Top second basemen of the 21st century
Robinson Cano topped .300 in 10 seasons, vaulting him to the top of this list
Robinson Cano was a rarity on the last Yankees squad to win a World Series — an emerging star on an aging club.
The 26-year-old second baseman hit .320 in 2009, sixth-best in the American League, yet he was overshadowed by teammates who were much older. Six key Yankees — including shortstop Derek Jeter, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, and closer Mariano Rivera — were at least 35. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez was 33. Starter A.J. Burnett was 32.
Cano couldn’t match these seniors in publicity, though his value was evident to those who looked. He led the Yankees in doubles with 48. His batting average came second on the club to Jeter’s .334, and he finished fourth in runs batted in (85) and wins above replacement (4.5).
If the Yankees were going to maintain their championship tradition in the decade ahead, it was obvious that Cano would be integral to their success.
Yet it didn’t work that way.
Not that it was Cano’s fault. He batted .312 for the Yankees from 2010 through 2013, picked up two Gold Gloves, and made four straight All-Star teams. He led the Yankees in WAR in three of those seasons.
But New York failed to make the World Series during that span, and Cano left at the end. He accepted a lucrative contract from the Seattle Mariners in December 2013 and, as far as the East Coast Establishment was concerned, he fell off the map.
Cano declined a bit during his five years with the Mariners and subsequent two seasons with the Mets, though he still batted a solid .292, qualified for three more All-Star teams, and became one of only 83 players to pile up more than 2,600 career hits.
He also firmly established himself as the best second baseman of the 21st century, based on my 10-part formula, posting a substantial lead over runners-up Chase Utley and Ian Kinsler.
Cano joins these previous winners in my breakdown of the greatest players of the century (so far):
Quality and longevity are equally essential to be successful in these rankings. A player needs to put up several outstanding seasons, as Cano did by batting above .300 in 10 different years. He also needs to be durable enough to rack up big-time numbers, such as Cano’s 2,624 hits in 2,234 games. (Click here for a detailed explanation of the rating process.)
This category was open to any player who made at least 2,500 plate appearances and played at least 40% of his games at second base between 2000 and 2020. Sixty-three players qualified. My formula ranked them from top to bottom, assigning 1,000 points to Cano and 0 points to the tailender. Everybody else’s score was determined by their relative performances.
Keep in mind that these ratings are confined to the past 21 seasons. That’s why you’ll see Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar and Craig Biggio in 31st and 37th place, respectively. They’re ranked solely on their final years, not on their illustrious careers in total.
Below are profiles of the 10 highest-rated second basemen, followed by the rest of the rankings (No. 11 to No. 63). Each profile includes a player’s score, his cumulative stats for the century, and a few pertinent notes. (Click here to learn more about the 10 statistical categories.)
1. Robinson Cano (2005-2020)
Score: 1,000 points
WAR: 68.9 total, 5.0 per 162 G, 6.8 defensive
Averages: .303 BA, .492 SLG, .790 BPO
Scoring: 2,225 R generated, 161 per 162 G
Totals: 2,234 G, 2,624 H
Notes: Cano has never won a Most Valuable Player Award, yet he came close several times, finishing among the top eight votegetters in six different seasons. He has rapped 572 more hits and generated 330 more runs than any other second baseman since 2000.
2. Chase Utley (2003-2018)
Score: 900 points
WAR: 64.4 total, 5.4 per 162 G, 17.1 defensive
Averages: .275 BA, .465 SLG, .842 BPO
Scoring: 1,869 R generated, 156 per 162 G
Totals: 1,937 G, 1,885 H
Notes: Utley joins Cano as the only second basemen to accumulate at least 60 WAR since the turn of the century. He drove in more than 100 runs each year from 2005 to 2008. Utley was clearly the Phillies’ best player in the latter season, when he led the club to its first world title in 28 years.
3. Ian Kinsler (2006-2019)
Score: 811 points
WAR: 55.2 total, 4.7 per 162 G, 16.3 defensive
Averages: .269 BA, .440 SLG, .763 BPO
Scoring: 1,895 R generated, 163 per 162 G
Totals: 1,888 G, 1,999 H
Notes: Kinsler was a run-producing machine. He generated 163 runs per 162 games, a rate topped by only two of the other 62 second basemen in these rankings. His scoring total of 1,895 is second only to Cano. Kinsler was also handy in the field, picking up a pair of Gold Gloves.
4. Dustin Pedroia (2006-2019)
Score: 794 points
WAR: 51.6 total, 5.5 per 162 G, 15.3 defensive
Averages: .299 BA, .439 SLG, .783 BPO
Scoring: 1,507 R generated, 161 per 162 G
Totals: 1,512 G, 1,805 H
Notes: Pedroia made a triumphant arrival in the American League. He was named the Rookie of the Year in 2007, then the MVP a year later. Subsequent seasons wouldn’t be as grand, yet Pedroia still batted .297 between 2009 and 2017, before injuries ground his career to a halt.
5. Jeff Kent (2000-2008)
Score: 713 points
WAR: 33.0 total, 4.2 per 162 G, -2.5 defensive
Averages: .300 BA, .518 SLG, .881 BPO
Scoring: 1,388 R generated, 178 per 162 G
Totals: 1,266 G, 1,429 H
Notes: Kent was no fielding whiz, but he was a star at the plate. He drove in more than 100 runs in eight different seasons, five in this century. He reached his peak in 2000, when he batted .334, rapped 125 RBIs, and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player.
6. Placido Polanco (2000-2013)
Score: 692 points
WAR: 43.1 total, 3.9 per 162 G, 19.6 defensive
Averages: .298 BA, .399 SLG, .669 BPO
Scoring: 1,566 R generated, 141 per 162 G
Totals: 1,794 G, 2,052 H
Notes: Polanco is one of three second basemen to pile up more than 2,000 hits since the turn of the century. He batted higher than .300 in five seasons, cresting at .341 for the Tigers in 2007. Yet he was also skilled in the field, as his three Gold Gloves attest.
7. Jose Altuve (2011-2020)
Score: 638 points
WAR: 36.3 total, 4.6 per 162 G, 0.1 defensive
Averages: .311 BA, .458 SLG, .809 BPO
Scoring: 1,189 R generated, 149 per 162 G
Totals: 1,291 G, 1,610 H
Notes: Altuve may be the best pure hitter on this list. His career batting average of .311 puts him six points higher than the runner-up, D.J. LeMahieu. He’s also one of the century’s four second basemen with career BPOs above .800. But his dive to a .219 BA in 2020 raises questions about his future.
8. Ben Zobrist (2006-2019)
Score: 621 points
WAR: 44.5 total, 4.4 per 162 G, 6.5 defensive
Averages: .266 BA, .426 SLG, .781 BPO
Scoring: 1,485 R generated, 146 per 162 G
Totals: 1,651 G, 1,566 H
Notes: Zobrist has played every position but catcher in the big leagues — even pitching once — yet the bulk of his action has come at second base. His batting average of .266 is the weakest among the position’s top 10 players, but his overall value is strong. He ranks fifth in total WAR at 44.5.
9. Brandon Phillips (2002-2018)
Score: 583 points
WAR: 28.4 total, 2.4 per 162 G, 6.8 defensive
Averages: .275 BA, .420 SLG, .681 BPO
Scoring: 1,745 R generated, 149 per 162 G
Totals: 1,902 G, 2,029 H
Notes: Phillips was a mainstay for the Reds during the heart of his career, making three All-Star teams and winning four Gold Gloves between 2008 and 2013. He joins Cano and Polanco as the only second basemen with more than 2,000 hits in the 21st century.
10. Howie Kendrick (2006-2020)
Score: 568 points
WAR: 34.6 total, 3.5 per 162 G, 3.8 defensive
Averages: .294 BA, .430 SLG, .700 BPO
Scoring: 1,389 R generated, 139 per 162 G
Totals: 1,621 G, 1,747 H
Notes: Kendrick will always be remembered for hitting the go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, propelling the Nationals to their first championship. But his career has been much more than that, spanning 15 seasons with four clubs.
Everybody else
11. Brian Roberts (2001-2014): 521 points
12. D.J. LeMahieu (2011-2020): 518 points
13. Ray Durham (2000-2008): 492 points
14. Orlando Hudson (2002-2012): 484 points
15. Daniel Murphy (2008-2020): 477 points
16. Mark Ellis (2002-2014): 463 points
17. Jose Vidro (2000-2008): 446 points
18. Bret Boone (2000-2005): 443 points
18. Luis Castillo (2000-2010): 443 points
20. Aaron Hill (2005-2017): 435 points
21. Brian Dozier (2012-2020): 384 points
22. Mark Grudzielanek (2000-2010): 374 points
22. Adam Kennedy (2000-2012): 374 points
24. Marco Scutaro (2002-2014): 372 points
25. Dan Uggla (2006-2015): 368 points
26. Whit Merrifield (2016-2020): 366 points
27. Jason Kipnis (2011-2020): 362 points
28. Marcus Giles (2001-2007): 358 points
29. Ronnie Belliard (2000-2010): 357 points
30. Neil Walker (2009-2020): 354 points
31. Roberto Alomar (2000-2004): 348 points
32. Mark Loretta (2000-2009): 327 points
33. Freddy Sanchez (2002-2011): 326 points
34. Omar Infante (2002-2016): 311 points
35. Kelly Johnson (2005-2016): 298 points
35. Todd Walker (2000-2007): 298 points
37. Craig Biggio (2000-2007): 295 points
38. Jonathan Schoop (2013-2020): 294 points
39. Rickie Weeks (2003-2017): 237 points
40. Scooter Gennett (2013-2019): 226 points
41. Kolten Wong (2013-2020): 216 points
42. Dee Strange-Gordon (2011-2020): 214 points
43. Josh Harrison (2011-2020): 213 points
44. Jamey Carroll (2002-2013): 209 points
45. Cesar Hernandez (2013-2020): 198 points
46. Jerry Hairston (2000-2013): 192 points
47. Jonathan Villar (2013-2020): 188 points
48. Jose Lopez (2004-2012): 187 points
49. Rougned Odor (2014-2020): 177 points
50. Eric Young Sr. (2000-2006): 147 points
51. Jedd Gyorko (2013-2020): 123 points
52. Kazuo Matsui (2004-2010): 118 points
53. Marlon Anderson (2000-2009): 117 points
54. Joe Panik (2014-2020): 108 points
55. Logan Forsythe (2011-2020): 107 points
56. Damion Easley (2000-2008): 104 points
57. Danny Espinosa (2010-2017): 66 points
58. Jeff Keppinger (2004-2013): 60 points
59. Skip Schumaker (2005-2015): 43 points
60. Gordon Beckham (2009-2019): 36 points
61. Alex Cora (2000-2011): 34 points
62. Aaron Miles (2003-2011): 24 points
63. Darwin Barney (2010-2017): 0 points