If you'd like a peek into the future of catching once the electronic strike zone is implemented, just consider how quickly second base has changed since the rules against aggressive slides was adopted in 2016.
Back then, one skill separated good second basemen from the bad ones -- the ability to take a throw with a runner bearing down, quickly transferring the ball from glove to hand and then firing an accurate throw to first to perhaps complete a double play. When fielders moved from other positions to second base, this was what almost all of them found to be the greatest challenge -- learning how to do this adeptly.
But because of what is known as the Chase Utley rule, there is little value attached to this practiced flurry of hands and feet because the middle infielders almost never get dumped anymore.
Increasingly, teams treat second base much the way they do first base -- as a spot to mine offensive potential through matchups. In yesterday's series piece, it was mentioned that the Dodgers deployed 10 different players at first. The volume was almost as high for L.A. at second: Enrique Hernandez, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor were among the eight second basemen deployed by Dave Roberts, at the helm of one of baseball's best and most progressive teams.
The Brewers provided a classic example of where the position stands with their handling of second base in 2018. After acquiring Mike Moustakas, they shifted Travis Shaw to second base, a position at which Shaw had played exactly zero innings professionally. But Milwaukee wanted a way to shoehorn Moustakas and Shaw into the lineup, rather than choose between the two, so Shaw learned how to play big league second base ... in the big leagues.
He started 36 games in that spot as the Brewers surged to win the NL Central, and in 2019, it was Moustakas who made the move to second, for 359⅔ innings. Milwaukee reached the playoffs again with some new middle infielders getting significant time at a spot where, generally, high-caliber defense was once a priority.
"I don't think I had much of a concrete opinion on how the slide rule was going to affect the position at the time [it was implemented]," wrote Brewers GM David Stearns in a text message. "In retrospect, it probably has changed the way guys can consider making the turn [of a double play] on the second base side of the bag.
"In terms of how we have used the second base position, that was more of a product of infield positioning and the comfort level of Travis and Mike around the dirt."
In 2009, seven second basemen collected 10 or more defensive runs saved. Last year, there were only two, Kolten Wong and Yolmer Sanchez -- and not long after Sanchez was awarded the American League Gold Glove, he was placed on waivers and elected free agency.
"I'd say that defense in general has become less of a focus across the board -- not a good thing -- and a lot of that is because players can't be as accurately evaluated from an empirical perspective," longtime catcher and manager Brad Ausmus said. "It's much easier to evaluate a player offensively, or on the mound.
"This is part of the reason we see so many players playing multiple positions. ... The focus on offense combined with the slide rule has definitely lessened the defensive importance of second basemen. The art and nuance to turning a double play has basically disappeared. It's much easier to put an inexperienced position player -- who probably adds offense to the lineup -- and teach him to turn two."
There are financial ramifications to all of this. Because those who play second base are increasingly regarded as interchangeable, more and more teams won't invest a lot of money in the spot. This is why the numbers indicate it made sense for the Orioles to dump Jonathan Villar.
With all that in mind, here is the list of the top 10 second basemen based on input from around the industry. For the sake of these rankings, Max Muncy is included among the players at this position, while Whit Merrifield will be found among the outfielders.
1. DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees
Falling dominoes on the Yankees roster could result in LeMahieu spending a lot more time at second base after he made 75 appearances there last year. With Didi Gregorius having moved on to Philadelphia, Gleyber Torres slides over to shortstop and -- perhaps -- LeMahieu gets more work at second, although the Yankees loved him in a superutility role.
Think about this: LeMahieu was not in the Yankees' starting lineup on Opening Day last spring. But if healthy, Aaron Boone will write his name into the batting order somewhere, given his tremendous contributions on offense in 2019. LeMahieu generated a wRC+ of 136, the third best among players whose primary position was second base; only Ketel Marte and Jose Altuve were ahead of him. LeMahieu's ability to put the ball in play distinguished him in the middle of a Yankees lineup that is inhabited by a lot of strikeouts: Among all hitters who qualified for the batting title last season, LeMahieu had the lowest rate of swing-and-misses.
2. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Last year, Altuve blasted career highs in homers (31) and slugging percentage (.550). He finished with a .298 batting average, just shy of the sixth .300 season of his career -- and he probably fretted about it, which is what Altuve does when he doesn't feel he's getting enough hits.
He has played 50 games in the postseason, and in October, Altuve seemed to reach a comfort level that only the likes of Derek Jeter and David Ortiz achieve. Because he has now been on the playoff and World Series stage so often, he seems completely at ease in big spots, batting .350, .348 and .303 in the three rounds that the Astros played this past October, winning the MVP of the American League Championship Series.
In other words, he did what he usually does.
Altuve turned 30 in May, and he is already at 38.5 career WAR, with a long résumé of accomplishments. Three batting titles. Six All-Star appearances. A Gold Glove. Five Silver Slugger Awards. Three top-10 finishes for the MVP Award, including first place in 2017.
3. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Marte had an adjusted OPS+ of 149, with lots of hits (187) and power (77 extra-base hits). Only six players had more total bases than Marte's 337, and Marte ranked eighth in wRC+. He will play under the terms of a very team-friendly contract the next five seasons. He's 26 years old, so the deal will carry through his prime years.
4. Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers
It's hard to overstate how much respect rival evaluators have for the Dodgers left-handed hitter; their words are similar to what has been said about Justin Turner. Intense plate appearances. Never gives in. Wholly focused. And while Muncy isn't a gifted defender -- his skill set isn't really suited for any particular defensive position -- he's OK wherever Dave Roberts opts to play him on a given day. He could easily be listed among the first basemen, but most of his starts last year were at second base (62). He opened 42 games at first base and 26 at third. He was a plus-5 at third base, a plus-5 at second base and a plus-3 at first base.
According to the research of MLB.com's Sarah Langs: Since 2003, the only other player to be at least plus-3 at three infield positions in the same season was Bill Hall in 2004. That year, Hall was a plus-3 at third, a plus-3 at shortstop and a plus-5 at second.
5. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
Albies is only 23, but the club's staffers have been thrilled with his progress and impact in the early stage of his career. Over the past two years, Albies has scored 207 runs, generated 140 extra-base hits and stolen 29 bases. He is probably best known to casual fans for the informal comedy shows he and Ronald Acuna Jr. produce daily, but there is an importance underneath the fun they have together -- the energy they create in the dugout and on the field in a sport that can be dragged down with monotony.
6. Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals
Wong has talked about how much he loves to play for Mike Shildt, and this might be as good of an example as any we've seen in recent years of the tangible impact of a managerial change. Wong hit .285 with a .361 on-base percentage last season, and his 148 games were his most since 2015. He stole 24 bases in 28 attempts.
And the best of what he does is on defense. There is no perfect metric to measure glove work, but Wong's preeminence among second basemen in defensive runs saved matches the eye test.
7. David Fletcher, Los Angeles Angels
Fletcher will play some outfield for the Angels this season, before Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh are established in the big leagues. He'll play some third base. But by year's end, he'll probably wind up getting most of his playing time at second. He hits for average (.290 last year, with a .350 OBP), and he doesn't strike out much.
8. Keston Hiura, Milwaukee Brewers
Hiura lived up to his billing as a great hitter in his first days in the big leagues, doing serious damage for the Brewers -- an .893 OPS, with 23 doubles, 2 triples and 19 homers in 84 games. He and Christian Yelich will haunt pitchers for years to come.
9. Jean Segura, Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies had enough concerns about Segura's defense at shortstop that they landed Didi Gregorius even after signs of regression in Gregorius' glove work last season. Segura will move to second, which he played with the Diamondbacks in 2016, and the Phillies have to hope that Segura has a similar surge to what he experienced that one year at second in Arizona, when he led the NL in hits with 203.
10. Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
The University of Maryland product made the All-Star team and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. There's a lot of swing-and-miss to his game -- his rate of 19.1% was the fourth highest in the majors -- but he'll generate a lot of extra-base hits; Lowe had a slugging percentage of .514, with 17 doubles and 17 homers.
Best of the rest
Gavin Lux, Dodgers: When rumors swirled during the offseason about a possible Dodgers-Indians trade involving Lux, Mike Clevinger, Francisco Lindor and others, a rival evaluator who wasn't part of the conversation laughed off the notion that L.A. would consider moving Lux. Part of his thinking was about the relative value of prospects in the market, but mostly his belief was rooted in the recent history of the Dodgers and their tendency to cling to their best prospects -- and as Roberts said late in the season, Lux looks like he belongs already.
Cesar Hernandez, Cleveland Indians: Hernandez was cut loose by the Phillies and landed with the Indians to play alongside Lindor (presumably).
Jonathan Schoop, Detroit Tigers: Perhaps more than anybody at his position, Schoop seems caught in the vortex of the industry's changing view of second basemen. He hits a lot of home runs, which might have gotten him paid well in past years but instead led to Schoop being non-tendered because of concerns about his contract after arbitration. So Schoop has bounced rapidly from the Orioles to the Brewers to the Twins, and now he lands with the Tigers on another one-year deal.
Adam Frazier, Pittsburgh Pirates: Frazier scored 80 runs last year with a .336 on-base percentage, and he had a good year defensively. He could have trade value next summer.
Luis Arraez, Minnesota Twins: Arraez hit .334 last season in a half-season and had more walks than strikeouts. Although the metrics suggest he's a work in progress on defense, he'll be the Twins' second baseman this year.