There may not be another athlete ever who does more for the country than what Jackie Robinson did by breaking baseball’s color barrier and checks in at number nine on the countdown of the top second baseman in MLB history.
Robinson made an immediate impact in 1947, hitting .297 with an .810 OPS and led the league in steals in 29. Oh yeah, he won the Rookie of the Year Award too.
Two years later, Robinson would win the NL MVP, leading the league with a .342 average and 37 stolen bases. He would make the All-Star team every year from 1949-1954. He would finish in the Top 10 in MVP voting three other times.
Among second baseman, Robinson ranks sixth all-time in OBP.
Robinson would only play 10 years because he broke into the majors at age 27. He would retire before the 1957 season. The Dodgers would have traded him to the rival New York Giants.
He would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 and his legacy lives on as every April 15, every major league player wears 42 to honor him, celebrating the day of his major league debut. His number is retired at every major league park and will be never worn by anyone again.