My criteria for the top 10 2B right now was fWAR ranking because it offers a way to understand and measure how significant each facet of a player’s game is to making him successful.  Not that I understand all the metrics that go into calculating a player’s fWAR, but its components include: batting and baserunning, fielding, positional adjustment, league & replacement level.  FWAR attempts to measure everything that a player does that affects winning.

 

10.       Gleyber Torres – 29 years old, Detroit Tigers

• fWAR 2.6
• 1^st ASG since 2019
• .256/.358/387, .745n OPS, 16 HR, 74 RBI, 4 SB
• 2025 = .347 BA with RISP, career high in walks
• His OBP jumped 30 points with the Tigers, which he attributes to the Tigers’ emphasis on aggressive baserunning, something the Yankees did not stress to him.
• Led the team in walks and OBP, and was 2^nd in hits
• Has the best walk rate (13.5%) of any 2B in baseball, was 4^th in OBP among 2B
• Defense:
• -5 OAA
• .990 FP
• -4 DRS

Gleyber has been an offensive force for the Tigers with his excellent walk rate, OBP, and clutch hitting with RISP, but defensively, he still seems to be the Gleyber of old, though even that is improved.

 

 

9.         Jorge Polanco – 32 years old, Seattle Mariners in ’25, New York Mets in ’26

• fWAR 2.6
• His SO rate dropped dramatically from 2024 to 2025. It was the biggest single-season SO rate drop ever in MLB:

2024: 29.2% SO rate

2025: 15.6% SO rate

• Switch hitter, .265, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 6 SB
• Always a good contact hitter but a couple of down years in 2022-2023, probably due to injuries – had surgery on L knee after 2024 season.
• Also had a major stance change from open to closed.
• His defense was relatively poor, -4 OAA and arm strength in the bottom 20% of the league – he did DH for 89 games, only playing 38 games at 2B

Polanco made major changes at the plate and had a healthy season in 2025, resulting in excellent contact and good power. He put up a season 32% better than average – comparable to Bo Bichette, Jose Ramirez, Fernando Tatis, Jr, Bobby Witt, Jr. He’s been an above-average hitter in 4 of the last 5 seasons.

 

 

8.         Brendan Donovan – 28 years old, St. Louis Cardinals

• fWAR 2.9
• If not traded, it is the opinion of Cardinals fans that he would likely become a Cardinals HOFer
• Recipient of NL’s first-ever utility man Gold Glove award in his rookie season
• 14th wRC+ among Cardinals’ position players since 2000, with a 119 and 15^th in fWAR
• Provides immense value with his bat and his ability to plug and play anywhere on the diamond
• 42 extra base hits (10 HR, 32 doubles) against just a 67% SO rate
• .775 OPS ranked 5^th among 2B and 119 wRC+ ranked 4^th.
• Played 118 games and still hit .287 with 132 hits and 10 HR, 50 RBI, 42 extra base hits, .353 OBP, .422 SLG, .775 OPS
• In 70.3% of his 118 games, he notched a base hit (83 times) and has put up 31 multi-hit games in 2025 (26.3%)

 

Brandon Donovan is an offensive powerhouse, an engine who could drive an offense. His defense is quality all over the field.

 

 

7.         Jake Cronenworth – 31 years old, San Diego Padres

• fWAR 2.9
• Moved past Roberto Alomar into the top spot in franchise history with his 431^st career start at 2B
• Disciplined at the plate, versatile glove, and clutch performances
• Padres Skipper Mike Schildt said this about Cronenworth: “He’s just a really good winning baseball player. He just helps you win in every phase of the game…very sure-handed, great arm, helps with double plays, really good baseball IQ. He’s a field general for us on the infield. He takes really good at-bats and has the knack for getting a big hit. Also, he’s a really good baserunner.”
• Teammate Xander Bogaerts compared his work ethic to Dustin Pedroia.
• Jake has a .740 career OPS while playing excellent defense.
• OBP .367 was third on the Padres, just 1 point behind Tatis, Jr.
• His metrics were the best since 2021 – .339 wOBA and 121 wRC+. His .302 BABIP is his highest since 2020. His consistency is a big part of San Diego’s success.
• Silver Slugger finalist as a utility selection.
• He slashed .246/.367/.377, 103 hits, 20 doubles, one triple, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 61 runs scored
• Had a 13.65 walk rate and a .372 OBP that ranks 7^th in MLB

 

Cronenworth is a big bat in a lineup of big bats –  his .372 OBP, consistency on both sides of the ball were crucial to the Padres’ success in 2025.

 

 

6.         Bryson Stott – 28 years old, Philadelphia Phillies

• fWAR 3,1
• Phillies’ primary leadoff hitter in the first half of the season, but struggled for months to find his swing until late July – new baby
• Final 2 months of the regular season = .310 with a .880 OPS
• Stole 24 bases
• After the birth of his son in late July, he adjusted his stance, according to beat writer Ethan Witte of The Good Phight, and that unlocked his offensive potential.  He hit .307/.378/.506 with 7 of his 13 HRs during this timeframe
• However, prior to that he was hitting .228/.301/.325 and in 2024 he hit .245/.315/.356 with an 87 wRC= in 2024
• In the field, Stott is as good as it gets, but at the plate, simply average.

 

Stott had a Jekyll and Hyde season, but ultimately profiles as a quality defender with the potential to be an offensive force at the top of the lineup, especially with speed on the basepads. He’s the total package.

 

5.         Ernie Clement – 29 yrs old, Toronto Blue Jays

• fWAR 3.2
• He’s coming off a record-breaking performance at the plate during the postseason (16 games)
• Most multi-hit games (10)
• Most hits (30)
• Most singles (21)
• 6 doubles (t-1^st)
• 5 Sos (fewest)
• .411 BA – 1^st
• .416 OBP – 3^rd
• 1 triple – t-1^st
• Improved astronomically from his first full year in 2024, as his BA, OBP, and OPS all grew in the offseason.
• Had a career year .277/.313/.398 with a .711 OPS
• Nominated for Gold Glove Awards at both the 3B and Utility positions this season. He’s one of the biggest reasons the Blue Jays were in the World Series.

 

Clement came out of nowhere to chants during the World Series of “Ernie” “Ernie” – not just Blue Jays fans but baseball fans witnessed one of the great postseason offseason performances.  He played 60 games at 2B. where he had a .980 FP and 10 DRS. Toronto may not miss Bichette should he move on.

 

 

4. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. – 27 years old, New York Yankees

• fWAR 4.4
• Enjoyed the best year of his career.
• The potential he flashed in Miami coalesced into bona fide star power in the Bronx
• Silver Slugger Award winner – .242/.332/.481, 31 HR, 80 RBI, 126 wRC+, 31 SB, 4.4 fWAR
• Defense – +2 DRS and +8 OAA
• After Jose Caballero was acquired, Jazz became more aggressive on the basepads. He went 11-11 in August and stole 6 in September. He was brought in to be a speed threat and make the offense more multidimensional, and he achieved that in 2025
• On defense, spectacular one moment, blundering the next
• He’s aiming for a 40-40 season!

 

Chisholm, Jr. is a crucial core player, and he came that much closer in 2025 to fulfilling his potential as he put up the best year of his career in the Bronx with records and awards. He was so successful that he became only the 3^rd member of the 30/30 club in team history and won a Silver Slugger Award. His second half was aggressive at the plate and on the basepads.

 

 

3.         Brice Turang – 26 years old, Milwaukee Brewers

• fWAR 4.4
• .288/.359/.435 with .794 OPS, 121 OPS+
• 2024 Gold Glove and 2025 Platinum Glove, finished #14 in MVP voting
• .985 FP with 7 DRS, #1 in put outs 2 years in a row, 2024 and 2025, #1 in double plays turned as a 2B (83)
• His average increased by 40 points in each of the last 3 seasons
• Hit 18 HR – 3 times as many as in 2023
• Brewers team MVP
• 2 seasons in the top 10 in WAR
• Had an impressive August, won Player of the Month for the NL, had 10 HR, and a 1.093 OPS

 

Turang is a young player who just very successfully completed his 3^rd season in the league. His offensive performance in August took him to another level. – he hit .343/.398/.694 with 6 doubles, 10 HR, and 24 RBIs!!   In the division series, he had 2 HR.

 

 

2.         Ketel Marte – 32 years old, Arizona Diamondbacks

• fWAR 4.6
• #1 with his bat. He’s one of baseball’s best hitters. Received Silver Slugger and MVP mention this season
• .283/.376/.517 with .893 OPS and 145 OPS+, 28 HR, 72 RBI
• According to Chris Towers of MSN.com, Marte is one of the only 2B capable of leading the position in both homers and batting average. Has 3 seasons out of 7 with at least .900 Ops and 2 or more with .843 or above
• Has elite underlying skills. Power, speed, and defensive versatility
• The Dbacks ranked 6^th in MLB in runs in 2025, largely due to his bat, despite missing 36 games
• Had some distractions this season – his house was burgled, missed a month with a hamstring,and clubhouse dissatisfaction

 

Marte excels with a combination of elite offensive skills and defensive versatility. Strong contact and near-elite quality of contact  = a consistency which puts him at or near the top of the 2B in 2025.

 

 

1. Nico Hoerner – 28 years old, Chicago Cubs

• fWAR 4.8
• Hoerner quietly became a catalyst for the lineup late in the season
• A clutch hit in the 7th inning in the Tampa Bay Rays series late in the season, which sparked a 4-3 important win for the Cubs, counting down to the postseason
• With RISP, he slashed .362/.418/.457 in 158 PA’s. His elite contact rate (89.9% overall and 96.8 on pitches in the zone) and peskiness at the plate play into his success in big moments. His 14.0 PA’s per K rank 2^nd to Luis Arraez in MLB.
• While he was runner-up to a batting title (Trea Turner won), he finished 8th in the league in BA with .297, and at one point led the NL with .305 Avg. The Cubs have not had a batting champ since 2005 with Derek Lee.
• Finished 3^rd in the league with 178 hits.
• Posted an MLB 2nd-best BA with RISP of .375
• His postseason .419 BA was 2^nd among all players, and his .975 OPS ranked 11th
• 2^nd Gold Glove Award in 3 seasons – 1^st at 2B since he won for SS prior
• A scout said he’s the best baserunner on a very good baserunning club. 29 steals for 34 attempts, an 80% success rate – with 1 more steal, he would have had 30 for the 3^rd straight season
• Leader in the clubhouse – his speech to the team before Game 4 against Milwaukee helped inspire them to win and force a Game 5
• Started out in 2022 as a SS and batted .281/.327/.410 with 10 HR. Had a 4.2. bWAR. Then, the next year moved to 2B when Swanson came on board and won a Gold Glove and had a 5.5 bWAR, which was 7^th among NL position players.

 

Hoerner’s bat, glove, and legs were elite for the Cubs in 2025 and ultimately proved to be the gold standard for 2B. He’s the subject of trade rumors since he’ll be a FA after 2026.  He’s an outstanding player and person.