The two best second basemen of the 2010s were Chase Utley and Jeff Kent, but between 2003 and 2005, FanGraphs says that Marcus Giles had the highest fWAR among all second basemen in baseball.
In fact, the Atlanta Braves second basemen's 6.7 fWAR in 2003 was seventh among all position players, trailing just Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Bret Boone, Gary Sheffield and Carlos Beltrán. Giles slashed .316/.390/.526 in 2003, making the first of what many expected to be a bundle of All-Star Game appearances.
A slew of injuries derailed Giles' career in the coming seasons, limiting his full career to just seven seasons. However, Giles' peak was impressive enough for him to be the latest entry in our good MLB players that no one talks about anymore series:
Draft: 1996 selection by the Atlanta Braves in the 53rd round
Organizations Played For: Braves, San Diego Padres
Best Season: 2003 - .316/.390/.526 with 21 home runs, 69 RBIs, 59 walks, 19 defensive runs and a 6.7 fWAR
Career Nuggets: Giles finished 18th in National League MVP voting in 2003, and 26th in 2005...Giles led the 2003 Braves in bWAR, topping the likes of Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez, Gary Sheffield, Rafael Furcal and Greg Maddux...Marcus' older brother, Brian, was a two-time All-Star that finished third in fWAR among all outfielders between 1999 and 2003.
Career Stats: .277/.353/.429 with 76 home runs, 333 RBIs, 318 walks, 12 defensive runs saved and a 17.9 fWAR
Other Entries In This Series
- Matt Morris
- Rafael Furcal
- Kenny Rogers
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