Best 2B of the Decade 2000-2009

[Zagi-CRO]

... voting for the best 2B of the decade ...
It was very hard to choose players for competitions for 2B, please state your opinion...

Kent, Utley and...?

[STLCards2]

I hate doing this normaly, but had to go with Utley...his peak is just too high. Utley is the real deal, with top 5 all-time 2B written all over him.

[Zito75]

I'll take Kent because at least he played a better part of the decade. If Utley stays healthy (I doubt he will) he does have the potential to be one of the top 5 of all time.

[sturg1dj]

and Utley plays good defense...Kent was awful

[Zagi-CRO]

Kent has played whole decade with excellent offense


2000 Jeff Kent 0.334
2001 Jeff Kent 0.298
2002 Jeff Kent 0.313
2003 Jeff Kent 0.297
2004 Jeff Kent 0.289
2005 Jeff Kent 0.289
2006 Jeff Kent 0.292
2007 Jeff Kent 0.302
2008 Jeff Kent 0.280


Utley has these numbers


2004 Chase Utley 0.266
2005 Chase Utley 0.291
2006 Chase Utley 0.309
2007 Chase Utley 0.332
2008 Chase Utley 0.292

[PVNICK]

I saw in John Dewan's book that over the last three years Kent was the worst defensive 2B in all of MLB @ -41 runs where Utley was either #1 or close to it. Unless you're a stickler for playing the full decade its not even a contest.

[Zagi-CRO]

Ok people said - Utley!

[KCGHOST]

I like Utley too. Kent might have an edge offensively, but Utley's defense is a lot better.

[Bennybosox]

I went with OTHER (Pedroia). I know he's only got two full seasons under his belt, but they were pretty good (ROY, MVP) and he's still got two more before the decade is over!

I think Dan Uggla should have been a choice

[Domenic]

Chase Utley.

Utley and Kent have roughly the same rate stats this decade, albeit Kent has about 1800 more at-bats:

Kent - .300/.371/.518, 129 OPS+
Utley - .299/.381/.529, 130 OPS+

However, due to defensive contributions, Kent has a very minor edge on Utley in WARP3 (50.6 to 45.2), much of which I believe Utley can make up if he can remain healthy for the rest of the season.

To be perfectly frank, this ended up as a matter of personal preference. Utley and Kent are very close overall, with Kent having a slight edge due to more full seasons - I chose Utley for his better baserunning and defense, which I believe are to be expected from a middle-infielder.

I went with OTHER (Pedroia). I know he's only got two full seasons under his belt, but they were pretty good (ROY, MVP) and he's still got two more before the decade is over!

Pedroia has one half of one more season - the decade, according to this project, is 2000-2009.

[Bennybosox]

Pedroia has one half of one more season - the decade, according to this project, is 2000-2009.

Whatever bro

[Domenic]

Whatever bro

Hey now - I could've pointed out that Utley's been much better than Pedroia by doing something like this:

Utley - .299/.381/.529/.909, 130 OPS+, 14.8 UZR/150
Pedroia - .308/.370/.444/.813, 108 OPS+, 6.0 UZR/150

I could've also added that Utley was much better than Pedroia in 2008 in every facet of the game, and that the only conceivable advantage Pedroia has on Utley is base-stealing, and that that's not even a large advantage.

But I didn't. I only pointed out that Pedroia will have played only three-plus seasons of the time-frame slated by this project.

[Brad Harris]

I'll take Kent because at least he played a better part of the decade. If Utley stays healthy (I doubt he will) he does have the potential to be one of the top 5 of all time.
Not unless he's historically good in his forties. Utley simply had too little playing time before age 27. If he were elected to the Hall of Fame, he'd have the fewest pre-a27 plate appearances of anyone there. I don't see him being durable to the point of overcoming the "slow" start.

[SABR Matt]

Hey now - I could've pointed out that Utley's been much better than Pedroia by doing something like this:

Utley - .299/.381/.529/.909, 130 OPS+, 14.8 UZR/150
Pedroia - .308/.370/.444/.813, 108 OPS+, 6.0 UZR/150

I could've also added that Utley was much better than Pedroia in 2008 in every facet of the game, and that the only conceivable advantage Pedroia has on Utley is base-stealing, and that that's not even a large advantage.

But I didn't. I only pointed out that Pedroia will have played only three-plus seasons of the time-frame slated by this project.

It's not even remotely close between Utley and Pedroia. It's a little sad how desperately overrated Red Sox players are...especially Pedroia.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I'll take Kent because at least he played a better part of the decade. If Utley stays healthy (I doubt he will) he does have the potential to be one of the top 5 of all time.

Wow! Top-5 All-time?!

Hornsby
Morgan
Collins
LaJoie
Gehringer
Robinson

I agree that utley is talented but that's a tough group to break into. Not saying he can't so it, though.

[Evangelion]

It's not even remotely close between Utley and Pedroia. It's a little sad how desperately overrated Red Sox players are...especially Pedroia.
Even I, a Red Sox fan, known how much better Utley is than Pedroia.

Not exactly sad. Over-rating will always happen to players on popular teams. The over-rating is just usually done with people that don't accept the fact there's good players on other teams.

[STLCards2]

Wow! Top-5 All-time?!

Hornsby
Morgan
Collins
LaJoie
Gehringer
Robinson

I agree that utley is talented but that's a tough group to break into. Not saying he can't so it, though.

With his combo of power, speed, on-base ability and defense (and LQ advantage), it shouldn't be hard to believe he can finish higher than Robinson and Gehringer? And the peak! The man has been right up there with Albert, A-Rod and H. Ramirez the last 3-4 seasons for the "best player in baseball" title. Very few 2B have ever been able to say that!

[StanTheMan]

From 2002 to 2007 Kent played second with a frying pan on his hand rather than a glove.

Can't possibly vote for him unless his offense is ahead of all others by an enormous amount. It is not of course.

[stejay]

I have Utley. He is just a great hitter and fielder, and I think is possibly in the top 5 in baseball at the moment. I would have him as MVP, if not for Pujols, and his amazing season so far.

[EricAnno]

Utley by 500 miles (that I would walk). Utley is far superior to Kent, who is really the only other logical choice, defensively. He's also superior to Kent offensively, not nearly as much as he is defensively, but still by a pretty wide margain.