Another NL dominated list with AL 2B only appearing in the B Tier and, honestly, each of those perhaps belonging one group lower.
#S Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | OTT | Roberto Alomar | 24 | 305/383/579 | 35 HR 109 RBI 121 R 58 SB | |
| NL | IND | Joe Morgan | 22 | 306/425/612 | 35 SB |
Nobody would have predicted Roberto Alomar as the best 2B in the game before the season began, but here we are. Alomar was truly superlative, putting him in the running for the All Rounder Award, even. Alomar’s WAR of 4.9 easily outpaced the rest of the field at 2B, and perhaps the only knock on him is that he led the league with 14 errors, however he also played more innings at 2B than anybody else.
Even with all that, Joe Morgan may have edged Alomar for the top spot if he had remained healthy: he got on base more often and showed more power, and is expected to be back at full strength for Spring Training
#A Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | BRK | Jackie Robinson | 29 | 288/369/549 | 52 SB | |
| NL | HOD | Ryne Sandberg | 33 | 292/351/592 | 42 HR | .993 fPct 4.97 RF |
Jackie Robinson spent some time elsewhere early in the season, but settled down at 2B for the champions, and won the Whirled Series with a memorable walkoff blast. While Ryne Sandberg faded a little as the season moved along (he lead the WBL in homers at one early point), this is still more than enough to cement his spot as a star in the league, especially when his defense is considered.
#B Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | CAG | Eddie Collins | 28 | 286/385/413 | 104 R 73 SB | |
| NL | NYG | Larry Doyle | 35 | 261/350/587 | 26 HR | |
| — | LAA/ BBB | Bobby Grich | 24 | 226/349/448 | .976 fPct | |
| AL | POR/ NYY | Rogers Hornsby | 34 | 270/374/480 | -11.9 ZR .904 dEff | |
| AL | BAL | Miller Huggins | 28 | 276/421/354 | 35 SB | 10.8 ZR 1.100 dEff |
| NL | PHI | Chase Utley | 30 | 254/341/441 | 26 SB | .994 fPct 4.92 RF 13.7 ZR |
Eddie Collins was a borderline MVP candidate last year, and the first recipient of the All Rounder Award, and Bobby Grich wasn’t all that far behind him. This year, a 50 point drop in slash line across the board moves them into this space, where their starting jobs are safe, but they’re really in danger of no longer being considered elite. An argument could be made that Rogers Hornsby still belongs in the A Tier, but his age and defensive weakness moves him here.
Larry Doyle barely made the usage requirement for the list, which moves him down a tier and, at 35, it’s unclear how much he has left in the tank. Still, in hindsight, he clearly should have started at 2B for the Gothams all season.
Miller Huggins may not belong here, but we’re a sucker for players with 150 point spreads between their BA and OBP, and he’s clearly locked down the starting role in Baltimore. Add his defensive metrics, and we’re fine with him in this group.
Chase Utley‘s incredible defense moves him into this tier–his offensive performance alone would leave him in the C Tier.
#C Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | MCG | Martín Dihigo | 19 | 246/291/429 | 39 SB | 1.000 fPct |
| AL | DET | Charlie Gehringer | 25 | 257/335/452 | 4.89 RF -10.7 ZR | |
| — | HOD/ SFS | Frank Grant | 22 | 255/339/384 | 43 SB | |
| AL | MEM | DJ LeMahieu | 29 | 297/373/433 | 1.117 dEff | |
| AL | POR | Paul Molitor | 24 | 266/323/423 | 42 SB | .977 fPct |
Paul Molitor‘s future is not at 2B, but to succeed anywhere else, he’ll need to up the offensive production–indeed, he is perhaps being flattered through his inclusion here.
DJ LeMahieu and Frank Grant barely made the list’s usage requirement, leaving Charlie Gehringer as the only obvious C Tier second baseman.
And then there is the enigma that is Martín Dihigo. He played mostly at 2B, but logged a ton of innings elsewhere, at a gold glove level everywhere. Add in his age, his massive jump in offensive performance, and his speed, and you could argue he belongs a tier above.
#D Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | HOU | Craig Biggio | 26 | 234/333/398 | 20 SB (but, 20 CS) | |
| NL | BRK | Ray Dandridge | 22 | 249/284/421 | 3.94 RF 1.131 dEff | |
| NL | IND | Tommy Helms | 25 | 268/300/399 | ||
| AL | CLE | Chuck Knoblauch | 28 | 230/320/381 | 38 SB | -12.5 ZR .926 dEff |
Craig Biggio has more upside–and clearly had the better year–but either he or Chuck Knoblauch could, surprisingly, see the bench next year. Both were significantly better last year, with Knoblauch being an All Star, so there is some reason for optimism as well.
Ray Dandridge‘s future in Brooklyn is probably at SS, but he played most this season at 2B, so he’s listed here. Obviously, the offense needs to improve for his career to stabilize.
Tommy Helms is a utility infielder at best, forced onto this list by Morgan’s injury.
#F Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | KCM | Robinson Canó | 25 | 230/258/397 | 11.0 ZR | |
| NL | BBB | Cupid Childs | 24 | 224/344/327 | 37 SB | |
| NL | KCM | Frankie Frisch | 28 | 255/281/405 | ||
| AL | NYY | Tom Herr | 29 | 228/288/326 | 21 SB | 4.02 RF |
| NL | HOM | Napoleon Lajoie | 24 | 231/255/409 | 55 2B | .993 fPct |
| AL | MCG | Cookie Rojas | 26 | 267/307/379 | .993 fPct |
An interesting group, honestly. Cupid Childs has gone from being a rising star to losing his starting job with the arrival of Bobby Grich; Napoleon Lajoie‘s 55 doubles speak to his potential, and Cookie Rojas is quite versatile, although, of this group, perhaps the most expendable for his team.
Note Childs’ OBP: his speed and ability to get on base should preserve his having utility in the WBL somewhere.
And then we have the misery that is Kansas City, with both Robinson Canó and Frankie Frisch buried here (although, to be fair, Frisch is a utility infielder and has value as such). And, Tommy Herr, who was supposed to be the long-term solution at 2B for New York, but whose performance prompted the acquisition of Hornsby by the Black Yankees.
#Rookies
Charlie Gehringer (C Tier) and Frank Grant (C Tier).
#Fielding Notes
We have our standard defensive stats here, with the leaders in bold and the worst performers in italics. Range Factor (RF) measures the number of plays made per game–the higher the better. Zone Rating (ZR) attempts to credit players for plays other fielders missed and ding them for plays other fielders made–the higher the better, and it has the benefit of being comparative across the position. Defensive Efficiency (dEff) measures the rate at which an individual fielder contributes to outs being made on balls put into play, with any score over 1.000 being a net positive impact. Finally, Fielding Percentage (fPct) reflects the percentage of times a chance was handled without a mistake–if someone made no errors, their fPct would be 1.000.
Of these, Range Factor is the most susceptible to the impact of the pitching staff and the ballpark, although none of these defensive ratings are perfect.