Milwaukee Brewers: Top Five Second Basemen in Franchise History

This is a part of a series listing the top players at each position in Milwaukee Brewers’ history. Previously, we’ve done the best relievers, first basemen, third basemen, shortstops, and center fielders.  This time, we’re ranking Milwaukee second basemen.

Compared to other positions, second base hasn’t been a strong suit of the Milwaukee Brewers over the years. However, it’s easy to forget there were a few pretty big names that came through the Cream City at the keystone, even if only for a brief time. Without further ado, here are the top five second basemen in franchise history.

5: Scooter Gennett

Years as a Brewer: 2013-2016

It seems like they’re two different players, but the Cincinnati Reds’ current second baseman is in fact the same guy the Brewers drafted back in 2009. Gennett was always a highly-touted infield prospect even out of high school, and he proved scouts right by making his big league debut just after his 23rd birthday.

Gennett’s career in Milwaukee had its ups and downs, ultimately culminating in a .279/.318/.420 slash line with the Brew Crew. Unfortunately for the franchise, he failed to fully blossom as a hitter until he was sent to the Reds, which is part of why he’s as low as he is on this list.

The other reason is his defense. To put it simply, Gennett was a below-average second baseman in terms of fielding. His range was lacking, and he committed 35 errors during his time in Milwaukee. This certainly did not help his case for being higher on the list.

4. Fernando Viña

Years as a Brewer: 1995-1999

Viña arrived in Milwaukee when he was 26 years old as a player to be named later in a trade with the New York Mets. Prior to his time with the Brewers, he was a shaky fielder who was still figuring things out with the bat. Once he got to Milwaukee, things began to click.

Viña never hit for much power, but he did get on base at a .349 clip during his time with Milwaukee. He also stole 57 bases in five seasons and garnered the lone All-Star Game appearance of his career in 1998. Also in 1998, he knocked 39 doubles and finished with a .311 batting average, which ended up being a career best.

Plus, while he was somewhat inconsistent, his overall defensive metrics at the keystone are about average. All in all, Viña was a fine second baseman for Milwaukee and gave the team a serviceable five years there.

2. Rickie Weeks

Years as a Brewer: 2003-2014

Weeks was one of the top prospects in the Brewers’ system as soon as he was taken second overall in the 2003 MLB Draft. He pieced together a strong career as a lineup mainstay thanks to an intriguing power/speed combination.

The Florida native actually surfaced in the big leagues the year he was drafted, but he didn’t truly break out until 2010, when he hit 29 home runs, scored 112 runs and drove in 83 runs. He didn’t make his lone All-Star appearance until the following season, when he launched 20 home runs. This helped push his career batting line to .249/.347/.424 with 148 home runs and 126 stolen bases.

With this long of a career and a solid bat, what’s keeping him from the top spot? You guessed it: defense. Weeks was atrocious at second base, committing a whopping 141 errors during his tenure in Milwaukee. That’s simply not good enough for number one.

1. Jim Gantner

Years as a Brewer: 1976-1992

While he maybe wasn’t a superior hitter to Weeks, Gantner had an excellent career in his own right. He’s a career .274 hitter and played a more passable second base than Weeks (115 errors still isn’t good, but it’s certainly better than the number Weeks put up). He’s also the leading Milwaukee Brewers second baseman in WAR with 22.5.

Gantner never provided much power. The most home runs he ever had in a season was 11 back in 1983. His career .351 slugging percentage is a pretty good indicator that there wasn’t much pop in his bat. But Gantner had a pretty good .274 career average. He was good at getting singles and wasn’t much for extra base hits.

One of the more important things that really pushed him over the edge in my book was the fact that he was a Brewer for his entire career AND grew up in Wisconsin. His performance on the field was very commendable, but the fact that he was able to maintain that production consistently over the course of 17 years, all for one team, is impressive. Add on the fact that the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, native played out his career in his home state just adds a cherry on top.

Do you agree with the picks? Disagree? Either way, let me know! This is meant to start debates, not end them. Regardless, the Brewers had some solid second basemen come through the system even if it seems like it’s consistently a position of weakness right now.