Turning double plays might be the most exciting play on defense, and that means having quality second basemen. These players are capable of quickly assessing the defensive scheme and know where to be at all times.
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Identifying solid second basemen in MLB The Show 23 comes down to finding fast players who are plus defenders. If you can find someone who can swing the bat, that’s an added bonus. These second basemen excel in one or more of these categories and are an important factor in their team’s success.
7Nico Hoerner - 81
Nico Hoerner didn’t see much playing time in his first three seasons in the league but managed to have a breakout season in 2022. The 25-year-old appeared in 135 games with 55 RBI and ten home runs. Newly signed Dansby Swanson and Hoerner project to be Chicago’s middle infielders for years to come.
Hoerner has a superb vision (90) that helps him make contact with pitches thrown outside the strike zone. He has an equally high clutch rating (93) and tends to stay relatively healthy (82). He’s an above-average fielder (88) with quick feet (84). His overall potential (B) indicates this might be Hoerner’s ceiling, but he’s a good young player on an up-and-coming team.
6Ozzie Albies - 82
In Ozzie Albies’s first season as a full-time ballplayer, he knocked 24 home runs and collected 72 RBI en route to an All-Star selection. He was also a key factor in helping the Atlanta Braves win the World Series in 2021, another All-Star season for the second baseman.
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Albies is extremely durable on the field (95) and has decent accuracy (79). He doesn’t steal many bases but can be somewhat of a nuisance on the base paths (68). At the plate, Albies specializes in making contact against left-handed pitching (81). Albies remains an important player for Atlanta if they have any hopes of returning to the Fall Classic.
5Jeff McNeil - 82
Jeff McNeil is coming off his second All-Star selection after leading the major leagues in batting average (.326). The New York Mets second baseman was one of the best hitters last season and projects to be a main offensive producer for the team.
The 30-year-old is a stellar contact hitter against all pitchers (95 right, 88 left). He has great vision at the plate (94) and can deliver in clutch moments (93). On the field, McNeil is a quality fielder (85) with solid accuracy (75) and reaction time (76). McNeil can also play four other secondary positions, making him one of the most versatile players in the game.
4Trevor Story - 84
The Boston Red Sox tried to bolster its offense by signing Trevor Story in free agency in 2022, but the second baseman underwent UCL surgery that sidelined his campaign. But when healthy, Story can be an offensive juggernaut against lefties.
He has a high rating in power hitting (90) but is susceptible to strikeouts. He’s an excellent fielder (87) and has underrated speed (73). Story is still only 30 years old and can be a much-needed spark for Boston’s offense.
3Andres Gimenez - 86
Andres Gimenez is the youngest second baseman among the top players and might soon be the highest-rated. In his first full season as the starter, Gimenez was named an All-Star with a .297 batting average, 17 home runs, 69 RBI, and 146 hits.
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He favors left-handed pitching (87 contact), which is somewhat surprising for a left-handed hitter. Overall, Gimenez is a plus defender (78) with solid reaction time (78) and accuracy (73). The 24-year-old is always a threat to steal (75) bases with a high-speed rating (87). If Gimenez can improve his hitting against right-handers, it won’t be long until he’s the best second baseman in the league.
2Marcus Semien - 87
After finishing third in the American League MVP voting in 2021, Marcus Semien signed a massive seven-year contract with the Texas Rangers. He followed up his lone All-Star season with another solid year where Semien only missed one game. Semien has played in at least 161 games in three of the last four seasons.
Besides his stellar durability (98), Semien is a sound fielder (81) with decent speed (80). He excels at hitting breaking balls, but overall he’s not someone you’d want to rely on offensively. Semien is just a solid, all-around second baseman who’s going to give you a lot of at-bats and be a defensive stopper.
1Jose Altuve - 93
For better or worse, Jose Altuve has been one of the many faces of the Houston Astros since 2012. Over his 12-year career, Altuve has been selected to eight All-Star games and won the American League MVP in 2017. Although Altuve is slowly on the decline, he’s still the highest-rated second baseman in the game.
Altuve is an exceptional hitter who specializes in making contact against lefties (95). He has above-average marks in power-hitting against lefties (84), vision (83), clutch (88), and durability (86). He’s an average overall defender at best, and even though Altuve stole 18 bases last year, which was his highest amount since 2017, he doesn’t pose much of a threat on the base paths. But Altuve has shown time and again that he’s a winning player, and his multiple championships prove it.
