Breaking down All-MLB second base candidates

November 5th, 2020

Voting is underway for the second-ever All-MLB Team presented by CohnReznick, and you can help decide who deserves a place among the game's very best.

Fans have the ability to vote here once every 24 hours until the polls close at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13, and the All-MLB first and second teams will be announced in early December on MLB Network.

This year's second-base field is a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh young faces who emerged during the 2020 regular season. There are seven choices, but only two will make the All-MLB Team.

Here's a quick statistical primer on the All-MLB candidates at second base.

, Blue Jays
2020 stats: .250 AVG, 8 HR, 28 RBIs, 6 SB, .807 OPS
Biggio was a lineup staple for the Blue Jays in 2020, appearing in every game but one and playing multiple positions as Toronto reached the postseason for the first time since ’16. One of the game’s most patient hitters, Biggio drew 41 walks -- tied for the fifth most in MLB -- and reached base at a .375 clip, setting the table for the Blue Jays’ big bats. The 25-year-old also supplied his share of power and stole six bases without being caught.

The case for Biggio: Among players who played at least half of their games at second base, Biggio ranked either first or second in walks, steals, doubles (16) and runs (41), and he was one of two second basemen with at least five homers and five stolen bases.

Key number: 13.6% chase rate (out-of-zone swings / total out-of-zone pitches) -- Biggio continued to display outstanding plate discipline, maintaining the lowest chase rate in MLB (min. 100 out-of-zone pitches).

, Mets
2020 stats: .316 AVG, 10 HR, 30 RBIs, 0 SB, .896 OPS
After struggling to the tune of a .256/.307/.428 slash line during his first season with the Mets, Canó turned in a vintage performance in 2020, recording his best average in a decade and his highest OPS since ’13, his final year with the Yankees. He also hit 10 homers in 49 games after swatting just 23 over 187 games in 2018-19 combined.

The case for Canó: He ranked third among all second basemen (min. 50 plate appearances) in OPS and tied for third at the position in both homers and RBIs.

Key number: 19.8% hard-hit batted balls / swing rate -- Canó placed 12th in MLB in this department, recording 69 hard-hit balls (95+ mph exit velocity) on 348 total swings.

, Padres
2020 stats: .285 AVG, 4 HR, 20 RBIs, 3 SB, .831 OPS
An afterthought in the December 2019 trade that sent Tommy Pham from the Rays to the Padres, Cronenworth emerged as a valuable utility infielder for San Diego, appearing most often at second base and giving the Friars’ potent offense another strong bat while also flashing a steady glove at the keystone. Although a late swoon dropped his average to .285, the rookie was over .300 for much of the season.

The case for Cronenworth: Among regular second basemen with at least 100 plate appearances, Cronenworth finished fourth in slugging (.477) and OPS, and his 1.4 Wins Above Replacement (per FanGraphs) led all NL players at the position.

Key number: .324 expected batting average -- Cronenworth had MLB’s sixth-highest xBA, which is based on quality of contact as well as real-world strikeout numbers.

Cesar Hernandez, Indians
2020 stats: .283 AVG, 3 HR, 20 RBIs, 0 SB, .763 OPS
Signed to a one-year deal last offseason, Hernandez was a well-rounded presence for the Indians, finishing second on the team in batting average and runs (35) and winning a Gold Glove Award. The veteran was especially productive as Cleveland closed the season on a 9-2 run to clinch a playoff spot, hitting .372 with a homer, seven RBIs and 12 runs scored in that 11-game span.

The case for Hernandez: Hernandez led the American League with 20 doubles and ranked third at his position in fWAR (1.9).

Key number: 89.9% contact rate on in-zone pitches -- Hernandez showed impressive bat-to-ball skills when swinging at strikes, recording the seventh-highest contact rate on in-zone pitches in MLB (min. 250 swings against in-zone pitches).

, Yankees
2020 stats: .364 AVG, 10 HR, 27 RBIs, 3 SB, 1.011 OPS
Last year’s All-MLB first-team second baseman was arguably even better in 2020, posting personal bests in batting average, on-base percentage (.421) and slugging (.590) while hitting 10 homers in 50 games. The 32-year-old's AL batting title made him the first player in the Modern Era (since 1900) to win one in both leagues.

The case for LeMahieu: In addition to his MLB-leading .364 average, LeMahieu paced the AL in on-base percentage and OPS and topped all second basemen in fWAR (2.5).

Key number: 21.9% hard-hit batted balls / swing rate -- LeMahieu produced 80 hard-hit balls on 366 total swings in 2020, giving him the third-best rate among qualifiers.

Brandon Lowe, Rays
2020 stats: .269 AVG, 14 HR, 37 RBIs, 3 SB, .916 OPS
After finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2019, Lowe continued to mash in ’20, pacing the Rays in homers, RBIs, OPS, hits (52) and runs (36). With the 26-year-old leading the charge on offense, Tampa Bay was able to win its first division title since 2010.

The case for Lowe: No MLB second baseman had more homers or RBIs than Lowe, who finished second at the position in fWAR (2.3).

Key number: 17.5% barrel rate -- Lowe recorded 24 barrels (batted balls with the optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle) in 2020, and his barrel rate (barrels / batted balls) was elite, ranking seventh among qualifiers.

, Giants
2020 stats: .326 AVG, 3 HR, 29 RBIs, 0 SB, .828 OPS
Solano didn’t appear in the Majors in 2017 or '18, but after re-emerging to hit .330 over 215 at-bats in ’19, the 32-year-old kept it up this past season. Serving as the Giants’ regular second baseman, Solano recorded a .326 average with career-high marks in OBP (.365) and slugging (.463).

The case for Solano: Solano led the Giants in hits (62), batted .380 in 50 at-bats with runners in scoring position and had the sixth-best overall average among batting-title qualifiers.

Key number: 43.4% sweet-spot rate -- Solano excelled by regularly hitting balls in the sweet-spot zone (launch angle between 8-32 degrees), as he had the seventh-highest sweet-spot rate in MLB.