Detroit Tigers: Best Second Baseman Since 2000

Detroit Tigers second baseman have always been successful. Dating back to the beginnings of Tigers history, the team has employed some quality players at the keystone position.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen some stellar play from second baseman throughout the team’s long history. From Charlie Gehringer back in the day, to Lou Whitaker relatively recently, Detroit has seen some excellent players man second base.

In terms of recent history, the Tigers have had a number of different second baseman since the turn of the century.

Damion Easley was the starter at the onset of 2000, while Omar Infante was the starter at second in both 2004 and 2012, but not at any point inbetween. Of the keystone players, Placido Polanco held the record for most seasons, and consecutive seasons as the starter, with five.

However, Polanco’s record could be in jeopardy. Ian Kinsler has been the starter for the last three seasons (counting this current one), and at the rate he’s producing, you wouldn’t bet on him playing for three more seasons.

Easley, Infante, Polanco and Kinsler weren’t the only players to start at second base for Detroit. Warren Morris, Ramon Santiago and Will Rhymes each had seasons where they were the primary second baseman.

That being said, here are the best second baseman for the Detroit Tigers this century.

4. Omar Infante

Omar Infante started his Major League career with the Tigers in 2002 after being signed as a free agent in 1999. The versatile player, who as appeared at second base, shortstop and all three outfield spots, spent eight years in his career.

The veteran’s first stint as the team’s starting second baseman came in 2004 when he played in 142 games. During those contests, he hit .264 and stuffed the stat sheet offensively. Infante collected 55 RBI, 27 doubles, 16 home runs, 13 stolen bases and nine triples.

However, he posted a .247 batting average in limited playing time over the next three seasons, and was ultimately dealt to the Chicago Cubs for Jacque Jones.

A little under five years later, Infante returned to the Motor City in the same deal that brought Anibal Sanchez to Detroit. The second baseman would go on to hit .257 down the stretch in 2012, but really came to life in 2013 when he produced a .318 batting average in 118 games. During those same 118 games, the 34-year-old drove in 51 runs, while also adding 24 doubles, 10 home runs, five stolen bases and three triples.

He has since signed with the Kansas City Royals, who he’s been playing for 2014.

In total, Infante posted a 3.6 WAR with the Tigers, and averaged a 1.2 WAR number per season as a starter at second base.

2. Placido Polanco

Acquired from the Phillies in June of 2005 for Ramon Martinez and Ugueth Urbina, Polanco was one of the catalysts for the 2006 World Series team. He was also one of the main reasons Detroit returned to prominence in the baseball world.

The second baseman was the perfect complement to Curtis Granderson at the top of the order. Polanco hit second and provided a high batting average and an extremely low strikeout rate. During his time with the Detroit Tigers, the 16-year veteran hit a blistering .311, including a stellar .341 clip in 2007.

What’s more, from 2006 to 2009, the veteran struck out a total of 146 times. By comparison, J.D. Martinez had 178 punch outs just last season.

In addition to being a good hitter and a tough out, Polanco also contributed in other offensive categories. He averaged 84 runs scored, 62 RBI, 30 doubles, eight home runs, six stolen bases and three triples per year from 2006 to 2009. The second baseman earned a Silver Slugger for his efforts in 2007.

Last but not least, Polanco had significant value in the field. He won a pair of Gold Gloves with the Tigers and posted a 5.4 dWAR. His overall WAR in Motown was 19.1.

1.  Ian Kinsler

While initially viewed as moving on from Prince Fielder, the move to swap the first baseman for Ian Kinsler is clearly one of the better trades in recent history for the Tigers.

Kinsler has been stellar so far in his Detroit career. He’s shown immense value in terms of hitting for contact and power, as well as being an excellent defender.

In the first two seasons in Motown, the second baseman hit .285 with a total of 165 RBI, 75 doubles, 28 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 11 triples. His WAR over the same span was an impressive 11.6.

Additionally, Kinsler has taken significant strides in Detroit to become a consistently-elite defender. The former Texas Ranger is arguably the game’s best defensive second baseman.

He also may be one of the smarter defenders as well. In Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros with the speedy Colby Rasmus on first base, Kinsler let a pop up from the comparatively slower Tyler White drop in front of him. He then flipped to second base for the force out to erase Rasmus. The move may have saved Detroit a run in a close game.

Little plays like that won’t show up in the box score, but they could make the difference in the Tigers winning a game or two.

From an offensive standpoint, Kinsler has been superb in 2016. In 11 games, he’s collected 17 hits, 11 runs scored, 10 RBI, four home runs, a double and a stolen base. Kinsler also leads all Detroit players with a 1.0 WAR so far this year.

Next: Iggy Quietly Making Noise

In just a little over two years, Ian Kinsler has already become the best player at his position for the Detroit Tigers since the turn of the century. It is scary to think about the damage he could do in the coming years, because as evidenced by his start to 2016, he isn’t slowing down any time soon.