Ranking the best 15 second basemen in Major League Baseball for 2016 – CBSSports.com

As we continue with our series of ranking each position (Previous rankings: C | 1B), we now move on to second basemen, and it’s crowded field, albeit one without an obvious No. 1.

As was the case with previous rankings, let’s keep these things in mind:

1. We are ranking the players based upon which ones we’d most want to have for the 2016 season only, ignoring salary. Quite simply, if money were no object and you were trying to win the World Series this season, which player would you most want to have?

2. These are subjective, as voted on by Matt Snyder, Dayn Perry and Mike Axisa. We ranked the players at each position individually and averaged out the results.

3. These aren’t fantasy baseball rankings. All-around play matters.

And now, the top 15 second basemen in MLB as we head into the 2016 season …

	1. Robinson Cano, Mariners
Cano wound up with strong numbers last season, albeit numbers somewhat shy of his established standards. Cano’s 33, so it’s of course possible that age-related decline has set in. However, Cano’s step back in 2015 was driven by a depressed BABIP during the first half of the season. Once that corrected itself, Cano put up more customary numbers. It’s likely Cano’s best years are behind him, but he projects for 2016 as a highly productive hitter by positional standards and once Safeco is accounted for.
	2. Jose Altuve, Astros
Altuve’s an elite base-runner, solid fielder, and high-average hitter who’s developed surprising pop given his stature. He’s also been very durable despite manning a high-attrition spot on the diamond. Soon enough, the 25-year-old will settle in at the top of this list, but right now he’s a strong No. 2.
	3. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
When healthy and in vintage form, Pedroia is one of the best defensive second baseman in the game and a productive force at the plate. However, he’s suffered some decline in recent years, and over the last two seasons he’s averaged 114 games played. He’ll remain useful in 2016, but at age 32 and with a number of recent injury concerns (last year, it was hamstring problems) he’s not the known quantity he once was.
	4. Ian Kinsler, Tigers
Kinsler’s a plus base-runner (without being a high-volume base-stealer), good fielder, and quality hitter (pop to the gaps, solid on-base skills). Kinsler will turn 34 before the All-Star break, but he still profiles as valuable in the short term. He’s played in at least 154 games in four of the last five seasons.
	Tie-5. Joe Panik, Giants
The 25-year-old Panik boasts a career OPS+ of 120, which is an excellent figure for a middle infielder, and he’s a quality defender. However, last season back problems limited him to just 15 games played in the second half. If he proves he can stay healthy, then he’ll be higher on this list a year from now.
	Tie-5. Ben Zobrist, Cubs
Zobrist is a consistently excellent performer, but a knee injury last year sapped some of his defensive value. If he’s fully recovered and staves off age-related decline at the plate (the 34-year-old has shown no signs of it thus far), then take the over on this ranking. For now, though, caution is warranted.
	7. Jason Kipnis, Indians
Some pop, some speed, solid on-base skills — Kipnis does a lot of things well, and he enjoyed a nice bounceback season in 2015. On the downside, he’s been limited by hamstring, oblique, and shoulder injuries in recent years.
	8. Dee Gordon, Marlins
Gordon’s one of the best base-runners in the game today, and he’s developed into a quality fielder. Since he has very little raw power and doesn’t draw walks, Gordon requires a high batting average in order to be productive at the plate. He may have a sustainable ability to hit for a high average, but it’s a bit early to declare that to be the case.
	9. Brian Dozier, Twins
Dozier probably has the most raw power of any second baseman in the bigs right now, and he’s not averse to walks. However, there’s a great deal of swing and miss in his game. The strikeouts and low batting averages aside, Dozier does a lot of things well.
	10. Rougned Odor, Rangers
Odor may not have reached his ceiling yet. It remains to be seen whether the glove is middle infield-worthy on a long-term basis, but he owns a 101 OPS+ across parts of two big-league seasons. Oh, and he’s still just 21 years of age.
	11. Neil Walker, Mets
The switch-hitting Walker is in some ways similar to the next guy. He’s a consistent offensive producer as second basemen go while not grading out as a defensive asset. This past year, he played in 150 or more games for just the second time in his career.
	12. Daniel Murphy, Nationals
The postseason performance was stirring and won’t soon be forgotten. However, Murphy in reality isn’t a star. He’s a good bat and a poor glove who on balance helps his team.
	13. Howie Kendrick, free agent
Kendrick’s a remarkably consistent and steady performer who’s been an asset offensively and defensively for almost his entire career. However, last season the 32-year-old showed some wear and tear after almost 9,500 defensive innings at the position.
	14. Kolten Wong, Cardinals
There’s power upside here, and he’s a capable fielder and excellent base-runner. However, right now he’s sitting on a career slash line of .250/.303/.374. He has the skills for a breakout season at the plate.
	15. Starlin Castro, Yankees
Castro’s defense has looked much better since he shifted from shortstop to the keystone. It wasn’t so long ago that he was a consistent .300-ish hitter with some thump. His offensive game slipped significantly last season, but Castro’s still just 25.

Coming Thursday: the top shortstops of 2016.