- Rogers Hornsby is the best second baseman ever.
- Joe Morgan won consecutive MVPs.
- Three second basemen have over 100 fWAR.
The best second basemen in MLB history have not necessarily been perennial MVP favourites in the baseball betting markets. A great second baseman combines smooth defensive play with above-average production at the plate, which doesn’t always translate to MVP contention.
15 Best Second Basemen in MLB History, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Team(s) |
| 1 | Rogers Hornsby | St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Braves, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns |
| 2 | Joe Morgan | Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics |
| 3 | Nap Lajoie | Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland |
| 4 | Eddie Collins | Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox |
| 5 | Jackie Robinson | Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Dodgers |
| 6 | Charlie Gehringer | Detroit Tigers |
| 7 | Jose Altuve | Houston Astros |
| 8 | Bobby Grich | Baltimore Orioles, California Angels |
| 9 | Jeff Kent | Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 10 | Roberto Alomar | San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 11 | Ryne Sandberg | Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs |
| 12 | Craig Biggio | Houston Astros |
| 13 | Larry Doyle | New York Giants, Chicago Cubs |
| 14 | Tony Lazzeri | New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs |
| 15 | Robinson Cano | New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves |
Who Are the Greatest Major League Baseball Second Basemen Ever?
1. Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby won two MVPs and posted a career wRC+ of 170. No other second baseman was above 148 by that metric.
Hornsby, who won two Triple Crowns and seven batting titles, amassed 129.1 fWAR.
2. Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan was at his peak when the Cincinnati Reds were among the favourites in World Series odds.
Morgan, boasting elite speed and decent power, was vital to the Big Red Machine, winning MVP in 1975 and 1976. Only three second basemen have more fWAR.
3. Nap Lajoie
Third in fWAR, Nap Lajoie posted a career OPS+ of 150 and led the AL in OPS+ on three occasions. Lajoie won three batting titles and finished his career with a .338 average.
4. Eddie Collins
Hornsby is the only second baseman with more fWAR than Eddie Collins. Named MVP in 1914, Collins had four other top-three finishes and posted a .333 career batting average.
He holds the major-league record for sacrifice hits with 512.
5. Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson is best remembered for his bravery in breaking the colour barrier in Major League Baseball. Alongside being a key figure in the civil rights movement, he was also an all-time great at second base, who won Rookie of the Year, MVP, and was named an All-Star on seven occasions.
6. Charlie Gehringer
Fifth in fWAR among second basemen, Charlie Gehringer was MVP in his age-34 season and was named an All-Star on six occasions.
Primarily playing for the Detroit Tigers, Gehringer reached the World Series three times. He had a .923 OPS as the Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1935 Fall Classic.
7. Jose Altuve
Jose Altuve led the AL in hits in four consecutive years.
He won an MVP and led the majors in hits twice in that period. From 2014 to 2023, the Houston Astros star had a 139 OPS+ and averaged 26.9 stolen bases per 162 games.
8. Bobby Grich
Eighth in fWAR and 13th in wRC+, I had to find a place for Bobby Grich in the top 15. He didn’t have as high a peak as some others, having never finished in the top nine in MVP voting, but he was a consistent performer across his 17-year big-league career.
9. Jeff Kent
Between 1998 and 2007, Jeff Kent had a .907 OPS.
He won an MVP and was a four-time Silver Slugger during that period. He was a solid starter in his 20s, but didn’t attain stardom until his age-30 season.
10. Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar was an All-Star for 12 straight seasons.
He also won 10 Gold Gloves in that span. Alomar, who hit 210 home runs, stole 474 bases throughout his career and played a key role when the Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993.
11. Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg won MVP in his third full big-league season.
It was the start of a 10-year streak of All-Star selections and a period where he averaged 6.1 bWAR per 162 games. The Chicago Cubs star combined all-time great defence with reliable offensive production.
12. Craig Biggio
A 20-year big-league career deserves a place on this list.
Craig Biggio’s offensive production peaked between 1993 and 1999, leaving him with unspectacular career numbers. He still managed to post the 10th-most fWAR among second basemen.
13. Larry Doyle
Playing in the dead-ball era, Larry Doyle only averaged seven home runs per 162 games. Doyle had a better wRC+ than Kent and Gehringer and recorded 298 stolen bases.
14. Tony Lazzeri
Spending most of his career as a New York Yankee, Tony Lazzeri received MVP votes in seven of his first eight seasons in MLB.
He won five World Series and hit four home runs in the Fall Classic.
15. Robinson Cano
Few second basemen can rival Robinson Cano’s peak. Cano only finished his career with 57.5 fWAR (19th all-time among second basemen), yet he had five top-five MVP finishes and had a 138 OPS+ between 2010 and 2016.
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