When anyone thinks of the golden age of the Philadelphia Phillies, the name Chase Utley is sure to pop up. From 2005-2009, Utley was the undisputed best 2B in the league. In that time, he slashed .301/.388/.535 and averaged 29 HR and 101 RBI.
Right now, Jean Segura is putting together an Utley-esque season. In 2006 (Utley’s first All-Star year), Utley slashed .309/.379/.527. Through 29 games, he slashed .312/.367/.551 with 6 homers.
Jean Segura has kept that pace through 29 games. So far, Segura has matched that .367 OBP and the 6 HR mark. He’s also close in batting average and slugging %.
Best in the Bigs?
Jean Segura has been one of the best offensive 2B in the entire MLB. Only one player has a higher batting average than Segura’s .309. Andres Gimenez has hit .328 this season. He also features a higher OPS than Segura (.909 to .867).
BUT… Gimenez has played only 19/30 games at 2B. The other 11 games he has played at SS.
The only qualified 2B that has a higher OBP is Jeff McNeil. However, McNeil’s OBP is only .002 points higher than Jean Segura’s .367. He also has a .419 slugging % compared to Segura’s .500.
Slugging % is the only stat in which Segura has significant opposition. There are 5 qualified 2B with a slugging % over Segura’s .500: Jazz Chisholm .577, Gimenez .565, Altuve .531, Brandon Drury .529, and Owen Miller .511.
If you believe Gimenez’s 19 games qualify him as a 2B, he’s probably the best at the position right now. His .909 OPS is highest among all 2B, although only .005 points separate him and Segura’s only real competition in the NL, Jazz Chisholm.
Chisholm’s 155+ OPS is just 5 points above Segura. While they’re tied in homers, Chisholm has 10 more RBI. James Cigarettes beats Jazz clearly in OBP with a .04 advantage. The strikeout battle also belongs to Jean, 28-19. Jazz takes the slugging battle (as mentioned earlier) and Jean wins in hitting.
The second basemen have an identical .974 fielding %. The battle is a toss-up.
At the very least, Segura is tied for the best 2B in the NL. At best, he is the best.
P.S. Jean Segura has a .333 batting average with RISP. Just saying.
Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire
