MLB: Second baseman Mt. Rushmore faces in question

When considering candidates to be one of the four faces carved onto a current MLB second baseman Mt. Rushmore, one thing quickly becomes obvious.

Second base is not a position currently overloaded with talent. In fact, the argument could be made to halt the carving at two or three faces because there are not yet more truly deserving honorees.

Finding the faces for the current MLB second basemen on Mt. Rushmore

The kind of immortality that comes with a Rushmore carving requires some criteria for selection. For a second baseman, we have several, beginning with this basic one: The player being considered must be projected to start at second base in 2021.

He ought also to have as many as possible of the following:

• An established reputation, reflecting at least five seasons – ideally 10 – as a regular at second base.
• Significant post-season experience, ideally including at least one World Series ring.
• Recognition as an MVP, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glover, Silver Slugger and/or All Star selection, the more frequently the better.
• A consistent record of excellence in two offensive performance categories, OPS+ and WAR.
• Defensive talent as reflected in a credible Defensive Runs Saved score at second base.
• Although it isn’t an absolute requirement to Rushmore-level status, it also helps if a second baseman is a one-team lifer.

Having laid all that out, it will become evident that we’re going to have to compromise our criteria to flesh out the monument with current faces. There are really only two current MLB second basemen who approach meeting most – never mind all – of our criteria. Those two are Jose Altuve of the Astros and DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees.

Other candidates who ought to get consideration are, alphabetically, Ozzie Albies of the Braves, Cavan Biggio of the Blue Jays, Cesar Hernandez of the Indians, Brandon Lowe of the Rays, Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks, Jeff McNeil of the Mets, Mike Moustakas of the Reds, Max Muncy of the Dodgers, Jonathan Schoop of the Tigers and Kolten Wong of the Brewers.

How about Robinson Cano? Having been suspended for all of 2021 for a drug violation, he fails to meet the prime qualification: he Is not projected to play second base for any team in 2021.

Having said that, let’s begin with the two most obvious Mt. Rushmore qualifiers as a second baseman.

Jose Altuve

Granted, Altuve had a sub-par 2021. In the shortened MLB season he batted just .219 and drove in just 18 runs. His 71  OPS+ and -0.2 WAR were nothing to write home about.

But Altuve’s complete record nevertheless fully qualifies him for a prominent spot on the second baseman Mt. Rushmore

Among the logical candidates mentioned above, he has the single best awards pedigree consisting of an MVP, six All Star games, five Silver Sluggers, and a Gold Glove. His post-season record, a 2017 World Series win, another World Series appearance, MVP of the 2019 ALCS, and five post-season appearances – rank with any.

Altuve’s post-season credentials may be his top endorsement. He is a career .309 postseason hitter who batted .375 last year as the Astros took the Tampa Bay Rays to the brink of the ALCS. He hit as many home runs in the post-season (5) as he did in the abbreviated regular season.

Altuve is also the No. 2 second baseman in seniority – nine seasons – and No. 1 in WAR, at 36.5. He ranks fourth in OPS+.

Finally, Altuve is a one-teamer, having played nearly 1,300 games at the position for Houston since 2014 and committed through 2023.

His only real weakness is defensive. He has a career negative score in Defensive Runs Saved. But even that plus his bad 2020 MLB regular season aren’t enough to keep him off the second baseman Mt. Rushmore.

D J LeMahieu

With a .364 average, LeMahieu took the American League batting title in 2020. Combine that with his league-leading .348 average for Colorado in 2016 and you have a performer with batting titles in both leagues. That alone makes him uniquely qualified for a spot on the MLB second baseman Mt. Rushmore.

But LeMahieu qualifies in other respects as well. With more than eight seasons of Major League time, he ranks third behind only Mike Moustakas and Altuve among candidates. With three All Star Game appearances, three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers, his awards credentials are exceeded only by Altuve.

LeMahieu has made four postseason appearances, advancing with the Yankees as far as the ALCS in 2019. He’s a career .272 post-season batter but was superb in 2019 when he hit .346 for New York against the Astros.

LeMahieu’s 24.8 career WAR is topped only by Altuve among the candidates. His 102 OPS+ is less exceptional, but decent by the standards of the position.

Defensively he is only slightly better than normal, a fact reflected in his average 0.7 Defensive Runs Saved per season at second base.

He comes up short as a one-teamer, having seen time with the Cubs and Rockies as well as New York. Still, those two MLB batting championships stand out and underscore LeMahieu’s suitability for Mt. Rushmore status among current second basemen.

NL candidates

The field of NL candidates is stronger, but not overwhelming. Begin with Albies, who has three MLB seasons ranging from solid to excellent. They include three post-seasons appearances, two All Star Games, and a 2.25 average Defensive Runs Saved. That’s second among the candidates.

The problem, obviously, is lack of experience. Are we really ready to chisel a face onto a second baseman Mt. Rushmore on the basis of just three seasons?

Marte is the only second baseman with a  better DRS (3.25) than Albies. He also has more experience – 4.2 seasons – but not very much more. But the rest of his resume is not exceptional. His OPS+ and WAR are both mid-pack for the group, he has just one All Star Game and one post-season appearance.

Many in Queens would save a spot for McNeil. Perhaps. A career .319 batter, his 139 OPS+ is the position’s best. But he has no post-season appearances, and his 0.33 DRS at second base is nothing to get fired up about.

In fact he’s only playing second this season due to the Cano suspension. For his first three seasons, he’s spent less than 40 percent of his playing time as a second baseman, playing primarily as an outfielder in 2020.

Moustakas is the position veteran with more than nine years of service. Again, though, most of that time was spent at third base. As a second baseman, he’s been defensively sub-par. His -2.5 average DRS scrapes the bottom of the positional barrel.

Muncy’s eligibility for the second baseman Mt. Rushmore may be questioned. The Dodger depth chart lists him as the first stringer at both first and second. If you buy that he’s a second baseman, he is a strong candidate. He has five post-season appearances, with one World Series win and one loss, and his 126 OPS+ is excellent.

His 1.25 DRS is credible, and he is a one-teamer. On the negative side, he’s barely been in uniform four seasons. Then there’s the question of whether he’s really a second baseman at all.

Wong was a strong candidate until the Cardinals let him go to free agency this past fall; that’s hardly an endorsement given that he had to that point been a lifelong Cardinal. His 94 OPS+ is poor.

On the plus side, there’s nothing wrong with his 1.25 DRS. At seven seasons of big league time, Wong also has the requisite experience to be a plausible candidate for carving.

The last two choices

In this competition of flawed candidates, Albies is probably the pick of the litter. The three seasons of MLB service time are a negative, but they have been three strong years, including annual post-season trips and the only two All Star Games in which he could have played.

At just 24 years old, he’ll look awfully young up on that mountain. But he’ll also have plenty of time to prove that his selection was a wise choice. Or, conceivably, to disprove it.

The fourth spot probably goes to Wong by default. His seven years of experience, two Gold Gloves, and five post-season appearances make the best case for him. His 16.9 WAR and 1.25 average DRS are both solid.

In chiseling Wong onto the mountain, it is necessary to look beyond his 94 career OPS+, something the Cardinals obviously found themselves unable to do.

Among the rejects, Muncy probably presents the best case. That case is harmed, however, both by the question over his eligibility and by his lack of seniority.

Moustakas has plenty of seniority, and he has offensive credentials. But he simply does not have enough of either a middle infield background or skill to qualify.

McNeil may deserve it someday. He is a quality hitter. But he too is light on MLB experience, he has no post-season credentials, and his defensive rating is simply not good enough.

Lowe, too, may someday deserve a spot. But not yet. He falls short in experience and WAR, and his personal awards shelf is at best modestly populated.