Second basemen are an important part of a baseball team’s defense.
The job description requires them to be nimble and quick in the field, with a good arm, range to pick up ground balls, and adept at turning double plays. The top second basemen make the routine look easy and the difficult look routine. And they can be a pitcher’s best friend.
Until Ryne Sandberg retired in 1997, the Chicago Cubs two-bagger was considered the gold standard at the position, winning the top fielding award nine seasons in a row. Since then, nine second basemen have posted a higher career fielding percentage than "Ryno."
These are the second basemen with the best fielding percentages in major league history. You might be surprised at who missed the cut.