Player Poll: Best Double Play Combo
Aside from a strikeout, a pitcher’s best friend is a double play. Most of the double plays in MLB are of the 6-4-3 or 4-6-3 variety. As such, the defense of a team’s shortstop and second baseman are very important. Beyond that, those two positions are expected to produce more on the offensive side than they had been in previous eras in baseball.
So, who is the best all-around double play combination in Major League Baseball?
(NOTE: The following rankings take both offense and defense into account.)
1. Robinson Cano & Derek Jeter (Yankees)
Jeter will likely go down as the greatest all-around shortstop of all time, and Cano is considered by many to be the best all-around second basemen in the game today. Jeter currently leads the league in hits with 191 and has a .324 batting average. Cano is having another stellar year with .303/29/74.
2. Elvis Andrus & Ian Kinsler (Rangers)
This duo might be the most exciting in all of baseball. Andrus is the perfect 2-hole hitter for the best lineup in baseball, and Kinsler has developed into one of the most feared leadoff hitters in the league. This twosome looks to send the Rangers to their third straight World Series.
3. Ian Desmond & Danny Espinosa (Nationals)
Along with the entire Nationals team, both Desmond and Espinosa are having big-time breakout seasons. In only 109 games, Desmond has hit 22 HRs and 66 RBIs to go along with a .293 average. Espinosa has 16 HRs and 52 RBIs. This is definitely one of the most productive SS/2B tandems.
4. Jed Lawrie & Jose Altuve (Astros)
Before Lawrie’s injury, he was having one of the best power seasons of any SS in the league. Altuve is by far the best 5’5” second basemen in MLB, and his worth can’t even be measured in Altuves. Altuve looks to be a staple at second in Houston for years to come.
5. Asdrubal Cabrera & Jason Kipnis (Indians)
Cabrera is probably the best defensive SS on this list, and he has shown signs of a much-improved offensive game. Kipnis has slumped for much of the second half, but this young stud should be one of the better second basemen in the league as he progresses.
6. Mike Aviles & Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox)
Pedroia is going to be the centerpiece of Boston’s rebuilding plans, and they couldn’t do that with a better player. This former MVP is a steadying force for this team, and he has helped Aviles develop both sides of his game.
Don’t forget to watch #PlayerPoll on FOX at 3:00pm EST this Saturday to see whom the players and fans think is the best double play duo in MLB. Also, tweet your picks to @MLBFanCave and @KyleOKC using the hash tag #CavePickEm.