Fans Vote Ketel Marte Best Second Baseman in MLB

The fans have spoken: Arizona's second baseman reigns supreme.

Sep 16, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second base Ketel Marte (4) celebrates his two run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks' second baseman Ketel Marte is a special player. Fans of the D-backs have known this well for years.

But on Thursday, that recognition was manifested at a national level. As MLB Network has begun to list their top 10 players at each position, they also revealed what the fans determined.

The fan vote placed Marte at the top of all current MLB second basemen, leading some of MLB's best in Jose Altuve, Ozzie Albies and Marcus Semien.

You voted D-backs 2B Ketel Marte as the top second baseman in MLB!

The Shredder's rankings will be released at 8pm ET today on MLB Network. pic.twitter.com/zxsRexw268

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 16, 2025

And that recognition is well-deserved. While Marte's name may have flown under the radar as a Diamondback for much of his career, he's consistently performed well.

But with his excellence in the 2023 Postseason (complete with NLCS MVP honors) broadcast nationally, as well as an incredible 2024 regular-season follow-up, until an ankle injury sidelined him, his skills have gradually begun to reach a wider audience.

It's almost a no-brainer. The veteran slashed a massive .292/.372/.560 with a .932 OPS in 2024, complete with 36 home runs and 95 RBI. He was the driving force behind MLB's top scoring offense, despite missing approximately 15-20 games due to his injury.

He was also excellent on defense, playing the best second base of his career and posting +5 Defensive Runs Saved and +6 Fielding Run Value.

That, coupled with his excellent year at the plate, earned him 6.55 aWAR (an average of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference WAR), placing him in the top 10 of 2024 WAR producers in MLB.

He was named a finalist for the NL MVP award in 2024 along with Los Angeles Dodgers star DH Shohei Ohtani, and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. Ultimately, Marte placed third behind his heavy competition.

But his excellence both at the plate and on defense have etched him into D-backs' history, and, as evidenced by his appearance at the top of the leaderboard Thursday, a national audience has begun to recognize him as the best in baseball at his position.

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