Minnesota Twins: The Top 5 Second Basemen in Franchise History
As the Minnesota Twins coming up on their 120th season, we look back at the five best second basemen in franchise history.
Minnesota Twins:
The Minnesota Twins are one of the oldest franchises in baseball, dating back to 1901, when they were the league bottom-dweller known as the Washington Senators. Since that time, the team has won three championships, six pennants, and eleven division titles.
It has also suffered through seven 100+ loss seasons, fourteen playoff defeats, and have lost over 1100 games to the New York Yankees. The team has had some really good seasons, and some really bad seasons. Throughout it all, there have been some excellent players who have carried the team.
These excellent players deserve some recognition , so Puckett’s Pond will be putting together a list of the top players at each position to get ready for the top 50 players of all time. In order to make it on this list, players need to have played over 400 games, been excellent on offense and defense, and played an important role for the team.
We’ll continue to move in positional order, next heading to second base. Second base has been a weak position through the team’s 120 year history, but there are two Hall of Fame second basemen who made the list, so let’s get started.
Honorable Mention
Nick Punto
Years: 2004-2010 (7 seasons)
Key Stats: 747 G, 194 RBI, 271 BB, .248 BA, 10.3 WAR, 8.6 dWAR
The group competing to make this list at second base was a small one, small enough that only one player was listed as an honorable mention. Nick Punto earns that mention despite having some serious problems on offense, mostly because of his defense.
Nick Punto was one of the most reliable Twins for seven years, earning playing time at second and third base, shortstop, and even a few games in the outfield. He was played everywhere the team needed and most Twins fans loved him for it.
His versatility helped him stay around despite poor hitting, but his biggest asset was his defense. Over his Minnesota Twins career, Punto racked up an 8.6 dWAR, which is an extremely high number. He currently ranks eighth all time in team history, despite only playing 747 games.
Punto meant a lot to the team, and he was a key player when the team was trying to win the division, but his defense is really what made him stand out. Even though he couldn’t hit well, he still is one of the top second basemen in team history.
No. 5: Bucky Harris
Years: 1919-1928 (10 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1252 G, 1297 Hits, 508 RBI, 167 SB, .275 BA, 15.6 WAR, 2.0 dWAR, Two Top-25 MVP Finishes
Bucky Harris was the Washington Senators second baseman for ten seasons that included the team’s first championship in 1924. He played over 1,200 games with the team, and was a player and manager from 1924-1928. He won it all in his first year managing the team, adding to his legacy.
Harris had a really strong playing career for the Senators as well, hitting .275 and racking up 1,297 hits (good for 21st all-time), and tallying 508 RBI. He was decent on the base paths too, stealing 167 bases over his time with the team. He played with a lot of heart, leading a very talented team.
His defense wasn’t perfect, as he collected a rather disappointing .965 fielding percentage over his career, but he only had three seasons where his dWAR was below average, which results in his decent enough dWAR of 2.0.
Harris’ main contribution to the team was his time as a manager. Over his career in charge he led them to two pennants, one championship and 1,336 wins. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975 for his work as a manager. Bucky Harris was a solid player and manager for a long time with the team, and he is well deserving of his spot of fifth on this list.
No. 4: Brian Dozier
Years: 2012-2018 (7 Seasons)
Key Stats: 955 G, 167 HR, 491 RBI, 98 SB, .248 BA, 22.7 WAR, 2.3 dWAR, One time All-Star, One Gold Glove, Three Top-25 MVP Finishes
Brian Dozier is the most recent player on this list by far, still being an active Major League Baseball player. Dozier played seven seasons for the Minnesota Twins during a time when the team was losing a lot of games. He provided more offense than the rest of the roster at times, making him invaluable.
Dozier was the star of the franchise from 2014 to 2017, hitting at least 23 home runs, topping out at 42 in 2016. He didn’t hit for average, with a .271 average ending up as his best season, but his consistent home run ability kept fans engaged while the franchise was lagging behind. He even had a bit of speed too, swiping 98 bags in a Twins uniform.
His defense was solid too, as he built up a 2.3 dWAR and one a Gold Glove in 2017. His fielding percentage of .987 is pretty good for a second baseman, and he showed how talented he was with some really impressive plays during his time here:
He didn’t win a lot of awards, only making one all-star team and the single Gold Glove, but he finished in the Top 25 of MVP voting three separate times. Despite that, his WAR of 22.7 shows how much talent he had and how much he meant to the team.
Dozier always meant a lot to the fan base as well, making the franchise respectable. He wanted to stay in Minnesota as well, but the team decided against paying what he was looking for and sent him off for Luke Raley, Logan Forsythe, and Devin Smeltzer.
Raley helped the Twins land Kenta Maeda, and Smeltzer gave the Twins valuable innings down the stretch, meaning Dozier still offered the team value when he was gone. He was an excellent player and earned his spot at No. 4.
No. 3: Buddy Myer
Years: 1925-1927, 1929-1941 (16 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1643 G, 1828 Hits, 757 RBI, 118 SB, 864 BB, .303 BA, 40.7 WAR, 5.5 dWAR, 2 Time All-Star, Three Top-25 MVP Finishes
Buddy Myer was a key player for the Washington Senators for sixteen seasons, missing out on their championship run by one season. He got a taste of World Series experience in 1925, but the team failed to win it all that season. Myer did get to see the team make the World Series again in 1933, but the team once again couldn’t bring home the trophy.
Myer’s biggest asset was his bat. Myer earned 1,828 hits and 757 RBI over his 16 seasons with the team. His career batting average of .303 sits sixteenth all-time in franchise history, his on-base percentage of .393 is tied for first, he’s fifth in runs scored, and 12th all-time in total bases.
His hitting helped him to earn a career WAR of 40.7 while with the team, a mark that puts him ninth all-time among hitters. He earned three Top-25 MVP finishes and was an All-Star twice, racking up the individual accolades as well.
His offense may have been what made him a star for the team, but similar to Dozier his defense was solid as well. He earned a dWAR of 5.5, tied for sixteenth best in team history. His career fielding percentage of .974 isn’t great, but he still played well over such a long period of time.
Buddy Myer did a lot for the Senators in the 1930s when the team was struggling to get past the New York Yankees and into the World Series. His stats may be slightly boosted by how long he played for the team, but his value to the franchise is massive.
No. 2: Chuck Knoblauch
Years: 1991-1998 (8 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1013 G, 1197 Hits, 43 HR, 391 RBI, 276 SB, 513 BB, .304 BA, 38.0 WAR, 8.6 dWAR, Rookie of the Year, 4 Time All-Star, 3 Top 25 MVP, Two Silver Sluggers, One Gold Glove
Chuck Knoblauch broke into the MLB as a part of the best team in Twins history, winning Rookie of the Year to start his career the right way, stealing 25 bases and playing stellar defense, helping the Twins win their second World Series in five years.
Knoblauch may have soured his reputation in the eyes of Twins fans with a trade request in 1997, confirmed use of performance-enhancing drugs (with the Yankees), and a domestic assault case in 2012, but when he was with the team he was a star.
Knoblauch was excellent in the batter’s box during his time with the Twins, hitting .304 and knocking in 391 RBI along with drawing 513 walks over seven seasons, an excellent number. He was named an All-Star four times during his seven seasons, earned two Silver Slugger awards, and finished in the Top-25 of MVP voting three times.
In addition to all those awards, Knoblauch was a terror on the base paths, stealing 276 bases over seven seasons and stealing over forty bases three times (he stole 62 in 1997, the third best season in team history). His speed also assisted his defense.
That defense may have been his strongest skill, as he built up a dWAR of 8.6 in only seven seasons, the eighth best mark in team history (and the best mark in under eight seasons). ESPN even nicknamed him “Fundamentally Sound Chuck Knoblauch” because his defense was so flawless.
Despite Chuck’s flaws he was a star for the Twins, helping win a World Series and his trade to the New York Yankees brought two All-Stars into the organization. His career also began to fall apart soon after he left, making the Twins seem like winners. Chuck Knoblauch, despite all his faults was a really good second baseman for the Twins.
No. 1: Rod Carew
Years: 1967-1978 (12 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1635 G, 2085 Hits, 74 HR, 733 RBI, 271 SB, .334 BA, 63.8 WAR, 2.1 dWAR, Rookie of the Year, 12 Time All-Star, 1977 MVP, 8 Top 25 MVP Finishes, Hall of Fame
Rod Carew is the greatest hitter in franchise history and has a strong argument to be considered one of the greatest hitters of all time. Carew never once had a batting average below .273 and was named an All-Star in every year of his career except for the final one. The only question is what position list he would be on.
Carew played more innings at first base over his whole career but played more innings at second base as a Twin over a career that saw him make twelve all-star games, finish in the Top-25 of MVP voting EIGHT times, be named Rookie of the Year in 1967, and win MVP in1977.
Carew added up 2,085 hits (sixth all-time), 733 RBI (sixteenth), and a .334 BA (first) over his twelve seasons with the team, also finishing with a .393 OBP (first) and 613 walks (twelfth). His name is all over the team’s batting record books and his incredible 63.8 WAR is first in team history.
His speed and defense were extra bonuses, as he finished with 271 stolen bases, good for fifth in team history. He used his speed to become a solid defender as well. His dWAR of 2.1 won’t jump off the page, but it’s still well above average.
Rod Carew never helped the Minnesota Twins make the World Series, much less win it thanks to some outstanding Baltimore Orioles teams, but the Hall of Famer is far and away the best second baseman in team history. His number is retired by the team and he will always remain one of the Twins’ all-time greats.