 WAR
Accolades: 6x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove, 1x Silver Slugger
Overshadowed by Joe Morgan and Rod Carew during the 1970s, Bobby Grich quietly put together a career worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.
A model of consistency at the plate, he had at least 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 12 different seasons, peaking with a 30-homer, 101-RBI campaign in 1979, when he finished eighth in AL MVP balloting.
He also ranks in the top 15 all-time in defensive WAR among second basemen, and he won four straight Gold Glove Awards early in his career with the Baltimore Orioles.
He spent just one season on the Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 2.6 percent of the vote in 1992, but his 71.1 career WAR rank ninth all-time at the position, ahead of multiple players who are enshrined in Cooperstown.
6. Lou Whitaker
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Stats: 2,390 G, 117 OPS+, 2,369 H, 244 HR, 1,084 RBI, 1,386 R, 143 SB, 75.1 WAR
Accolades: 5x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 4x Silver Slugger
Only Barry Bonds (162.8), Alex Rodriguez (117.6), Pete Rose (79.6) and Dead-Ball Era shortstop Bill Dahlen (75.2) have more career WAR than Lou Whitaker (75.1) among position players who have been retired long enough and are not inducted in the Hall of Fame.
Whitaker was a staple up the middle for the Detroit Tigers alongside shortstop Alan Trammell for the better part of two decades, and his career started with a bang when he won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 1978.
He had a staggering 10 seasons with at least 4.0 WAR, peaking in 1991 when he hit .279/.391/.489 for a 141 OPS+ with 26 doubles, 23 home runs and 6.8 WAR during his age-34 season.
It's only a matter of time before the Veterans Committee puts him in Cooperstown where he belongs.
5. Craig Biggio
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Stats: 2,850 G, 112 OPS+, 3,060 H, 291 HR, 1,175 RBI, 1,844 R, 414 SB, 65.5 WAR
Accolades: 7x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove, 5x Silver Slugger
Craig Biggio spent the first four seasons of his MLB career as a catcher before shifting to second base, where he developed into a four-time Gold Glove winner and one of the most consistent offensive players of his era.
He had 13 seasons with at least 150 hits en route to joining the 3,000 hit club, and he also ranks in the top 20 all-time in doubles (668, sixth), runs scored (1,844, 16th) and hit by pitches (285, second), with that last category helping to contribute to his .363 career on-base percentage.
Power was never the focal point of his game, but he also had eight 20-homer seasons, and he also turned in three 20/20 performances while racking up 414 career stolen bases.
He was the best second baseman in the National League after Ryne Sandberg retired and before Jeff Kent hit his stride with the San Francisco Giants, and he took his place in Cooperstown after three years on the ballot in 2015.
4. Ryne Sandberg
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Stats: 2,164 G, 114 OPS+, 2,386 H, 282 HR, 1,061 RBI, 1,318 R, 344 SB, 68.0 WAR
Accolades: 10x All-Star, 9x Gold Glove, 7x Silver Slugger, 1984 NL MVP
One of the faces of baseball during the 1980s, Ryne Sandberg enjoyed a brief run as the all-time leader in home runs by a second baseman from the time he overtook Joe Morgan in 1997 until he was surpassed by Jeff Kent in 2004.
He won NL MVP honors in 1984 when he hit .314/.367/.520 for a 140 OPS+ with 36 doubles, 19 triples, 19 home runs, 84 RBI, 114 runs scored, 32 steals and 8.6 WAR while helping the Chicago Cubs reach the postseason for the first time since 1945.
In 1990, he led the NL in home runs (40) and total bases (344) while also becoming the first second baseman in MLB history with back-to-back 30-homer seasons.
On top of his offensive production, he was also one of the most sure-handed second basemen of all time, winning nine straight Gold Glove Awards.
3. Roberto Alomar
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Stats: 2,379 G, 116 OPS+, 2,724 H, 210 HR, 1,134 RBI, 1,508 R, 474 SB, 67.0 WAR
Accolades: 12x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove, 4x Silver Slugger
Roberto Alomar played for seven different teams during his MLB career, never spending more than five seasons in any uniform, but during that time, he established himself as one of the best two-way players to ever man the position.
He rivals Bill Mazeroski for the title of best defensive second baseman of all time, and his highlight-reel plays were rewarded with 10 Gold Glove Awards, the most ever at the position.
He was the starting second baseman on back-to-back World Series winners with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, he enjoyed the best stretch of his career during his three seasons in Cleveland when he hit .323/.405/.515 and averaged 38 doubles, 21 home runs, 103 RBI, 35 steals and 6.8 WAR.
He finished his career with a .300 average and .371 on-base percentage, and he ranks in the top 100 all-time in hits (2,724, 63rd), runs scored (1,508, 71st) and steals (474, 44th).
2. Rod Carew
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Stats: 2,469 G, 131 OPS+, 3,053 H, 92 HR, 1,015 RBI, 1,424 R, 353 SB, 81.2 WAR
Accolades: 18x All-Star, 7x AL Batting Champ, 1977 AL MVP
Rod Carew actually played more career games at first base (1,184) than second base (1,130), but he compiled 42.3 WAR and won five of his seven batting titles over the first nine seasons of his career before he shifted positions.
The .328 career hitter won six AL batting titles during the 1970s, including a run at a .400 batting average in 1977 when he hit .388/.449/.570 with 239 hits and took home AL MVP honors in a 9.7 WAR season.
He was an All-Star in each of the first 18 seasons of his career, including as a 21-year-old rookie in 1967 when he took home AL Rookie of the Year honors.
The fact that the AL batting title is now called the "Rod Carew American League Batting Champion" should tell you all you need to know about his legendary status as one of the best contact hitters of all time.
1. Joe Morgan
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Stats: 2,649 G, 132 OPS+, 2,517 H, 268 HR, 1,133 RBI, 1,650 R, 689 SB, 100.4 WAR
Accolades: 10x All-Star, 5x Gold Glove, 1x Silver Slugger, 2x NL MVP
The gap between Joe Morgan and everyone else from the "modern" era is a wide one, and he was an easy choice for the No. 1 spot in these rankings.
One of the faces of the Big Red Machine during the 1970s, he won back-to-back NL MVP Awards in 1975 and 1976. During his five-year peak from 1972 through the 1976 season, he racked up an absurd 47.8 WAR, including a career-high 11.0 WAR during the '76 campaign.
He ranks fifth all-time with 1,865 career walks and that helped him post a terrific .392 career on-base percentage. Once he got on base, he used his plus speed to steal 689 bases, a total that is second only to Eddie Collins (741) among second basemen.
Morgan might have to slot in at No. 2 behind Rogers Hornsby in the greatest second baseman ever debate, but he's an easy choice for the top spot in the modern era.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
