Voting for the 2021 All-MLB Team presented by Cue Health is underway, and you can help decide which players will be honored as the best of the regular season at each position, with 50% of the vote coming from fans and 50% coming from a panel of experts.
You can vote right here, and may continue to do so once every 24 hours between now and when voting ends on Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. ET. The 2021 All-MLB Team will be announced Nov. 23 on MLB Network. There will be a first team and second team All-MLB, and voters are asked only to consider performance during the regular season when casting their ballots.
The nominees at each position were revealed Wednesday on MLB Network, and nine second basemen are up for consideration to be part of the 2021 All-MLB Team, though only two can be chosen. With two-time defending first-team selection DJ LeMahieu not among the nominees this year, the door is wide open.
Here’s a breakdown of each of the All-MLB candidates at second base:
Ozzie Albies, Braves
2021 stats: .259 AVG, 30 HR, 106 RBIs, 20 SB, .799 OPS
A key member of the World Series-champion Braves, the 24-year-old switch-hitter was a power-speed threat at the plate. One of just five MLB players (and the only second baseman) to go 30-20 this season, Albies was a mainstay in the Atlanta lineup (156 games), while earning his second All-Star selection. Albies finished in the top 10 in the NL in hits (163, ninth), doubles (40, third), triples (seven, tied for third), total bases (307, fourth), runs scored (103, fourth), RBIs (106, tied for third) and steals (20, tied for sixth).
Jose Altuve, Astros
2021 stats: 278 AVG, 31 HR, 83 RBIs, 5 SB, .839 OPS
He’s been an All-Star (seven times), Silver Slugger Award winner (five times), batting champion (three times), Gold Glove Award winner and AL MVP -- but not a first-team All-MLB selection. Is this the year? Altuve bounced back in a big way from his subpar 2020, matching his career high with 31 homers while getting on base at a .350 clip. That helped him score a career-high 117 runs, third most in the AL.
Jake Cronenworth, Padres
2021 stats: .266 AVG, 21 HR, 71 RBIs, 4 SB, .800 OPS
Cronenworth emerged as a surprise star as a rookie in 2020, and this past season was a clear sign that he was far from a fluke. Instead, Cronenworth was an All-Star while essentially stretching his '20 numbers out over a full season, including his aversion to strikeouts (90th-percentile K-rate). And while he is listed here at second base, Cronenworth continued to display capable, multi-position versatility, starting 34 games at shortstop and 17 at first base in addition to his duties at the keystone.
Adam Frazier, Padres
2021 stats: .305 AVG, 5 HR, 43 RBIs, 10 SB, .779 OPS
Two nominees from the same team at the same position? That is the case here, as Frazier began the season in Pittsburgh, where his hot start (.330/.397/.463 in the first half) made him the NL’s starting second baseman in the All-Star Game and set him up as a top Trade Deadline target. The Pirates dealt Frazier to the Padres on July 26, and he mostly took over the second-base job thereafter, with Cronenworth moving around. Frazier’s offense cooled in San Diego, but he still finished fifth in the NL batting race, thanks to his high-contact approach (98th percentile in whiff rate).
Jonathan India , Reds
2021 stats: .269 AVG, 21 HR, 69 RBIs, 12 SB, .835 OPS
This was a whirlwind season for India, who made his MLB debut as a surprise Opening Day starter for Cincinnati and wound up as a key lineup fixture. The NL Rookie of the Year Award finalist was an on-base machine as a 24-year-old, with his NL-high 23 hit-by-pitches bolstering a .376 OBP that placed him sixth among NL qualifiers -- one spot above teammate Joey Votto. India also showed both patience and pop (57 extra-base hits, .459 slugging), while his sprint speed ranked in the 86th percentile.
Brandon Lowe, Rays
2021 stats: .247 AVG, 39 HR, 99 RBIs, 7 SB, .863 OPS
A second-team All-MLB selection in 2020, Lowe once again was a force at the plate for the AL East-champion Rays. Buoyed by an elite barrel rate, he tied for sixth in the Majors in home runs and became only the eighth player to go deep at least 39 times in a season while playing primarily at second. Lowe slugged over .500 for the third straight season, and his park-adjusted 142 OPS+ was sixth highest in the AL.
Whit Merrifield, Royals
2021 stats: .277 AVG, 10 HR, 74 RBIs, 40 SB, .711 OPS
Merrifield’s OPS was a career low, yet in other ways, this was a typical Merrifield season. For the third straight year, he played in every game, establishing a new franchise-record streak in the process. That durability helped him lead the AL in at-bats for the third year in a row, in steals for the third time in his career and in doubles (42) for the first time. Throw in stellar defense (plus-6 Outs Above Average) and baserunning (sixth in FanGraphs’ value metric) and Merrifield was a strong all-around contributor once again.
Jorge Polanco, Twins
2021 stats: .269 AVG, 33 HR, 98 RBIs, 11 SB, .826 OPS
A shortstop throughout his career, Polanco spent much more time at second this season (120 games). The switch-hitter got off to a rough start at the plate over the first few weeks, but in 136 games from April 21 forward, he slashed .280/.333/.536 with 67 extra-base hits. As a result, Polanco smashed his previous career highs in homers (22) and RBIs (79). He also came through in the clutch, leading the Majors with five walk-off plate appearances, including three in a four-day span from Aug. 15-18.
Marcus Semien, Blue Jays
2021 stats: .265 AVG, 45 HR, 102 RBIs, 15 SB, .873 OPS
After his breakout 2019 season, which led to a third-place AL MVP Award finish, Semien slumped during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. That led him to take a one-year deal with Toronto and slide from shortstop to second base, which worked out fabulously for both sides. Semien played in all 162 games for the Blue Jays, made his first All-Star team, won his first Gold Glove and joined teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as an AL MVP finalist. Along the way, he broke the single-season home run record for his position, finishing fourth among all MLB hitters in that category.