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NEW YORK YANKEES - Alfonso Soriano 25 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 AAA 111 459 133 32 6 12 90 66 25 85 290 327 464 14 7
2001 NYY 158 574 154 34 3 18 77 73 29 125 268 304 432 43 14
2002 NYY 156 696 209 51 2 39 128 102 23 157 300 332 547 41 13
      A unique player who had an amazing season, combining Hank Aaron's power numbers with Juan Samuel's strikeout/walk ratio. He is only 25 years old, and appears to have all the talent in the world... but can he thrive with such poor command of the strike zone? There is an impressive body of evidence — more than 100 years of professional baseball history — that strongly suggests he cannot. 
        AGE  GM   AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB  SO  AB  OB  SL SB CS
Samuel   23 160  701 191 36 19 15 105  69 28 168 272 307 442 72 15
Soriano  24 156  696 209 51  2 39 128 102 23 157 300 332 547 41 13

      That's actually a pretty decent match. Soriano has a higher batting average and many more home runs; Samuel has more triples and stolen bases. Those differences have more to do with changes in how the game is played than anything else. Samuel had some good seasons, but never became a star, and poor defense also forced him to move from second base. Soriano's defense at second was also questionable last season.
      I think Soriano is going to be in the league awhile, and will have more good seasons, but I think Yankee fans are going to be disappointed. He's not going to consistently be one of the best players in the game. Unless his plate discipline and glovework improve dramatically, I think his career will amble along much like Samuel's did.
      For the record, Soriano's OPS in the second half of the season was 80 points lower than it was in the first half. And, like most right-handed hitters, he hits much better away from Yankee Stadium.
SEATTLE - Bret Boone 34 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 SD 127 463 116 18 2 19 61 74 50 97 251 326 421 8 4
2001 SEA 158 623 206 37 3 37 118 141 40 110 331 372 578 5 5
2002 SEA 155 608 169 34 3 24 88 107 53 102 278 339 462 12 5
      After his monster 2001 season, Boone's numbers returned to their previous norms. Actually, he really had two seasons; he batted only .229 before the All-Star break, but batted .336 with more power and RBI the second half of the season. An excellent defensive player and an unpredictable hitter who has always tantalized fans with his hot streaks.
BOSTON - Todd Walker 30 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
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
2002 CIN 155 612 183 42 3 11 79 64 50 81 299 353 431 8 5
      Walker is a left-handed line drive hitter who consistently hits around .300 with lots of doubles. Ummm, can you say, "Fenway Park"? He has been very durable the past two seasons, and his defense appears to have improved. He should be a big upgrade at second for the Sox, and a solid addition to their club.
ANAHEIM - Adam Kennedy 27 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 ANA 156 598 159 33 11 9 82 72 28 73 266 300 403 22 8
2001 ANA 137 478 129 25 3 6 48 40 27 71 270 318 372 12 7
2002 ANA 144 474 148 32 6 7 65 52 19 80 312 345 449 17 4
      I have always like Kennedy, and last year he was a key player with the World Champions. He has raised his batting average every year, he has a bit of power and some speed, is fairly durable and had a great postseason.
      That said, I also have to be realistic about his future. I like Kennedy and I think he's a good player, but he has made no progress in learning the strike zone. He will do a decent job for the Angels the next couple of years, but has no star potential, and has almost no future as a regular second baseman past the age of 30.
MINNESOTA - Luis Rivas 24 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 MIN 16 58 18 4 1 0 8 6 2 4 310 323 414 2 0
2001 MIN 153 563 150 21 6 7 70 47 40 99 266 319 362 31 11
2002 MIN 93 316 81 23 4 4 46 35 19 51 256 305 392 9 4
      Rivas went on the DL in April with a sore left forearm and missed the first two months of the season. After he returned, he was OK; he didn't improve on his rookie year, but he also didn't regress. It was just more of the same, which was all the Twins needed from him. But they will expect more in the future; given his young age, it is likely that Rivas has much better years ahead of him.
TORONTO - Orlando Hudson 25 S/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 A 96 358 102 16 2 7 544837 42 285 354 399 9 5
2000 AA 39 134 32 4 3 2 17 15 15 18 239 320 358 3 2
2001 AA-AAA 139 500 153 36 11 8 82 79 60 76 306380 470 196
2002 AAA 100 417 127 27 3 10 63 37 35 54 305 363 456 8 5
2002 TOR 54 192 53 10 5 4 20 23 11 27 276 319 443 0 1
      The Blue Jays entered 2002 with two second basemen: injury-prone veteran Homer Bush, and hot young prospect Orlando Hudson. In spring training, Hudson commented that GM J.P. Ricciardi was a "smooth looking cat" who looked like he "was a pimp back in his day". He was sent to the minors, and so the adventure began.
      Bush was hurt quickly; the Jays decided to try young Joe Lawrence at second base. Lawrence, a former catcher, had to learn to play second in the majors, an experiment that was doomed to fail. It did; Lawrence was awful. Fortunately, Hudson played well at Syracuse, and was called up in midseason. He played very well with Toronto.
      So, it appears that the O-Dog will be the starting second baseman, and he can play. However, the Jays' new management team has made it clear that it has no time for undesirable personalities, and there are rumours that Ricciardi will gladly deal Hudson for a pitcher. On the other hand, O-Dog has quickly become tremendously popular with both fans and media here in Toronto, who appreciate his "quirky" sense of humour. And he can play.
      So, will Hudson finish the season in a Toronto uniform? Will he start the season in a Toronto uniform? I haven't the faintest idea, but as a fan I'd like to see what he can do.
OAKLAND - Mark Ellis 26 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 A 132 484 146 27 4 6 83 62 78 72 302 404 411 25 7
2001 AAA 132 472 129 38 0 10 71 53 54 78 273 351 417 21 7
2002 OAK 98 345 94 16 4 6 58 35 44 54 272 359 394 4 2
      A young second baseman who has some solid Billy Beane skills, like strike zone judgment and doubles power. Ellis wasn't in the Athletics' plans early in the season, but when Menechino and Velarde didn't work out the job was up for grabs, and Ellis grabbed it in June. He kept playing every day even after the Athletics acquired Ray Durham from Chicago. He's an OK player, won't get much better than what he did last year.
CLEVELAND - John McDonald 29 R/R or Brandon Phillips 22 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
MCDONALD
2000 AAA 75 286 77 17 17 2 1 37 36 21 29 269 315 353 4 3
2001 AAA 116 410 100 17 1 2 52 33 33 72 244 305 305 17 10
2002 CLE 93 264 66 11 3 1 35 12 10 50 250 288 326 3 0
PHILLIPS
2000 A 126 484 117 17 8 11 74 72 38 97 242 306 378 23 8
2001 A 55 194 55 12 2 4 36 23 38 45 284 414 428 17 3
2001 AA 67 265 79 19 0 7 35 36 12 42 298 337 449 13 6
2002 AA-AAA 125 503 152 31 2 18 71 67 32 78 302 345 479 14 6
      Phillips is hot, hot, piping hot and a favourite to win the Rookie Of The Year Award. He was the big prize that went to Cleveland in the Colon deal; unlike some of the pseudo-prospects that the Indians have acquired recently (Alex Escobar, Milton Bradley), Phillips appears to be the real deal. He has all the tools, and age is on his side. All he needs is a bit of improved plate discipline and he should become a good player in the future.
TEXAS - Mike Young 26 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 AA 134 533 155 37 10 7 81 68 79 100 291 383 437 25 8
2001 TEX 106 386 96 18 4 11 57 49 26 91 249 298 402 3 1
2002 TEX 156 573 150 26 8 9 77 62 41 112 262 308 382 6 7
      I think that Young surprised everybody, including the Rangers, by playing 156 games last year. He wasn't all that good, but the Rangers weren't being particular. Young has a bit of power and his batting average is decent; what is disappointing is that he does such a poor job of getting on base. That was supposed to be one of his strengths.
      Nevertheless, it's tough to find a young second baseman who doesn't get hurt. If he sticks in the lineup, then I think Young will have a better season in 2003.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX - D'Angelo Jiminez 25 S/R and Willie Harris 25 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
JIMINEZ
2000 AAA 21 73 17 3 1 1 11 5 7 12 233 309 342 2 0
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
2002 SD-CHW 114 429 108 15 7 4 61 44 50 73 252 330 347 6 3
HARRIS
2000 A 133 474 130 27 10 6 106 60 89 89 274 396 411 38 15
2001 AA 133 525 160 27 4 9 83 49 46 71 305 364 423 54 16
2002 AAA 89 360 102 16 5 5 54 33 33 61 283 345 397 32 14
2002 CHW 49 163 38 4 0 2 14 12 9 21 233 270 294 8 0
      Jiminez spent most of the year playing with the Padres, and struggled with the bat. But he hit well enough in 27 games with the White Sox that he will probably get another shot at playing on a regular basis. Jiminez was once a fine prospect with the Yankees, but his career was derailed by a bad car accident; he was also buried behind two pretty good middle infielders that the Yankees have. He's only 25, and can probably still be a good player.
      A second option is Harris, who can run and maybe hit a little bit. I think that Jiminez is the better player; Harris is fast, but he isn't a good percentage base stealer, and his other skills are limited.
BALTIMORE - Jerry Hairston 27 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 BAL 49 180 46 5 0 5 27 19 21 22 256 353 367 8 5
2001 BAL 159 532 124 25 5 8 63 47 44 73 233 305 344 29 11
2002 BAL 122 426 114 25 3 5 55 32 34 55 268 329 376 21 6
      Hairston had his best season; though he's not great, he is good enough that if he can keep playing as well as he did last year then he will keep his job. I've always liked Hairston, and there is still the outside chance that he will become a good Fernando Vina-type player — well, that's maybe a little too optimistic, maybe he will become the next Alex Cora.
DETROIT - Damian Easley 33 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 DET 126 464 120 27 2 14 76 58 55 79 259 350 416 13 4
2001 DET 154 585 146 27 7 11 77 65 52 90 250 323 376 10 5
2002 DET 85 304 68 14 1 8 29 30 27 43 224 307 355 1 3
      Easley missed much of April and all of May with a pulled oblique muscle. He played well enough in July to perhaps suggest that he still has something left, but wrist pain ruined the final two months of the season. A good athlete who can probably still contribute in a limited role, but he's all through playing second base on daily basis.
KANSAS CITY - Carlos Febles 27 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
2000 KC 100 339 87 12 1 2 59 29 36 48 257 345 316 17 6
2001 KC 79 292 69 9 2 8 45 25 22 58 236 291 363 5 2
2002 KC 119 351 86 16 4 4 44 26 41 63 245 336 348 16 5
      Febles played very well as a rookie in 1999, but the last three seasons have been disasters for him. Last year he struggled at the plate, and was demoted to the minors in midseason. He didn't play well at Omaha, either.
      The Royals have apparently penciled him in to be the starting second baseman this year, but they have to decide whether they're really serious about him. Febles still does some things well; his on-base percentage was decent, and he stole some bases. It made no sense at all to demote him to the minors while sticking with Neifi Perez, who was much worse. Maybe they were trying to teach Febles a lesson, but geez, he's 27 years old now, it's time to either play him or dump him.
      I think that Febles has some ability, and is a better option than, say, Jose Ortiz or Mark Grudzielanek. But after three seasons of similar performance, it's time to stop grumbling about him; he is what he is.
TAMPA BAY - Brent Abernathy 26 R/R or Marlon Anderson 29 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
ABERNATHY
2000 AAA 119 449 130 27 2 5 61 50 37 43 290 341 392 23 15
2001 AAA 61 252 76 20 0 4 45 23 16 23 302 346 429 11 4
2001 TAM 79 304 82 17 1 5 43 33 27 35 270 328 382 8 3
2002 TAM 117 463 112 18 4 2 46 40 25 46 242 288 311 10 4
ANDERSON
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
2002 PHI 145 539 139 30 6 8 64 48 42 71 258 315 380 5 1
      The Devil Rays signed Anderson, and have suggested that he will be a "rover" and move around the field, which I guess means they haven't figured out who their worst player is yet. I noticed more than a few unkind words were written about Anderson in the media; apparently, the Phillies couldn't wait to dump him. This is a little unfair; he's not great, but he's OK, better than I thought he would be.
      Abernathy had an awful season last year. He used to be a kid who could play, but he's not a kid anymore and there is scant evidence that he can really play. He needs a good start to avoid getting replaced.


SECOND BASE - BOTH LEAGUES
1 Jeff Kent11 Todd Walker21 Brandon Phillips
2 Roberto Alomar12 Adam Kennedy22 Pokey Reese
3 Ray Durham 13 Luis Rivas23 Mike Young
4 Jose Vidro14 Orlando Hudson24 D'Angelo Jimenez
5 Alfonso Soriano15 Marcus Giles25 Jerry Hairston
6 Bret Boone16 Placido Polanco26 Damian Easley
7 Junior Spivey17 Mark Ellis27 Carlos Febles
8 Fernando Vina18 Eric Young28 Joe Thurston
9 Luis Castillo19 Mark Loretta29 Brent Abernathy
10 Aaron Boone20 Bobby Hill30 Brent Butler