MLB The Show 19: Best Second Basemen (2B)


Second base is often a forgotten position. It doesn't get the defensive focus of third or shortstop, and it doesn't have the power bats of first base either. But second is still a key defensive position on the field. They are almost always the ones trying to turn double plays and the ones reacting to hard grounders from the strong lefty hitters. While they might not get the credit or the headlines, having a strong second baseman is a key part of any functioning ball club.

How to choose the best second basemen in MLB The Show 19's Franchise Mode

This article is focused on finding the best second basemen in MLB The Show 19's Franchise Mode. We are looking for players with good fielding attributes but they should also be able to produce at the plate too. We aren't desperate for home run power, but solid contact skills would be a really nice addition to any lineup and if they can steal a base and take extra bases with speed then we are well ahead of the game. These are all the best second basemen in The Show 19 with an OVR of 77 or more.

*For a full list please see the table below

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros (OVR 95)

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Age: 28

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 6 years/$140.1 million

Secondary Position: SS

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Contact vs R (99), Clutch (99), Contact vs L (91), Vision (88), Durability (84), Baserunning aggressiveness (80), Arm Accuracy (80)

Jose Altuve has been the best second baseman in the Majors for a while now. The Venezuelan star hit .276 as a rookie in 2011 and soon developed into one of the best contact hitters in baseball while also improving his defensive skills. Altuve won a gold glove in 2015 and the AL MVP in 2017 thanks to hitting a massive .346 with 24 homers and 32 steals. That proclivity for stealing has died away in recent years from a peak of 56 steals in 2014, but Altuve can still take a base when he wants to. In The Show 19 Altuve is a dominant contact hitter (99/91) with a good arm in the field (arm accuracy 80) and can still run hard (speed 78). He is a good fielder (67) but more offensive-minded these days.

Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals (OVR 90)

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Age: 30

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 5 years/$26.5 million

Secondary Position: 1B, 3B, LF, CF, RF

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Contact vs L (98), Durability (97), Clutch (83), Reaction (79), Speed (79), Fielding (76), Vision (76)

Whit Merrifield was a 9th round pick for the Royals in 2010 and it took him a long time to get up to the Majors, debuting in 2016. He was quickly capable at the plate, hitting .283 his first year. In 2017 Merrifield hit .288 and added a massive 34 stolen bases and 19 homers to his offensive production while making improvements in the field. In 2018 his dWAR hit 1.4 as his average topped .300 for the first time. As an all-round player Merrifield would be a strong addition to any team and he has a lot of defensive versatility too. In The Show 19 Merrifield has terrific contact skills (75/98) and the durability (97) to survive the grind at second. His speed (79) and stealing (57) doesn't match his actual production though.

Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs (OVR 89)

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Age: 37

Throws/Bats: R/S

Contract: 1 year/$14 million

Secondary Position: SS, LF, CF, RF

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Discipline (92), Contact vs L (90), Contact vs R (88), Durability (85), Vision (85), Fielding (74), Arm Accuracy (74)

The veteran Ben Zobrist made his Majors debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006 as a mostly defensive-minded player. His batting average fluctuated from a strong .297 in 2009 to a .238 the next year, with his power production doing the same. Zobrist was a solid player though, covering multiple positions but soon settling down at second. In 2015 he moved to Oakland but was soon traded to the playoff-pushing Kansas City Royals who would eventually win the World Series. The next year Zobrist was on the Cubs and ended up winning a second ring as well as World Series MVP.

In The Show 19 Zobrist is an excellent contact hitter (88/90) with good discipline (92) at the plate as well as solid fielding (74). His positional flexibility is very useful for any team and his switch-hitter status means you can keep him in the lineup against righties and lefties.

Scooter Gennett, Cincinnati Reds (OVR 88)

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Age: 28

Throws/Bats: R/L

Contract: 1 year/$9.8 million

Secondary Position: None

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Clutch (94), Durability (94), Contact vs R (93), Contact vs L (74), Power vs R (70)

Scooter Gennett was a 16th round pick for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. He got his debut with the Brewers in 2013 and hit well over his 69 games. With the Brewers Gennett was a solid players but his production at the plate varied wildly year to year. In 2016 he hit 14 homers (a career high) and just .263. IN 2017 he moved to the Reds and quickly found a power stroke, hitting 27 homers and .295, backing that up with 23 homers and a .310 average in 2018 with good defense too. 

In The Show 19 Gennett's biggest positives is his durability (94) and clutch ability (94). He's also got good contact skills (93/74) at the plate, though defensively he can be suspect (fielding 66, arm strength 58). He also offers very little on the basepaths (speed 39, stealing 11).

Jonathan Villar, Baltimore Orioles (OVR 88)

Age: 27

Throws/Bats: R/S

Contract: 1 year/$4.8 million

Secondary Position: 1B, 3B, SS, CF

Batting Tendency: Extreme Opposite

Best Stats: Stealing (91), Baserunning Aggressiveness (89), Durability (86), Speed (85), Clutch (77), Reaction (77)

Jonathan Villar started his career with the Houston Astros in 2013, but with the development of Jose Altuve and others he soon moved on Milwaukee. In his first season with the Brewers Villar went steal crazy, swiping 62 bases but also setting career-highs in homers (19) and average (.285), making good use of his first year as a starter. Villar's stats never quite hit that peak again, but the threat is still there.

In The Show 19 Villar's ability on the basepaths is his best selling point. His stealing (91) and speed (85) is electric and his durability (86) is solid too. At the plate Villar isn't great, with only ok contact skills (66/69).

Robinson Cano, New York Mets (OVR 88)

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Age: 36

Throws/Bats: R/L

Contract: 5 years/$120 million

Secondary Position: 1B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Durability (92), Contact vs R (88), Arm Accuracy (88), Vision (84), Arm Strength (77), Contact vs L (75)

Robinson Cano has a storied career with 8 All-Star appearances, 2 gold gloves, a 2009 World Series ring, and of course 9 years and 204 home runs in the Yankees pinstripes. Cano debuted as the everyday second baseman for the Yankees in 2005 and was a monster at the plate, hitting .304 with solid-to-spectacular defense. As a free agent he signed a monster deal with Seattle but didn't take a lot of his production with him to the Pacific north-west. After 5 years of his 10 year deal he was traded to the Mets.

In The Show 19 Cano is still a solid fielder (74) with a good arm (arm accuracy 88, arm strength 77) and strong contact ability (88/75). His power is not great but Cano can still get on base and is good against lefties compared to most other left-handed hitters.

DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees (OVR 86)

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Age: 30

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 2 years/$24 million

Secondary Position: 1B, 3B, SS

Batting Tendency: Extreme Opposite

Best Stats: Contact vs L (99), Clutch (84), Vision (83), Arm Accuracy (82), Fielding (81), Contact vs R (78), Durability (78)

DJ LeMahieu was a second-round pick for the Chicago Cubs in 2009 and got his debut with them in 2011. He didn't stay in Chicago long though, moving to Colorado in 2012 and soon becoming their everyday second baseman. LeMahieu has claimed three gold gloves at second, including the last two in the National League. At the plate LaMahieu has hit for average really well, with three seasons over .300 including a batting title in 2016 and has now taken his talents to New York.

In The Show 19 LeMahieu's contact skills are sensational (78/99) and his fielding (81) is very good too. This combination is rare, and while he has minimal power (38/53) and speed (51) he is still a strong player and his offensive production more than makes up for any baserunning issues.

Cesar Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies (OVR 85)

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Age: 28

Throws/Bats: R/S

Contract: 1 year/$7.8 million

Secondary Position: 3B, SS

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Durability (98), Discipline (92), Bunt (87), Drag Bunt (87), Speed (83), Contact vs L (82)

Cesar Hernandez made his debut with the Phillies in 2013, but it wasn't until 2015 that he really became an everyday starter. That year he played 127 games and was able to hit a solid .272/.339/.348. Those numbers only improved with time but in trying to add some power in 2018, when he hit a career-high 15 homers, he also struck out far more and his average suffered. Hernandez has been ok defensively, but it is something he needs to work on.

In The Show 19 Hernandez has the durability (98) to play every game at second and reasonable enough contact skills (71/82) to carry a solid average and be a good offensive producer for you. His power (50/31) is basically no-existent and his fielding (58) does leave a lot to be desired. He has the speed (83) to take extra bases and reach some balls in the field that may otherwise go astray though.

Brian Dozier, Washington Nationals (OVR 84)

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Age: 31

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 1 year/$9 million

Secondary Position: SS

Batting Tendency: Extreme Pull

Best Stats: Durability (92), Discipline (77), Power vs R (74), Power vs L (73), Arm Accuracy (73), Contact vs L (70)

Brian Dozier was drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 draft by the Minnesota Twins and got his debut with the team in 2012. Dozier's biggest selling point has always been his power. He's mashed 172 homers in his career including 42 in the 2016 season. His average has never been great, with a career .245 mark, but he has won a gold glove so he can produce in the field too.

In The Show 19 Dozier's power is good against all pitchers (74/73) and he has the durability (92) to last the season at second. Outside of that there isn't much to brag about with Dozier, his contact vs lefties is good (70) as is his plate discipline (77) but his fielding (60) isn't great.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox (OVR 84)

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Age: 35

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 3 years/$2.4 million 

Secondary Position: None

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Vision (91), Contact vs L (86), Clutch (86), Contact vs R (84), Fielding (78), Arm Accuracy (78), Reaction (78)

Dustin Pedroia has been the heartbeat of the Boston Red Sox for a while now. He got his debut with the team in 2006 but claimed AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 as the Red Sox won the World Series and then the AL MVP in 2008 with 213 hits and strong defense. Defense has always been Pedroia's calling card and his four gold gloves prove it but he has also been a good contact hitter with a career average of .300. Injuries cost him almost all of the 2018 season and a spot on the Red Sox World Series winning roster and he is yet to return to action in 2019.

In The Show 19 Pedroia is still a good fielder despite his age (fielding 78, arm accuracy 78, reaction 78). He can still get a lot of contact at the plate (84/86) but there is no power there or any speed. His durability (64) is also poor, meaning you need to rotate him out of the lineup fairly regularly.

All second basemen with 77 OVR or more

Player
OVR
Age
Club
Bat Hand
Best Contact
Best Power
Fielding
Speed
Jose Altuve
95
28
Houston Astros
R
99 (R)
57 (R)
67
78
Whit Merrifield
90
30
Kansas City Royals
R
98 (L)
48 (L)
76
79
Ben Zobrist
89
37
Chicago Cubs
S
90 (L)
58 (R)
74
43
Scooter Gennett
88
28
Cincinnati Reds
L
93 (R)
70 (R)
66
39
Jonathan Villar
88
27
Baltimore Orioles
S
69 (L)
56 (L)
68
85
Robinson Cano
88
36
New York Mets
L
88 (R)
63 (R)
74
12
DJ LeMahieu
86
30
New York Yankees
R
99 (L)
53 (L)
81
51
Cesar Hernandez
85
28
Philadelphia Phillies
S
82 (L)
50 (R)
58
83
Brian Dozier
84
31
Washington Nationals
R
70 (L)
74 (R)
60
45
Dustin Pedroia 
84
35
Boston Red Sox
R
86 (L)
44 (L)
78
34
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