The position of second base has become the new trend for superstars to emerge at.
Jose Altuve, in his short career so far, has put himself at the top of a list that grows stronger every year. Dee Gordon had the season of a lifetime in 2015, putting himself in the middle of the conversation about who is the best second baseman.
Even when looking at the new crop of star second basemen, no one plays at the level Robinson Cano has for almost the last decade. Even when changing his scenery from the pinnacle of the sports world in the U.S. (New York Yankees) to the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest (Seattle Mariners), Cano has continued to show why he is the best second baseman in the game today.
There are five reasons why Cano stands tall above the rest.
5. Defense
Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY SportsCano has only had 40 errors in the last six MLB seasons. Those numbers helped him earn two Gold Glove Awards in 2010 and 2012. His career fielding percentage is .987, with no season since 2010 below that mark.
4. Contact At The Plate
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Since 2009, no other player has had more hits than the 1,344 Cano has. Although he took a bit of a dip in production last season, some of that can be attributed to the injuries Cano played through.
3. Consistency
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY SportsUntil last season, Cano hit over .300 for six straight seasons. Even last season after June 20, he hit for .317. In every season of Cano’s career, including last year, he has hit at least 34 doubles, as well as having won five Silver Sluggers.
2. Wins Above Replacement
Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsNo other player outranks Cano in the stat of choice for sabermetric fans. His 44.2 WAR puts him in first of all position players in the last seven years. Although some have suggested a move to first base for Cano, his WAR says otherwise.
1. Modern Day Iron Man
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY SportsSometimes it is easy to forget how reliable Cano is. He has played 1,114 games in the last seven seasons, which averages at just over 159 games a year. That’s only three games a season he misses on average. That puts Cano as the best in baseball.
