4. Jonathan Schoop – Baltimore Orioles
After a solid breakout campaign in 2016, Jonathan Schoop had an even better 2017 season for the Baltimore Orioles. His stellar season moved him into the discussion as one of the best second basemen in today’s game. And with that, he comes in at No. 4 on this list.
A lot of things went wrong for the Orioles in 2017. After making the playoffs in 2016 and losing in the AL Wild Card game, the Orioles took a significant step back last season. They finished last in the AL East with a 75-87 record. One of the few upsides for the Orioles in 2017 was the success from Schoop.
In 2017, Schoop hit .293/.338/.503 with 32 home runs, 105 RBI, 92 runs and a 5.1 bWAR. His 105 RBI were most among all second basemen. And with his great play in 2017, Schoop became an All-Star for the first time in his career.
Another impressive feat for Schoop is that he missed just two games over the past two seasons. At only 26 years old, Schoop could find himself on this list for quite some time.
3. Brian Dozier
Most second basemen don’t have a knack for hitting the long ball, but that isn’t the case for Brian Dozier, who ranks third on this list.
After hitting 20-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons. Dozier unleashed his true power potential in 2016 when he hit 42 home runs (40 as a second baseman), the most ever for an AL second baseman.
He followed his 42 home run season up by hitting 34 in 2017. Along with hitting 34 homers, Dozier also hit .271/.359/.498 with 93 RBI, 106 runs and a 4.4 bWAR.
Before the 2017 season, a lot of rumors swirled about the Twins trying to trade Dozier. Many felt that the team needed to make some moves to try and rebuild. However, the Twins surprised everyone in 2017 by becoming the first team ever to make the playoffs after finishing as the worst team in baseball the season before.
Dozier played a prominent role in the Twins’ turnaround in 2017, and he’ll play a key factor in the Twins’ pursuit of the playoffs again in 2018.