Every MLB Franchise's Greatest Second Baseman of the Last 25 Years

Welcome to Bleacher Report's newest series highlighting the best and brightest for every MLB franchise at each position over the last 25 years!

Up next, the second basemen.

While there are a handful of no-brainer selections, such as Dustin Pedroia for the Boston Red Sox and Chase Utley for the Philadelphia Phillies, most of the picks required at least some level of debate.

Since we're focusing on the last 25 years, only statistics compiled since the start of the 2000 season were eligible for consideration. That meant someone like Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, who was still active during the 2000s but well past his prime, does not get credit for his entire career body of work—only what he did from 2000 forward.

Offense, defense, individual accolades, and postseason success were all factors in determining each team's best second baseman. In a tight race, peak production was valued over a larger, less impressive body of work.

Let the debate begin!

Catch up on the Greatest of the Last 25 Years series: First Basemen, Shortstop, Third Basemen

Stats: 928 G, 125 OPS+, .283/.355/.490, 385 XBH (140 HR), 465 RBI, 42 SB

WAR: 28.7 (5.0 per 162 games)

The deal to acquire Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker from the Mariners in exchange for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger and Zac Curtis will go down as one of the best trades in Diamondbacks history.

Marte broke out in a big way during the 2019 season when he posted a 149 OPS+ with 32 home runs and 6.9 WAR to finish fourth in NL MVP voting. Since that time, he has been one of baseball's best offensive players, setting a postseason record with a 20-game hitting streak during the team's 2023 World Series run and putting up the best numbers of his career this past season with a 155 OPS+ and 36 home runs in 136 games.

Honorable Mention: Orlando Hudson, Aaron Hill, Kelly Johnson

Stats: 1,056 G, 95 OPS+, .265/.331/.397, 312 XBH (86 HR), 434 RBI, 62 SB

WAR: 26.8 (4.1 per 162 games)

One of the most underrated second basemen of the last 25 years, Mark Ellis brought a combination of elite defense and double-digit home run power to the table during his time in Oakland.

Over the four-year stretch from 2005 through the 2008 season, he piled up 16.1 WAR in 513 games, which trailed only Chase Utley (31.4), Brian Roberts (20.0) and Plácido Polanco (18.5) among all second basemen.

Honorable Mention: Jed Lowrie

Stats: 871 G, 108 OPS+, .270/.322/.470, 384 XBH (141 HR), 508 RBI, 84 SB

WAR: 21.8 (4.1 per 162 games)

Ozzie Albies made his MLB debut as a 20-year-old in 2017 and quickly emerged as a cornerstone piece of Atlanta's rebuilding efforts. He earned his first All-Star selection the following year and won Silver Slugger in 2019 when he led the NL with 189 hits while racking up a career-high 4.9 WAR.

Still only 28 years old, he is entering the final guaranteed season of the team-friendly seven-year, $35 million extension he signed, though that deal carries a pair of $7 million club options that will almost certainly be exercised for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Giles

Stats: 1,327 G, 102 OPS+, .278/.349/.412, 478 XBH (92 HR), 521 RBI, 278 SB

WAR: 28.8 (3.5 per 162 games)

Brian Roberts spent the first 13 seasons of his 14-year career with the Orioles, providing an elite mix of gap power, speed and defense during an impressive peak where he was one of the best in baseball at his position.

He 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 across a six-year peak that ran from 2004 through the 2009 season. He was a two-time All-Star and recorded 50 doubles three different times during that span.

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Schoop

Stats: 1,512 G, 113 OPS+, .299/.365/.439, 549 XBH (140 HR), 725 RBI, 138 SB

WAR: 51.9 (5.6 per 162 games)

If not for injuries derailing the second half of his career, Dustin Pedroia might have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer in his first year of eligibility in 2025. Instead, he played just 361 games after his age-30 season, and he settled for 11.9 percent voting support in his first go-around on the ballot.

Pedroia won AL Rookie of the Year and helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2007, and the following year he took home AL MVP honors when he hit .326/.376/.493 with 213 hits, 54 doubles, 17 home runs, 83 RBI, 118 runs scored, 20 steals and 7.0 WAR. He finished his career as a four-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner over a 14-year career spent entirely in Boston.

Honorable Mention: Mark Bellhorn

Stats: 461 G, 104 OPS+, .269/.362/.411, 133 XBH (40 HR), 201 RBI, 11 SB

WAR: 6.7 (2.4 per 162 games)

Fresh off a World Series run with the Kansas City Royals as a trade deadline pickup, Ben Zobrist inked a four-year, $56 million deal with the Cubs in free agency prior to the 2016 season, serving as one of the final pieces of the puzzle for the North Siders own long-awaited title push.

He posted a 121 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 18 home runs, 76 RBI and 94 runs scored in a 3.4-WAR debut with the Cubs, earning the first and only All-Star Game start of his career before going on to claim World Series MVP honors. That alone was enough for him to be the pick for the Cubs, but he also had a 3.5-WAR season in 2018 at the age of 37.

Honorable Mention: Nico Hoerner, Darwin Barney, Mark DeRosa

Stats: 399 G, 108 OPS+, .279/.358/.455, 164 XBH (46 HR), 188 RBI, 68 SB

WAR: 10.7 (4.3 per 162 games)

Ray Durham made his MLB debut in 1995, and he already had 10.7 WAR and an All-Star selection under his belt by the time the 2000 season arrived, but he was still the best of the bunch at second base for the White Sox.

He was an All-Star for the second time in 2000, then logged a 4.3-WAR season the following year with the lone 20/20 performance of his career, finishing with 42 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs and 23 steals in 152 games. He was traded to Oakland at the 2002 deadline in exchange for pitching prospect Jon Adkins.

Honorable Mention: Tadahito Iguchi, Yolmer Sánchez

Stats: 1,614 G, 99 OPS+, .279/.325/.429, 534 XBH (191 HR), 851 RBI, 194 SB

WAR: 28.1 (2.8 per 162 games)

Over the last 25 years, there have been just six 30/30 seasons by a second baseman. Three belong to Alfonso Soriano before he moved to the outfield, two belong to Ian Kinsler during his time with the Rangers and one belongs to Brandon Phillips who had a 30-homer, 32-steal campaign in 2007.

He is also one of only seven second basemen in MLB history to finish his career with at least 200 home runs and 200 steals, and he shares that distinction with an impressive group of players that includes Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio, Ian Kinsler and Jose Altuve.

Honorable Mention: Jonathan India, Scooter Gennett

Stats: 1,121 G, 102 OPS+, .261/.333/.417, 398 XBH (123 HR), 529 RBI, 135 SB

WAR: 20.5 (3.0 per 162 games)

This one is a coin toss between the offensive impact that Jason Kipnis made at his peak and the elite defense that Andrés Giménez provided over the last several seasons before he was traded to the Blue Jays last month.

Despite dealing with some injuries, Kipnis logged four seasons with at least 3.0 WAR during his nine years in Cleveland. The two-time All-Star was the starting second baseman on the team that reached the 2016 World Series, hitting .275/.343/.469 with 41 doubles, 23 home runs and 82 RBI in one of the best offensive seasons of his career.

Honorable Mention: Andrés Giménez, Roberto Alomar, Ronnie Belliard

Stats: 918 G, 93 OPS+, .299/.352/.408, 241 XBH (49 HR), 345 RBI, 75 SB

WAR: 16.6 (2.9 per 162 games)

DJ LeMahieu is one of only three players in MLB history to win a batting title in both leagues, and the first leg of that accomplishment came as a member of the Rockies in 2016 when he hit .348/.416/.495 in a 5.3-WAR season.

Across five seasons as Colorado's starting second baseman, he hit .302/.359/.415 while earning two All-Star selections and winning three Gold Gloves before departing in free agency and signing with the Yankees.

Honorable Mention: Brendan Rodgers

Stats: 632 G, 103 OPS+, .311/.355/.418, 189 XBH (37 HR), 285 RBI, 26 SB

WAR: 19.2 (4.9 per 162 games)

Plácido Polanco tallied 4.3 WAR in 86 games with the Tigers after coming over in a trade with the Phillies midway through the 2005 season, then spent the next four years as the team's starting second baseman.

He was a key cog on the Tigers team that reached the 2006 World Series, then had arguably the best season of his career the following year when he batted .341/.388/.458 and logged 200 hits in a 6.1-WAR season. He also won two Gold Gloves in his four years in Detroit.

Honorable Mention: Ian Kinsler, Omar Infante

Stats: 1,821 G, 129 OPS+, .306/.363/.468, 691 XBH (229 HR), 812 RBI, 315 SB

WAR: 52.8 (4.7 per 162 games)

Jose Altuve debuted for a 106-loss Astros team in 2011 and was the team's lone All-Star representative the following year, serving as the cornerstone piece that bridged the gap between rebuilding and contention similar to Anthony Rizzo with the Cubs.

He won three AL batting titles in a span of four years as he was entering his prime while leading the league in hits every season during that stretch, and he capped off that run with 2017 AL MVP honors. On top of his Hall of Fame-caliber regular season numbers, he also sports an .841 OPS with 27 home runs in 105 career playoff games.

Honorable Mention: Craig Biggio, Jeff Kent

Stats: 863 G, 103 OPS+, .286/.332/.425, 315 XBH (74 HR), 387 RBI, 174 SB

WAR: 17.1 (3.2 per 162 games)

A late-bloomer who did not make his MLB debut until he was 27 years old, Whit Merrifield put together a brief but impressive peak with the Royals, serving as the de facto face of the franchise in the window between the 2015 World Series run and the arrival of Bobby Witt Jr.

Over the first five full seasons of his career, he hit .292/.338/.438 for a 107 OPS+ while leading the AL in hits twice and steals three times. Similar to Ben Zobrist during his time in Tampa Bay, he saw semi-regular playing time in the outfield on top of his work at second base, and that versatility only added to his value.

Honorable Mention: Mark Grudzielanek

Stats: 1,081 G, 108 OPS+, .292/.332/.424, 357 XBH (78 HR), 501 RBI, 95 SB

WAR: 28.5 (4.3 per 162 games)

Howie Kendrick might be best remembered for his playoff heroics with the Nationals in 2019, but before that, he was a rock-solid everyday second baseman over the better part of a decade for the Angels.

The best season of his career was his final year in an Angels uniform in 2014 when he hit .293/.347/.397 for a 116 OPS+ with 45 extra-base hits, 14 steals and 6.1 WAR in 157 games. That offseason he was flipped to the Dodgers in a one-for-one swap that sent a young Andrew Heaney the other way.

Honorable Mention: Adam Kennedy, David Fletcher

Stats: 521 G, 119 OPS+, .291/.367/.479, 202 XBH (75 HR), 311 RBI, 8 SB

WAR: 6.8 (2.1 per 162 games)

Second base has been a revolving door for the Dodgers over the past 25 years, with 15 different players taking a turn as the team's primary starter at the position during that stretch and none of them reaching the 10-WAR mark during their time with the team.

The best of the bunch was late-career Jeff Kent, who joined the Dodgers in free agency following his time with the Astros and ahead of his age-37 campaign. He made the final All-Star appearance of his career in his Dodgers debut in 2005 and went on to slug 75 home runs in four seasons before retiring.

Honorable Mention: Gavin Lux, Alex Cora, Mark Grudzielanek, Mark Ellis

Stats: 840 G, 99 OPS+, .302/.378/.368, 147 XBH (18 HR), 217 RBI, 195 SB

WAR: 19.9 (3.8 per 162 games)

The batting average and speed of Luis Castillo vs. the power of Dan Uggla made for one of the better debates in this exercise, so let's take a closer look at the side-by-side numbers:

• Castillo: 840 G, 99 OPS+, .302/.378/.368, 195 SB, 19.9 WAR
• Uggla: 776 G, 117 OPS+, .263/.349/.488, 154 HR, 15.7 WAR

The fact that Uggla was a defensive liability helped tip the scales in Castillo's favor, though four straight 30-homer seasons from Uggla is not something often seen at the second base position.

Honorable Mention: Dan Uggla, Dee Strange-Gordon

Stats: 1,142 G, 105 OPS+, .249/.347/.424, 383 XBH (148 HR), 430 RBI, 126 SB

WAR: 12.4 (1.8 per 162 games)

For a brief stretch in 2007, the Brewers had the most exciting young infield in baseball with Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun covering the grass, though Braun quickly moved to the outfield in his second season.

A top prospect during his time in the minors after going No. 2 overall in the 2003 draft, Weeks spent a decade manning the keystone in Milwaukee. He peaked with a pair of 20-homer, 3-WAR performances in 2010 and 2011 and earned his lone All-Star selection during the 2011 season.

Honorable Mention: Kolten Wong, Brice Turang

Stats: 955 G, 109 OPS+, .248/.325/.447, 390 XBH (167 HR), 491 RBI, 98 SB

WAR: 22.8 (3.9 per 162 games)

In his five full seasons as Minnesota's starting second baseman, Brian Dozier posted a 116 OPS+ while averaging 34 doubles, 29 home runs, 81 RBI and 4.2 WAR, providing a brief but explosive peak to his nine-year stint in the big leagues.

He posted a 134 OPS+ and slugged 42 home runs during a 5.8-WAR season in 2016, making him one of only five second basemen in MLB history to reach the 40-homer mark in a single season, joining Rogers Hornsby (42, 1922), Davey Johnson (43, 1973), Ryne Sandberg (40, 1990) and Marcus Semien (45, 2021).

Honorable Mention: Alexi Casilla

Note: Jorge Polanco played more games at shortstop during his time with the Twins, so he is not part of the conversation here.

Stats: 801 G, 117 OPS+, .289/.353/.430, 253 XBH (68 HR), 313 RBI, 34 SB

WAR: 20.8 (4.2 per 162 games)

After never ranking higher than the No. 27 prospect in the Mets farm system, Jeff McNeil came out of nowhere to hit .329 with a 138 OPS+ and 3.2 WAR in 63 games during the 2018 season.

He was a 5.1-WAR player and an All-Star the following year, and he put together the best season of his career in 2022 when he won the NL batting title and hit .326/.382/.454 for a 140 OPS+ with 49 extra-base hits and a career-high 5.7 WAR in 148 games.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Murphy, Edgardo Alfonzo

Stats: 1,374 G, 126 OPS+, .309/.355/.504, 607 XBH (204 HR), 822 RBI, 38 SB

WAR: 44.4 (5.2 per 162 games)

From the moment he broke into the big leagues, Robinson Cano was a perennial threat to bat over .300 with 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 100 RBI, and when he departed in free agency after the 2013 season he was on a Hall of Fame trajectory heading into the second half of his career.

Over his final five seasons with the Yankees, he hit .314/.369/.530 for a 138 OPS+ while averaging 45 doubles, 28 home runs, 103 RBI and 6.7 WAR, turning in a pair of 8-WAR seasons and finishing in the top 10 in AL MVP balloting four times during that span.

Honorable Mention: Alfonso Soriano, Gleyber Torres

Stats: 1,551 G, 122 OPS+, .282/.366/.481, 628 XBH (233 HR), 916 RBI, 142 SB

WAR: 62.0 (6.5 per 162 games)

Chase Utley did not have the career longevity of some of the all-time greats at second base, but his five-year peak stacks up to anyone who has ever manned the position.

• 2005: 132 OPS+, .291/.376/.540, 73 XBH (28 HR), 105 RBI, 7.3 WAR
• 2006: 125 OPS+, .309/.379/.527, 76 XBH (32 HR), 102 RBI, 7.3 WAR
• 2007: 146 OPS+, .332/.410/.566, 75 XBH (22 HR), 103 RBI, 7.8 WAR
• 2008: 136 OPS+, .292/.380/.535, 78 XBH (33 HR), 104 RBI, 9.0 WAR
• 2009: 137 OPS+, .282/.397/.508, 63 XBH (31 HR), 93 RBI, 8.2 WAR

He received 28.8 percent of the vote in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility and saw that jump to 39.8 percent this year. With a weak ballot next year and solid momentum, there is a good chance he gets to the 75 percent threshold before his 10 years on the ballot come to a close.

Honorable Mention: César Hernández, Jean Segura, Bryson Stott

Stats: 676 G, 99 OPS+, .301/.338/.424, 227 XBH (37 HR), 289 RBI, 10 SB

WAR: 12.9 (3.1 per 162 games)

The Pirates had four legitimate candidates for the top spot at second base, and each had a compelling argument to be the choice, with Freddy Sanchez ultimately taking the honor on the strength of his 2006 NL batting title.

After a breakout 3.3-WAR season in 2005 in his first year as an everyday player, he hit .344/.378/.473 with 53 doubles to win a surprise batting title the following year. That kicked off a stretch where he made three All-Star teams in four years before he was traded to the Giants at the 2009 deadline.

Honorable Mention: Neil Walker, Josh Harrison, Adam Frazier

Stats: 646 G, 107 OPS+, .247/.329/.411, 224 XBH (69 HR), 310 RBI, 21 SB

WAR: 13.3 (3.3 per 162 games)

Mark Loretta had the best single-season performance by a Padres second baseman in the last 25 years when he hit .335/.391/.495 for a 138 OPS+ with 47 doubles, 16 home runs, 76 RBI and 6.0 WAR in 2004, but Jake Cronenworth has had a longer run of success with the team.

The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up and a two-time All-Star, Cronenworth has turned out to be an extremely valuable secondary piece in the deal prior to the 2020 season where the Rays and Padres swapped Tommy Pham and Hunter Renfroe.

Honorable Mention: Mark Loretta, Jedd Gyorko

Stats: 470 G, 147 OPS+, .315/.387/.556, 239 XBH (92 HR), 339 RBI, 24 SB

WAR: 19.5 (6.7 per 162 games)

Jeff Kent spent three seasons with the Giants during the 1990s, slugging 83 home runs and tallying 12.1 WAR, but he still did more than enough after the 2000 cut line to be the clear choice as top second baseman in San Francisco.

He kicked off the new millennium by winning 2000 NL MVP honors when he hit .334/.424/.596 with 41 doubles, 33 home runs, 125 RBI and 7.2 WAR hitting alongside Barry Bonds in the middle of the lineup. Two years later, he hit a career-high 37 long balls in what would be his final season in San Francisco.

Honorable Mention: Ray Durham, Joe Panik, Marco Scutaro

Stats: 704 G, 129 OPS+, .296/.353/.472, 271 XBH (107 HR), 411 RBI, 13 SB

WAR: 23.5 (5.4 per 162 games)

When Robinson Canó joined the Mariners on a 10-year, $240 million deal in free agency prior to the 2014 season, it was the fourth-largest contract in MLB history at the time, and he was coming off a superstar run with the Yankees.

He continued to take over the first four years of that contract, hitting .295/.351/.472 for a 128 OPS+ while averaging 34 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 5.0 WAR, but midway through the 2018 season he was slapped with an 80-game PED suspension. The Mariners then traded him to the Mets in a seven-player blockbuster deal during the 2018-19 offseason.

Honorable Mention: Bret Boone, José López

Stats: 852 G, 95 OPS+, .261/.333/.384, 202 XBH (53 HR), 281 RBI, 88 SB

WAR: 16.5 (3.1 per 162 games)

Kolten Wong debuted as a late-season call-up for a Cardinals team that was on its way to the World Series in 2013, and the following year he took over as the starting second baseman and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

With a nice mix of power, speed and defense, he was a steady contributor over his eight seasons in St. Louis, peaking with a 5.1-WAR season in 2019 when he posted a 108 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 59 RBI and 24 steals while also winning his first of back-to-back NL Gold Gloves.

Honorable Mention: Tommy Edman, Fernando Viña, Skip Schumaker

Stats: 1,064 G, 117 OPS+, .264/.354/.429, 375 XBH (114 HR), 511 RBI, 102 SB

WAR: 35.3 (5.4 per 162 games)

After tallying minus-0.8 WAR in 145 games over his first three seasons of MLB action, Ben Zobrist exploded with an AL-leading 8.6-WAR performance in 2009, hitting .297/.405/.543 with 28 doubles, 27 home runs, 91 RBI and 17 steals.

He posted those numbers while starting at least one game at seven different positions, and while he would eventually settle in as the team's primary second baseman, he continued to add value with his defensive versatility. In nine seasons with the Rays, he was an All-Star twice and received MVP votes three times, paving the way for a host of super-utility players to find an everyday role without an everyday position in the years that followed his breakout.

Honorable Mention: Brandon Lowe, Logan Forsythe

Stats: 1,066 G, 111 OPS+, .273/.349/.454, 428 XBH (156 HR), 539 RBI, 172 SB

WAR: 35.0 (5.3 per 162 games)

One of the best power-speed threats of all time at second base, Ian Kinsler logged a pair of 30/30 seasons for the Rangers in 2009 (31 HR, 31 SB, 6.0 WAR) and 2011 (32 HR, 30 SB, 7.0 WAR) while making good as a 17th-round pick in the 2003 draft.

He ranks inside the top 10 in Rangers history in both home runs (156, ninth) and steals (172, second), and his 35.0 WAR over eight seasons with the team trails only Iván Rodriguez (50.0), Rafael Palmeiro (44.6), Adrián Beltré (41.1) and Buddy Bell (36.3) among all players in franchise history.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Semien, Rougned Odor

Stats: 875 G, 92 OPS+, .265/.318/.413, 293 XBH (96 HR), 409 RBI, 39 SB

WAR: 17.1 (3.2 per 162 games)

The No. 13 overall pick in the 2003 draft following a standout collegiate career at LSU, Aaron Hill spent six years as Toronto's primary second baseman before he was traded to the D-backs midway through the 2011 season in a swap of second baseman that brought back Kelly Johnson.

A 5-WAR player in 2007 and 2009, he exploded for a 114 OPS+ and 36 home runs during the 2009 campaign when he made his lone All-Star Game and took home AL Silver Slugger honors.

Honorable Mention: Orlando Hudson

Stats: 896 G, 116 OPS+, .308/.371/.472, 345 XBH (101 HR), 456 RBI, 18 SB

WAR: 16.0 (2.9 per 162 games)

A three-time All-Star and perennial .300 hitter in the final years of the Montreal Expos before they made the move to the nation's capital, Jose Vidro was an underrated offensive standout at a position that had few of them in the early 2000s.

Over the first five seasons of the decade, he hit .315/.379/.491 for a 120 OPS+ while averaging 38 doubles, 17 home runs, 75 RBI and 3.3 WAR. The bulk of his value came from his work in the batter's box, but he got the nod over Daniel Murphy who had a shorter run with the team.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Murphy, Danny Espinosa, Luis García Jr.