Second base is considered a shallow position with a little amount elite options for teams to choose from.
It has long been a position occupied by defensive specialist, speedsters, and guys who can’t handle shortstop. It is often a position players battle over in spring training, or one that gets forgotten and so a revolving door of platoon partners takes over. Of the 310 members of the major League Baseball Hall of Fame just 21 are in as second baseman.
On Monday I ranked the best first basemen in the American league West. Today I’m taking a look at the best second basemen in the AL West. This was a tough task. The AL West has an unusual number of elite players at this position. One team boasts a talented youngster who might be the second coming of one of the stars on this list. Another team is the unlikely source of a position battle in spring training.
Where does your team’s second baseman rank?
Mar 15, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners – Similar to my ranking of Albert Pujols in my column on first baseman, Cano is on the path to all-time greatness. He spent his first nine season with the New York Yankees, hitting more than 200 home runs with a .309/ .355/ .504 triple-slash line. He appeared in five all-star games and was a four-time top-10 MVP finisher. Last winter he signed a giant $240 million contract with Seattle and despite posting his lowest home run and RBI totals since 2008 Cano was still an all-star and placed fifth in the AL MVP voting. He is one of the best hitters of his generation, and at 32 years of age is showing no signs of slowing down. Projected Wins Above Replacement: 4.9
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Ben Zobrist, Oakland Athletics – Ranking Zobrist above the next guy was a tough decision, but ultimately Zorilla’s versatility, track record, and skill won out, landing him second spot on my list. Zobrist, like Cano spent the first nine years of his career with the same team, the Tampa Bay Rays. He has blasted 10 or more home runs and posted an on-base percentage of .339 or better in every season since 2008. Since 2009 he has stolen 10 or more bases each year, post an OBP of .346 or better, scored 77 or more runs, and driven in 71 or more runs, with the exception of 2014 when he only drove in 52. He has been nearly a 5-WAR player every year since becoming a regular and can handle almost every position on the diamond with above-average defense. He projects to be Oakland’s primary second baseman, while also getting time in the outfield and perhaps shortstop if needed. Projected WAR: 4.2
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros – I may get plenty of backlash for ranking Altuve this low, and I’m ready for it. His first two seasons in the majors were quality. He scored some runs, hit a few homers, and I’m guessing by his 5-foot, six- inch height, didn’t ride many roller coasters. He also batted better than .283 in both of his first two full seasons with OBPs of .340 and .318, respectively, and stole 33 or more bases each year. Last season Altuve made the leap from quality player to elite star. He led the league in batting at .341, hits with 225, and was second only to Billy Hamilton with 56 stolen bases. Defensively he rates as below average, but makes up for it with his abilities with the bat and speed on the base paths. Projected WAR: 3.2
Rougned Odor, Texas Rangers – According to Fangraphs’ ZiPS projections, Odor is compared to a young Robinson Cano and that is high praise for a 21-year-old with barely 100 games of major league service time. He was over-matched at the big league level last year after being thrust into a full-time role as a 20-year-old. He batted .259 with 9 home runs, 39 runs, and 48 RBI, while stealing a handful of bases. In the minor leagues he showed decent power-speed skills that make him a great bet to improve upon his rookie campaign. Defensively he was over-matched in 2014, but it would not be fair to read too much into that. Again he wasn’t even able to purchase alcohol at all during his year in the major leagues. Projected WAR: 1.1
Josh Rutledge, Grant Green, Johnny Giavotella, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – For the better part of the past decade the Angles featured one of the game’s premier second basemen in Howie Kendrick. An offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Kendrick 30 miles north on highway-5 and left a huge hole at the keystone in Anaheim. It is an all-out competition this spring with Rutledge being the most experienced of the group, having played in more than 260 games for the Colorado Rockies in the past three years. Green and Giavotella are both former prospects who failed to make it with the club that drafted them and find themselves grinding it out for a roster spot this spring. None of these candidates stands out or offers much potential both offensively and defensively. Projected WAR: Rutledge = 0.8, Green = 0.4, Giavotella = 0.4