Do these lists matter whatsoever? Absolutely not, but they get fans riled up and well I simply could not help myself. They do show how players are perceived around the league and I guess we did learn that Nico Hoerner remains incredibly underrated.
This is kind of silly because "The Shredder" is credited with producing these top-10 lists at every position and it's not like we can get mad at anyone in particular. MLB.com explains how the rankings are calculated.
Using rankings based on past performance, various offensive and defensive metrics (including both advanced statistics and traditional numbers) and analysis by the MLB Network research team.
Cool. So, how does the Cubs second baseman stack up to the rest of his peers heading into the 2024 season?
Here are the Top 10 second basemen in the Big Leagues, according to The Shredder! @MLBNow | #Top10RightNow pic.twitter.com/nTk1JGohWU
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 17, 2025
OK, so I think we all know that Hoerner isn't in the conversation for being one of the best hitters at his position, but that's not what this list is. It's supposedly factoring in all aspects of a player and it got it so wrong with Hoerner at No. 8.
I think a lot of fans, and I'm including myself in this too, put so much stock into a player's offensive performance that sometimes we forget that defense matters. It's a huge part of every game, but because it is harder to quantify that aspect of a player's skillset it isn't appreciated as much as it should be.
We love the highlight-reel plays and Hoerner certainly has plenty of those. Still, his value seems to be diminished because he's closer to league average than elite at the plate. Regardless of that Hoerner has actually been a top-3 second baseman since he's been the permanent starter there in 2023.
2023-24 Second Baseman fWAR Rankings
Ketel Marte: 10.6 fWAR
Marcus Semien: 10..4 fWAR
Nico Hoerner: 8.6 fWAR
So yeah, although Hoerner's 104 wRC+ ranks 9th out of the 10 second baseman on the list, he's been the third-most valuable at his position the last two years Why? Defense matters. Hoerner is also an elite base runner. That matters.
Anyway, this top-10 list is a complete joke because Brendan Donovan, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Tyler Fitzgerald and Brandon Lowe didn't even play enough innings at second base to qualify on the 2024 leaderboard at the position.
Dumb list. Respect Nico Hoerner. Thank you.
