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MLB fans stunned by popular podcaster's second baseman tier list: "Ozzie Albies has to be the most overrated player in baseball"

Pittsburgh Pirates v Atlanta Braves
Ozzie Albies plays for the Atlanta Braves in the MLB

The MLB is full of talent, perhaps now more than ever. It's a deep game at nearly every position as there are tons of good players. Second base is no different, as there are routine All-Stars and potentially future Hall of Famers there, too.

Popular podcaster Ben Verlander ranked the second basemen across baseball into a tier list.

.@BenVerlander drops his Second Baseman tiers! 📈Did he get it right? 🤔 https://t.co/ix7x0T2bIr

In the elite tier, he put Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve. Just below that were Ozzie Albies and Jeff McNeil. In the "Really Good" section, Tommy Edman, Jonathan India, Ketel Marte, Nico Hoerner, Andres Giminez, Luis Arraez, Gleyber Torres and Jorge Polanco.

In the "Pretty Solid" category are Whit Merrifield, Dylan Moore, Brandon Lowe, Chris Taylor, Brendan Rodgers, Brandon Drury, Thairo Estrada and others.

MLB fans are pretty disappointed with this list as a whole. There are, in their minds, a few surprises on this list.

@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Ozzie Albies has to be the most overrated player in baseball
@FlippinBatsPod @MLBONFOX @BenVerlander Brandon Lowe, that low? Guy was hurt, not dead. 39HR in 2021. And lives at a 36HR/162 pace. That’s just plain disrespectful.
@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Brandon Lowe disrespect is unreal
@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Super underrating BLowe here dudes like a career 135 wRC+ lol
@FlippinBatsPod @MLBONFOX @BenVerlander Santiago Espinal was an All-Star 2B last year.
@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Ben, please tell me the Marcus Semien placement is a graphics error...
@FlippinBatsPod @MLBONFOX @BenVerlander Andres Gimenez is literally the best 2nd baseman in baseball 😂
@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Jeff McNeil is the second best second baseman in baseball
@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Gotta give @BenVerlander a W for putting Gleyber in the "Really Good" categoryHe's a man of integrity, and one I respect. Expect me to be there for everyone one of his episodes and Twitch streams moving forward. He gained one new fan and friend today.
@FlippinBatsPod @BenVerlander @MLBONFOX Incoming Mets fans meltdowns about Ozzie.

There are a few common refrains here. First, Brandon Lowe is ranked entirely too low according to fans. He's been one of the best offensive second basemen in all of baseball for several years. A down year in 2022 shouldn't put him at the bottom of this list.

Second, many believe Ozzie Albies is too high. He's been a key cog in the Atlanta Braves' teams, but many MLB fans don't believe he's on the same level as Jeff McNeil, who some fans believe is ranked too low, too.


Who were MLB's best second basemen in 2022?

While Verlander specified that this list is ranked for the upcoming season, it's still nice to see who were the best the previous season.

Jose Altuve had the most fWAR of all second basemen in 2022
Jose Altuve had the most fWAR of all second basemen in 2022

fWAR is baseball's premier value stat, so here's how last year's second basemen looked based on it:

  1. Jose Altuve, 6.6
  2. Andres Giminez, 6.1
  3. Jeff McNeil, 5.9
  4. Tommy Edman, 5.6
  5. Marcus Semien, 4.2
  6. Jake Cronenworth, 4.1
  7. Luis Arraez, 3.2
  8. Gleyber Torres, 2.7
  9. Thairo Estrada, 2.7
  10. Brendan Rodgers, 1.7

Last season, these players were the best at second base. With new faces moving to the position, what will it look like in 2023? Verlander believes there will be a few changes at the very least.

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Edited by Zachary Roberts
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