NEW YORK METS - Roberto Alomar 34 S/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 CLE 159 563 182 40 3 24 138 120 99 96 323 422 533 37 6 2000 CLE 155 610 189 40 2 19 111 89 64 82 310 378 475 39 4 2001 CLE 157 575 193 34 12 20 113 100 80 71 336 415 541 30 6       Alomar does everything exceptionally well. If you are considering hitting for average, hitting for power, getting on base, running the bases, defense, durability and consistency, then it is hard to imagine that there is a more complete player than Robbie in the game today.       MID-SEASON UPDATE: The best second basemen of their generation, Alomar and Biggio, enter the All-Star break with almost identical numbers. Unfortunately, neither is doing what was expected of them. Alomar is younger and healthier, and is more likely to come alive in the second half.

HOUSTON - Craig Biggio 36 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 HOU 160 639 188 56 0 16 123 73 88 107 294 386 457 28 14 2000 HOU 101 377 101 13 5 8 67 35 61 73 268 388 393 12 2 2001 HOU 155 617 180 35 3 20 118 70 66 100 292 382 455 7 4       Biggio had a fine season and helped the Astros get back into the playoffs. He had knee surgery after the 2000 season, though he played almost every day last year he still wasn't 100% healthy. He is starting to get a little old and slow, but he remains better than almost all the other second basemen in the league; if his knee improves, then he might get some of his speed back. He is a remarkably durable player who does everything well.

SAN FRANCISCO - Jeff Kent 34 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 SF 138 511 148 40 2 23 86 101 61 112 290 366 511 13 6 2000 SF 159 587 196 41 7 33 114 125 90 107 334 424 596 12 9 2001 SF 159 607 181 49 6 22 84 106 65 96 298 369 507 7 6       Kent has now had five straight seasons with 100+ RBI, three times topping the 120 mark. He moved over to first base for 30 games last year, and may move there permanently if the Giants can find a young second baseman. He's a hard worker who is a nice contrast as well as a super complement to Barry Bonds.

MONTREAL - Jose Vidro 28 S/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 MON 140 494 150 45 2 12 67 59 29 51 304 346 476 0 4 2000 MON 153 606 200 51 2 24 101 97 49 69 330 379 540 5 4 2001 MON 124 486 155 34 1 15 82 59 31 49 319 371 486 4 1       Injuries cut into Vidro's season a little bit, but otherwise he was dynamite. He's a switch-hitter who bats .300, and has a first baseman's power. Of the top second basemen in baseball, Vidro is the youngest; if he can stay in the lineup, he could soon become the best.       MID-SEASON UPDATE: Not only is he the best second baseman in the league, but apparently he is also the most popular, drawing more All-Star votes than Robbie Alomar.

ST LOUIS - Fernando Vina 33 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 MIL 37 154 41 7 0 1 17 16 14 6 266 339 331 5 2 2000 STL 123 487 146 24 6 4 81 31 36 36 300 380 398 10 8 2001 STL 154 631 191 30 8 9 95 56 32 35 303 357 418 17 7       An unheralded second baseman, Vina is a terrific defensive player who bats .300 and does some other things well. He's the kind of player that a bad team (Milwaukee) will get rid of, but a good team (St. Louis) will gladly add to their lineup.

FLORIDA - Luis Castillo 27 S/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 FLO 128 487 147 23 4 0 76 28 67 85 302 384 366 50 17 2000 FLO 136 539 180 17 3 2 101 17 78 86 334 418 388 62 22 2001 FLO 134 537 141 16 10 2 76 45 67 90 263 344 341 33 16       After a stellar 2000 season, Castillo's numbers tumbled, and he had a lousy year as a base stealer. Funny thing, though; his RBI total shot up dramatically. Castillo has been up and down a lot in his career; he is still quite young, and I expect that he will play better in 2002.       MID-SEASON UPDATE: Had a sensational first half, is batting .341 with 29 stolen bases, also had a 35-game hit streak.

ATLANTA - Marcus Giles 24 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 A 126 497 162 40 7 13 80 73 54 89 326 393 513 9 6 2000 AA 132 458 133 28 2 17 73 62 72 71 290 388 472 25 5 2001 AAA 67 252 84 19 1 6 48 44 22 48 333 387 488 13 5 2001 ATL 68 244 64 10 2 9 36 31 28 37 262 338 430 2 5       First Ron Gant, now Marcus Giles? Giles was a good hitter in the minors, and carried a big bat for the Braves in the second half of the season. He will likely a starter for the Braves this year, and could hit a bunch of home runs. With any luck, he can also play second base.

SAN DIEGO - D'Angelo Jiminez 24 S/R or Damian Jackson 29 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS JIMINEZ 1999 AAA 126 526 172 32 5 15 97 88 59 75 327 392 492 26 14 2001 AAA 56 214 56 11 1 5 33 19 24 31 262 333 393 5 6 2001 SD 86 308 85 19 0 3 45 33 39 68 276 355 367 2 3 JACKSON 1999 SD 133 388 87 20 2 9 56 39 53 105 224 320 356 34 10 2000 SD 138 470 120 27 6 6 68 37 62 108 255 345 377 28 6 2001 SD 122 440 106 21 6 4 67 38 44 128 241 316 343 23 6       Jiminez was a good prospect with the Yankees before he lost the 2000 season to injury. He came back strong last year; the Yankees had no room in their infield for him, so he was traded to the Padres. He played well, and there is good reason to believe that he can hit .300 with regularity. It remains to be seen whether he will develop into a good baserunner.       Jackson, on the other hand, is fast but can't hit. He had a poor season, and will likely spend the rest of his career on the bench.

ARIZONA - Jay Bell 36 R/R or Craig Counsell 32 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS BELL 1999 ARI 151 589 170 32 6 38 132 112 82 132 289 374 557 7 4 2000 ARI 149 565 151 30 6 18 87 68 70 88 267 348 437 7 3 2001 ARI 129 428 106 24 1 13 59 46 65 79 248 349 400 0 1 COUNSELL 1999 FLO-LA 87 174 38 7 0 0 24 11 14 24 218 274 259 1 0 2000 ARI 67 152 48 8 1 2 23 11 20 18 316 400 421 3 3 2001 ARI 141 458 126 22 3 4 76 38 61 76 275 359 362 6 8       Bell opened the season firmly entrenched as Arizona's second baseman, but was a forgotten man during the playoffs. He struggled a bit with the bat, and was displaced by a well-timed ht streak from Counsell.       Bell is a better player, but Counsell is four years younger. Both players are solid options for 2002, but both will have to be replaced within a couple of years.       MID-SEASON UPDATE: Someone named Junior Spivey has been playing second base for the Diamondbacks, and has been one of the best players in baseball. Either Bob Brenly is a much greater manager than we first believed, or he eats Lucky Charms for breakfast.

MILWAUKEE - Eric Young 35 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 LA 119 456 128 24 2 2 73 41 63 26 281 371 355 51 22 2000 CHC 153 607 180 40 2 6 98 47 63 39 297 367 399 54 7 2001 CHC 149 603 168 43 4 6 98 42 42 45 279 333 393 31 14       I originally had Ron Belliard penciled in at this position for the Brewers, but had to re-adjust the rankings after they signed Young. Funny thing, though; I had to drop the Brewers lower after the signing. I mean, Eric Young is OK, but his defence at second has never been very good, and he did a lousy job of base stealing last year. His other skills are fairly limited; last year he hit .309 at Wrigley, .252 everywhere else, and now he's moving to Miller Park. He's 35 years old... oh well, he won't help the Brewers win any games, but at least he will help them cut down on their strikeouts.       MID-SEASON UPDATE: A perfect Milwaukee Brewer, batting .261 with 2 homers.

CHICAGO CUBS - Delino DeShields 33 L/R or Bobby Hill 24 S/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS DESHIELDS 1999 BAL 96 330 87 11 2 6 46 34 37 52 264 339 364 11 8 2000 BAL 151 561 166 43 5 10 84 86 69 82 296 369 444 37 10 2001 BAL-CHC 126 351 82 17 5 5 55 37 59 77 234 344 353 23 2 HILL 2000 A 92 290 72 11 1 2 41 25 12 63 248 279 314 11 9 2001 AA 57 209 63 8 1 3 30 21 32 39 301 396 392 20 8       Bobby Hill is being heralded as a coming star, based on not much more than a couple hundred at bats at West Tennessee. He has some skills that you have to like - specifically, the ability to get on base. But he's 24 years old, and is just now playing his way out of the lower minors. The future is now for Hill; if he's going to be an impact player, he can't take his time getting around to doing it.       DeShields, coincidentally, also is adept at getting on base. Beyond that, the best thing you can say about Delino at this point is that sometimes he looks like a second baseman.

PHILADELPHIA - Marlon Anderson 28 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 PHI 129 452 114 26 4 5 48 54 24 61 252 292 361 13 2 2000 PHI 41 162 37 8 1 1 10 15 12 22 228 282 309 2 2 2001 PHI 147 522 153 30 2 11 69 61 35 74 293 337 421 8 5       Anderson surprised me, staying in the lineup the whole year and playing well. He was another small, but significant, part of the Phillies' success. I hate to sound like a skeptic, but last season was almost certainly a career year for Anderson. He was 27 years old (a common age for career years), and he had never played that well before; I would not expect him to continue to play as well in the future.

PITTSBURGH - Pokey Reese 29 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 CIN 149 585 167 37 5 10 85 52 35 81 285 330 417 38 7 2000 CIN 135 518 132 20 6 12 76 46 45 86 255 319 386 29 3 2001 CIN 133 428 96 20 2 9 50 40 34 82 224 284 343 25 4       Reese has had a curious off-season; he was traded to Colorado, then again to Boston, but never played any games for either team. The Red Sox released him, and he ended up in Pittsburgh, where he will be the starting second baseman. Having landed on his feet, Reese wasted no time in blasting the Reds and Ken Griffey Jr. in particular.       Reese, of course, is hardly in a position to criticize others after his miserable performance last season. The Pokester is a magnificent defensive player and a terrific basestealer. But his other numbers (a .224 batting average, .284 on-base percentage) were unacceptable, even for a Gold Glover. He will play a little better, but not much; if nothing else, he is an improvement on Pat Meares.

CINCINNATI - Todd Walker 29 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 MIN 143 531 148 37 4 6 62 46 52 83 279 343 397 18 10 2000 MIN-COL 80 248 72 11 4 9 42 44 27 29 290 355 476 7 1 2001 COL-CIN 151 551 163 35 2 17 93 75 51 82 296 355 459 1 8       Walker is with his third team in three years. He's a good hitter, for a second baseman, but his defense isn't much and no one seems to want to invest much time or money in him. He will likely be out of a regular job within two years.

COLORADO - Jose Ortiz 25 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 AAA 107 377 107 29 2 9 66 45 29 50 284 346 443 13 4 2000 AAA 131 518 182 34 5 24 107 108 47 65 351 408 575 22 9 2001 AAA 65 256 70 16 4 7 41 39 25 50 273 345 449 7 4 2001 OAK-COL 53 204 52 8 1 13 38 35 14 36 255 314 495 3 1       Ortiz was a hot prospect with Oakland after he had a monster season with Sacramento in 2000. But he had the second base job taken away from him by Menechino, then was dealt to Colorado. He made numerous stops, both in the majors and the minors, but didn't really play very well anywhere.       Looking ahead to 2002, Ortiz will be the starting second baseman with the Rockies, and big things are expected of him. He will undoubtedly have some nice batting stats, playing in Colorado, but I think that his 2000 season an aberration, that he is more likely Mark Lewis than Ryne Sandberg.

LOS ANGELES - Mark Grudzielanek 32 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 LA 123 488 159 23 5 7 72 46 31 65 326 376 436 6 6 2000 LA 148 617 172 35 6 7 101 49 45 81 279 335 389 12 3 2001 LA 133 539 146 21 3 13 83 55 28 83 271 317 393 4 4       Grudzielanek had a power surge early in the year, but otherwise had one of his weakest seasons. He's really not a good player; he never walks and has limited power, and he doesn't hit .300 consistently. Neither his bat nor his glove justify the amount of playing time he gets. The Dodgers should be looking at other options in 2002.       MID-SEASON UPDATE: The Dodgers have been terrific, but Grudzielanek has not. This is still a major weakness for Los Angeles.

SECOND BASE - BOTH LEAGUES
1 Roberto Alomar	11 D'Angelo Jiminez	21 Marlon Anderson
2 Craig Biggio	12 Ricky Gutierrez	22 Pokey Reese
3 Jeff Kent	13 Luis Rivas	23 Homer Bush
4 Jose Vidro	14 Adam Kennedy	24 Brent Abernathy
5 Ray Durham	15 Jose Offerman	25 Carlos Febles
6 Bret Boone	16 Frank Menechino	26 Todd Walker
7 Fernando Vina	17 Craig Counsell	27 Jose Ortiz
8 Alfonso Soriano	18 Eric Young	28 Mike Young
9 Luis Castillo	19 Damian Easley	29 Mark Grudzielanek
10 Marcus Giles	20 Delino DeShields	30 Jerry Hairston