Baseball Reference Blog
The 10 Greatest Second Basemen
Posted by Brett Baker on March 8, 2023
Second base is known as the Keystone because it’sin the middle of the field, joining the right side and left side. Its importance in the field is shared by the player associated with it, the second baseman. Although typically thought of as a good glove, light bat position, some of the best second basemen in the history of the game have proven this assumption wrong. Not only have they provided consistent, reliable defense, but many of them have been a source of offensive production from a position where it’s not usually expected. Below are the best second basemen in the history of the game. Spoiler alert: Rod Carew isn’t on the list. His 81.2 career WAR, 3,053 hits, and .393 career OBP puts him near the top of any discussion of second basemen, but he actually started almost 100 more games at first than he did at second. So here are the top 10 second basemen, presented alphabetically.
Eddie Collins
Position: Second Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
5-9, 175lb (175cm, 79kg)
Born: May 2, 1887 in Millerton, NY us
Died:
March 25, 1951
Buried: Linwood Cemetery, Weston, MA
High School: Washington Irving HS (New York, NY)
School: Columbia University (New York, NY)
Debut:
September 17, 1906
(Age 19-138d,
2,888th in major league history)
vs. CHW 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB
Last Game:
August 5, 1930
(Age 43-095d)
vs. BOS 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1939.
(Voted by BBWAA on 213/274 ballots)
View Eddie Collins’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1908 season
Full Name: Edward Trowbridge Collins
Nicknames: Cocky
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Father of Eddie Collins
Career
124.4
9949
3315
47
.333
1821
1299
741
.424
.429
.853
142
Eddie Collins has more games played at second base than anyone in the history of the game: 2,650. That stat alone might be enough to put him on this list, but when you add seven top-6 MVP finishes, 3,300 hits, a career .424 OBP, and 124.4 WAR, he’s a no-doubter. He was the catalyst for an A’s team that won three World Series in four years, and then he won another with the White Sox in 1917.
Frankie Frisch
Positions: Second Baseman and Third Baseman
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
5-11, 165lb (180cm, 74kg)
Born: September 9, 1897 in Bronx, NY us
Died:
March 12, 1973
Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY
High School: Fordham Preparatory School (Bronx, NY)
School: Fordham University (New York, NY)
Debut:
June 17, 1919
(Age 21-281d,
4,763rd in major league history)
vs. CHC 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
August 5, 1937
(Age 39-330d)
vs. BSN 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1947.
(Voted by BBWAA on 136/161 ballots)
View Frankie Frisch’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1919 season
Full Name: Frank Francis Frisch
Nicknames: The Fordham Flash
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
71.8
9112
2880
105
.316
1532
1244
419
.369
.432
.801
110
Frankie Frisch may be the quintessential second baseman in baseball history. His 4.4 dWAR in 1927 is the eighth highest single season dWAR in history, and he had a steady bat and great speed. With three top-3 MVP finishes, and eight World Series appearances – including one win as a player/manager with the Cardinals in 1934 – Frisch impacted every aspect of the game. Frisch played 50 World Series games, and was on four World Series-winning teams. Of players with at least 10,000 career plate appearances, only Nellie Fox had fewer strikeouts than Frankie Frisch’s 272.
Charlie Gehringer
Position: Second Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
5-11, 180lb (180cm, 81kg)
Born: May 11, 1903 in Fowlerville, MI us
Died:
January 21, 1993
Buried: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield, MI
High School: Fowlerville HS (Fowlerville, MI)
School: University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Debut:
September 22, 1924
(Age 21-134d,
6,071st in major league history)
vs. BOS 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 27, 1942
(Age 39-139d)
vs. CLE 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1949.
(Voted by BBWAA in Runoff Election on 159/187 ballots)
View Charlie Gehringer’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1926 season
Full Name: Charles Leonard Gehringer
Nicknames: The Mechanical Man
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
84.8
8860
2839
184
.320
1775
1427
181
.404
.480
.884
125
Charlie Gehringer finished in the top 10 in MVP voting eight times in his career. Only seven players have more 200-hit seasons than the seven he has, and only one player has more 100-rbi seasons than his seven. His 84.8 career WAR is good for fifth all-time among second basemen, and 34th among all position players. Only Paul Waner had more hits in the 1930s than Gehringer’s 1,865, and he led the decade in doubles, with 400.
Bobby Grich
Positions: Second Baseman, Shortstop and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 180lb (188cm, 81kg)
Born:
January 15, 1949
Draft: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (19th) of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft from Woodrow Wilson HS (Long Beach, CA).
High School: Woodrow Wilson HS (Long Beach, CA)
School: University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Debut:
June 29, 1970
(Age 21-165d,
13,021st in major league history)
vs. WSA 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
October 2, 1986
(Age 37-260d)
vs. TEX 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1970 season
Agents: Jerry Kapstein
Full Name: Robert Anthony Grich
Pronunciation: \GRITCH\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
71.1
6890
1833
224
.266
1033
864
104
.371
.424
.794
125
The AL homerun leader in 1981, Bobby Grich was as steady in the field as any second basemen in history. His 4.0 dWAR in 1973 with a .995 fielding percentage. A four-time Gold Glove winner and six-time all-star, Grich also won the Silver Slugger in 1981 when he slugged .543. His .371 OBP was seventh highest in baseball for players who had at least 8,000 PA from 1970-86.
Rogers Hornsby
Positions: Second Baseman, Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
5-11, 175lb (180cm, 79kg)
Born: April 27, 1896 in Winters, TX us
Died:
January 5, 1963
Buried: Hornsby Bend Cemetery, Hornsby Bend, TX
High School: Northside HS (Fort Worth, TX)
Debut:
September 10, 1915
(Age 19-136d,
4,412th in major league history)
vs. CIN 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
July 20, 1937
(Age 41-084d)
vs. NYY 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1942.
(Voted by BBWAA on 182/233 ballots)
No induction ceremony in Cooperstown held (until 2013).
View Rogers Hornsby’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1916 season
Full Name: Rogers Hornsby
Nicknames: Rajah
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
127.3
8173
2930
301
.358
1579
1584
135
.434
.577
1.010
175
With two MVP’s, two Triple Crowns, and seven batting titles, it’s no surprise that Rogers Hornsby is the career WAR leader for second basemen with 127.3. He led the league in OPS eleven times, which is more than anyone in the history of baseball not named Babe Ruth. Hornsby led the league in OPS every year of the 1920s except for 1926, when the Cardinals won the World Series that year. Their manager? Rogers Hornsby.
Nap Lajoie
Positions: Second Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)
Born: September 5, 1874 in Woonsocket, RI us
Died:
February 7, 1959
Buried: Daytona Memorial Park, Daytona Beach, FL
Debut: 1896 (1,918th in major league history)
Last Game: August 26, 1916 (Age 41-356d)
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1937.
(Voted by BBWAA on 168/201 ballots)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View Nap Lajoie’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1896 season
Full Name: Napoleon Lajoie
Nicknames: Larry or Poli
Pronunciation: \Lah-ZHWA or LAJ-way\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
106.9
9590
3243
82
.338
1504
1599
380
.380
.466
.846
150
Besides having one of the greatest names in the history of baseball, Nap Lajoie was one of the greatest second basemen to ever play the game. He won the Triple Crown in 1901 with 14/125/.426, and a 1.106 OPS. His 106.9 career WAR places him behind only Hornsby and Collins at second base, and his 1,599 RBI is tops. One of the most popular players of his day, Nap was sent to Cleveland in 1902, and they were so happy to have him that they changed their name to the Cleveland Naps for the 1903 season. His 3,243 hits places him 15th all-time.
Joe Morgan
Position: Second Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
5-7, 160lb (170cm, 72kg)
Born: September 19, 1943 in Bonham, TX us
Died:
October 11, 2020
High School: Castlemont HS (Oakland, CA)
Schools: California State University, East Bay (Hayward, CA), Merritt College (Oakland, CA)
Debut:
September 21, 1963
(Age 20-002d,
12,180th in major league history)
vs. PHI 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 30, 1984
(Age 41-011d)
vs. KCR 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1990.
(Voted by BBWAA on 363/444 ballots)
View Joe Morgan’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season
Agents: Tom Reich
Full Name: Joe Leonard Morgan
Nicknames: Little Joe or The Little General
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
100.4
9277
2517
268
.271
1650
1133
689
.392
.427
.819
132
Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine of the 1970s had so many pieces that it’s tough to gauge who was most important, but with more WAR (67.0) in the 1970s than any other player, Joe Morgan may be the answer. A 10-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glove winner, Morgan won the MVP in 1975 and 1976 after finishing fourth, fourth, and eighth in the previous three years. 689 stolen bases is good for eleventh all time. His 11.0 WAR season in 1975 is second only to Hornsby’s 12.3 in 1924 among second basemen. With those numbers it’s no wonder that he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1990.
Jackie Robinson
Positions: Second Baseman, Third Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
5-11, 195lb (180cm, 88kg)
Born: January 31, 1919 in Cairo, GA us
Died:
October 24, 1972
Buried: Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
High School: Muir Technical (Los Angeles, CA)
Schools: Pasadena City College (Pasadena, CA), University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Debut: 1945 (9,801st in major league history)
AL/NL Debut:
April 15, 1947
(Age 28-074d)
vs. BSN 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 30, 1956
(Age 37-243d)
vs. PIT 4 AB, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1962.
(Voted by BBWAA on 124/160 ballots)
View Jackie Robinson’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1945 season (Exceeded AL/NL rookie limits during 1947 season)
Full Name: Jack Roosevelt Robinson
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
63.8
4997
1563
141
.313
972
761
200
.410
.477
.887
133
In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the AL/NL, and changed baseball forever. He slashed .383/.427/.810 that year, with 29 stolen bases and a .297 batting average on the way to winning the National League Rookie of the Year award. Two years later he’d put up 9.3 WAR with a .342 batting average, 124 RBI, and .432/.528/.960 to win the National League MVP. Not only did he remain one of the most electric players in baseball for the duration of his career – he stole home 19 times! – but the poise and grace with which he handled himself in very difficult circumstances was remarkable. His number 42 is retired across baseball, the only player so honored.
Ryne Sandberg
Positions: Second Baseman and Third Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 175lb (185cm, 79kg)
Born:
September 18, 1959
Draft: Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 MLB June Amateur Draft from North Central HS (Spokane, WA).
High School: North Central HS (Spokane, WA)
Debut:
September 2, 1981
(Age 21-349d,
14,504th in major league history)
vs. ATL 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game:
September 28, 1997
(Age 38-010d)
vs. STL 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2005.
(Voted by BBWAA on 393/516 ballots)
View Ryne Sandberg’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1982 season
Agents: Jim Turner, Richie Bry
Full Name: Ryne Dee Sandberg
Nicknames: Ryno, Kid Natural or Gabby
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Uncle of Jared Sandberg
Career
68.0
8385
2386
282
.285
1318
1061
344
.344
.452
.795
114
The dominant second baseman of the 1980s and early 1990s, Ryne Sandberg was a 10-time All-Star, won nine Gold Gloves, and seven Silver Sluggers. He had four seasons with 7+ WAR, including his 1984 MVP season when his 8.6 WAR was the only season in Major League history with 19 homeruns, 19 triples, 30 doubles, 30 steals, 200 hits, and a .300 average. He had three top-4 MVP finishes, and back-to-back 100 RBI seasons. When he retired only Rogers Hornsby had more homeruns as a second baseman.
Lou Whitaker
Position: Second Baseman
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
5-11, 160lb (180cm, 72kg)
Born:
May 12, 1957
Draft: Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 1975 MLB June Amateur Draft from Martinsville HS (Martinsville, VA).
High School: Martinsville HS (Martinsville, VA)
Debut:
September 9, 1977
(Age 20-120d,
13,965th in major league history)
vs. BOS 5 AB, 3 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB
Last Game:
October 1, 1995
(Age 38-142d)
vs. BAL 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1978 season
Agents: Rick Brode
Full Name: Louis Rodman Whitaker
Nicknames: Sweet Lou
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
75.1
8570
2369
244
.276
1386
1084
143
.363
.426
.789
117
A five-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and four-time Silver Slugger, Lou Whitaker began his career as Detroit’s second baseman in 1978 and remained there through 1995. His 75.1 WAR is sixth-highest among players who played at least half their games at second base. His .409 OBP in the 1984 World Series helped propel the Tigers to victory.
There’s no shortage of great second basemen in the history of baseball. Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio, Robinson Cano, Jeff Kent, and Willie Randolph deserve to be in the conversation as well.
FAQs
With 127.3 WAR, a 1.010 career OPS, 2,930 hits, and 301 homeruns, and six seasons with a WAR of 10+, Rogers Hornsby is the greatest MLB second baseman of all time. Nap Lajoie, Joe Morgan, and Ryne Sandberg are also in the conversation from different eras of the game.
Jeff Kent holds the MLB record for homeruns as a second basemen with 377. However, Jose Altuve has 192 and shows no signs of slowing down. If he can remain productive for six or seven more seasons, he has a chance to catch Kent.
Join our Sports Reference Community
Of Statheads:
Subscribe to Stathead, the most powerful research tools in sports, and find any player, team, season, game, and any play. With over 80 different search tools for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, you’ve got infinite answers at your finger tips.
With Our Email Newsletters:
Sign up for our newsletter and get curated stats, recaps, and more from the Baseball Reference to your inbox every morning. No commitment, unsubscribe at any time.
On Social Media:
Stay connected with Baseball Reference on social media! Bringing you stats, trivia, and more on all our channels daily.
Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – TikTok – YouTube – Reddit – LinkedIn
Follow the rest of the Sports Reference sites on social here.
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated: Friday, May 1, 2:56PM
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.