Ranking The NL East: Second Basemen

Aug 28, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman

(7) throws to first base against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

5. Alberto Callaspo (Atlanta Braves) 

 For the 31-year old second baseman, the Braves will be the fifth team that Callaspo will play with as he enters the tenth season of his career. He has spent the last year and a half with the Oakland Athletics. Last season, Callaspo hit .223 with four home runs and 39 RBI’s in 127 games.

One of the highlights of the season for Callaspo last season was his RBI single in the top of the 12^th inning of the AL Wild Card that gave Oakland the lead for only a short moment.

The Atlanta Braves, who now have their baseball operations led by GM John Hart, signed him to a one-year, $3 million contract back in December. When you look at his career numbers, the switch-hitter is a career .284 hitter against lefties as opposed to a .259 average against lefties.

Callaspo is a player that gives the Braves flexibility in terms of being able to play third base as well as second. Last season, he played in 46 games at second, 32 games at third base, and 19 games at first base.

According to Fangraphs, Callaspo is projected to hit .250 in 2015 and have a WAR of 0.4 In fact, Callaspo isn’t even projected to get the most at-bats at the position. That is Jace Peterson, who played 27 games with the Padres last year before being dealt to Atlanta in the trade for Justin Upton.

When you look at the Callaspo signing, it looks to be a one-year stopgap to allow time for Peterson and Jose Peraza, who was recently named the top second base prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Eventually, the Braves could find themselves higher on this list in future years if those prospects pan out.

Next: Number Four?

Aug 31, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop

(11) throws the ball for a double play against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

4. Yunel Escobar (Washington Nationals)

Even though the Nationals had the third most runs in all of baseball last season, one of their weakest positions on the diamond was second base. Despite trading for Asdrubal Cabrera mid-season, Washington’s second baseman hit a collective .238 a season ago (23^rd in the league).

With Danny Espinosa hitting .158 in 2013 and .219 in 2014, GM Mike Rizzo went out and upgraded at the position by trading for Rays’ shortstop Yunel Escobar. Even though it cost them Tyler Clippard in the process. If all things hold to form, Escobar will likely start at second base for the Nats, the first time he has played that position since 2007.

After having a WAR of 3.3 in 2013, Escobar’s WAR dropped to -0.3 in 2014. As far as his fielding goes, he had 10+ errors at shortstop in three of his last four seasons, so maybe a move to second isn’t the worst thing for the 32-year-old who made three errors in 21 games with the Braves.

The Nationals are hoping that Escobar can turn into the hitter he was in his first four years with the Braves when he hit .291. Escobar does know how to get on-base when you consider that last season, he was tied for fifth among all shortstops with a .324 on-base percentage. In his five years with the Blue Jays and Rays, Escobar has a .OBP of .332.

According to Fangraphs, Escobar’s WAR should drastically improve up to two and is projected to increase his average to .271, which would be his highest in 2011. Escobar isn’t a flashy player at this stage of his career, but if he can avoid being a problem in the clubhouse and off-the-field, he can contribute to an offense that is already one of the best in the National League.

Next: Number Three?

Oct 6, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman

(9) hits a single during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game three of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

3. Dee Gordon (Miami Marlins)

Earlier, I mentioned that the Nationals were 26^th last season in batting average from second baseman. Well, the Miami Marlins were 21^st in that category. At the Winter Meetings, Miami traded away starting pitcher Andrew Heaney in a package deal to acquire Dodgers’ speedster Dee Gordon.

Last season, the 26-year-old Gordon had a career season in just his fourth year in the league. In 148 games, he hit .289 with two home runs and 34 RBI’s. Gordon’s .289 average was fourth among all second baseman behind Howie Kendrick, Robinson Cano, and Jose Altuve.

The best aspect to Gordon’s game is his speed. His 64 stolen bases were the most in baseball. However, he was caught 19 times, which was the second most behind Billy Hamilton of the Reds. That is to be expected when you take as many chances as he does. If Gordon does hit leadoff, he only adds to a Marlins’ team that’s leadoff men had a combined .346 on-base percentage (4^th in baseball).

Gordon isn’t higher on this list because he doesn’t have the track record as the two players who are ahead of him. If he can put up similar numbers this coming season, then that can change. Even if Gordon gets hurt, the trade to acquire Martin Prado gives Mike Redmond depth at this position of high quality.

Fangraphs doesn’t seem to think Gordon’s numbers can project to last year with his WAR dropping from 2.4 to 0.9 in 2015. If he can get on-base in the leadoff spot, his run total could increase with players like Christian Yelich and the great Giancarlo Stanton hitting behind them in that much improved Miami Marlins’ batting order.

Next: Number Two?

Sep 19, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets second baseman

(28) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

2. Daniel Murphy (New York Mets)

The Met second baseman, who was one of the names linked in trade rumors with the Nationals at the trade deadline last year, is slowly becoming one of the better offensive second baseman in the game. While defense holds Murphy back to a degree, the 29-year old is looking to have a good season as he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2015 season.

Last season, Murphy hit .289 with nine home runs and 57 RBI’s in 143 games. Murphy had 172 hits and has been in the top ten in hits for the National League each of the last two years. His .OPS of .734 last season was ninth among second baseman in the majors for that category.

Since hitting .320 in 2011, Murphy has been a constant in terms of a solid batting average, hitting .285 in each of the past three seasons. He is also durable in terms of games played. He has played over 140 games in each of the past three seasons.

The problem for the second baseman who is going into his seventh season is his defense. Murphy led all National League second baseman in errors and was second in that category during the previous two seasons.

When you take a look at the Fangraphs projections, Murphy’s average is predicted to drop 12 points from .289 to .277 with the on-base percentage at .320. The WAR projection of 1.3 would be his lowest WAR total since 2008, when he played 49 games in his first year. Murphy has his defensive issues, but if he continues his offensive success, it could bring him a nice raise on his next contract.

Next: Number One?

Sep 17, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman

(26) throws to first against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

1. Chase Utley (Philadelphia Phillies)

Even at age 36, Chase Utley still remains one of the best second baseman in the game. He has been part of a core that won a World Series in 2008 and made it to the Fall Classic the following year before losing to the Yankees.

Last season, Utley hit .270 with 11 home runs and 78 RBI’s in 155 games. The 155 games are the most he has played in any season since 2009 (156 games). The six-time All-Star was seventh among all second baseman in OPS last year (.746).

If you dissect Utley’s 2014 season, he had a great first half, hitting .293 with eight homers and 46 RBI’s. However, his average dropped to .235 after the All-Star break . Last season, he was fifth among all second baseman in walks with 53.

Defensively, Utley has made double digit errors at second base in four of his last five seasons, which includes the 11 he made a season ago. The question remain s whether or not the Phillies will eventually trade their franchise second baseman while in the midst of rebuilding mode themselves.

Over the past four seasons, Utley has had a WAR of three or higher. Last season, his WAR of 3.6 was tied for eighth among second baseman. This year, Fangraphs projects him at 3.1 for his WAR, which is the seventh highest at the second base position. Also, his batting average is projected at .258 with an on-base percentage of .330.

When you look at the second base landscape in the NL East, there are a lot of what ifs regarding the other four candidates. As for Utley, you kind of know what you are going to get from him even as he is in the latter stages of his career.

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