MLB Top 5: San Diego Padres Second Basemen and Shortstops

This is the third article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the San Diego Padres. In this installment are second basemen and shortstops.

Traditionally, second basemen and shortstops were seen as either table setters who could bunt for a hit, steal bases and score runs or bottom-of-the-order pieces who were great defenders with any offense being a bonus. The middle infielders for the Padres follow this formula, with plenty of defense and almost no power. Featured at these positions are two Hall of Famers and the four starters from the team’s two trips to the World Series.

The best Second Basemen and Shortstops in San Diego Padres history

Second Basemen

Honorable Mentions – Quilvio Veras was signed by the Mets in 1989 but never played a game with New York, instead being traded to Florida. He led the league with 56 stolen bases as a rookie in 1995, but after an injury-plagued season the following year, he was traded to the Padres. Veras continued to use his speed to his advantage, stealing 87 bases in three years (1997-99) and scoring a career-best 95 runs in 1999. During San Diego’s run to the World Series, he amassed six runs, 11 hits and three RBIs in 14 games. Veras was traded to the Braves and spent two seasons in Atlanta before he was released after suffering rib and ankle injuries. He retired the following year after failed tryouts with the Red Sox and Dodgers and has been a coach for the Royals in the Dominican Summer League since 2018.

Mark Loretta is best known for his eight-year stint with the Brewers, but after a stint with the Astros, he signed with the Padres in 2003. He batted .314 with 185 hits in his first season in San Diego, then put together his best season, earning an All-Star selection and his only silver slugger after setting career highs with a .335 average, 108 runs, 208 hits, 47 doubles, 16 home runs and 76 RBIs in 2004. His numbers dropped after undergoing surgery on a strained thumb ligament and he was traded to the Red Sox. Loretta had a second stint with the Astros and finished off his career with the Dodgers in 2009. He managed Israel in a failed World Baseball Classic qualifier in 2012, was a bench coach with the Cubs in 2019 and was a special assistant with the Padres in 2022.

5. Alan Wiggins – The Southern California native was a talented speedster who let his temper and poor decisions ruin his playing career. Wiggins was drafted eighth overall by the Angels in 1977 but was released the next year after a fight with a manager. He signed with the Dodgers and showed promise but was let go after a marijuana arrest. The Padres signed him in 1980 and kept him around despite multiple drug arrests (including one for cocaine possession in 1982) and he flourished, setting team stolen base records in back-to-back seasons with 66 in 1983 and 70 the following year. In addition to the steals, Wiggins converted from left field to second base and had a career year with 106 runs and 154 hits, then batted .341 in the playoffs with six runs and 14 hits in 10 games to help San Diego reach the World Series. After signing a new contract after the season, he went missing for a late April series against the Dodgers, checking himself into a rehab center after a relapse into cocaine. The Padres traded him to the Orioles in 1985 (he ranked third in franchise history with 171 stolen bases), and he kept spiraling downward. He continued his drug use and fought with his teammates. A failed drug test led to an indefinite suspension, and he was found to have contracted HIV through a drug needle. Wiggins passed away from complications of AIDS in early 1991 at age 32.

4. Leon “Bip” Roberts – He spent most of his time as a second baseman but was also an outfielder and a super sub during his seven-year Padres career over two stints (1986, 88-91 and 94-95). Roberts was first-round pick of the Pirates in 1982 but was taken in the Rule 5 draft by the Padres and had his debut in 1986. After spending most of the next two seasons he became a productive player no matter where he played on the field. Roberts had his best season as San Diego’s primary left fielder in 1990, batting .309 and setting career highs with 104 runs, 172 hits, 35 doubles and 46 stolen bases. He earned his only All-Star selection in 1992 after a trade to the Reds but returned to the Padres two years later and batted .320. Roberts ranks third in franchise history with a .298 average and fourth with 148 steals to go with 378 runs, 673 hits and 169 RBIs in 667 games, 288 spent at second base. He split his last three seasons between four teams, retired in 1998 and spent his post-playing days as a broadcaster, high school and college coach and working with a foundation for at-risk children in the Bay Area.

3. Tim Flannery – He was drafted by the Padres in 1978, made his debut with the club the following year and went on to spend his entire 11-year career with San Deigo (1979-89). Known for his hustle, Flannery was a starter roughly half the time and was a platoon player or reserve at three infield spots. He was a backup to Wiggins during the 1984 season and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored during the playoffs. After two more campaigns as a starter, Flannery’s numbers slipped. He played in his last game on his 32nd birthday in 1989, ending his career ranked fourth in franchise history in games (972) and tied for eighth in triples (25) to go with a .255 average, 255 runs, 631 hits, and 209 RBIs. He was a minor league manager for the Padres, and spent more than a decade as a third base coach with San Diego and San Francisco under manager Bruce Bochy, which included three World Series titles. Flannery also became a talented guitarist who has released more than a dozen albums, and he also founded an organization with a goal to assist victims of violence and bullying.

2. Jake Cronenworth – The club’s current first baseman got his start as a draft pick of the Rays in 2015 and was traded to the Padres after four minor league seasons. Cronenworth finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .285 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and was an All-Star in each of the following two years. His best season was 2021, when he batted .266 with 71 RBIs and set career highs with 94 runs, 151 hits, 33 doubles and 21 home runs. The following year, he scored 88 runs, hit 17 homers and set a personal best with 88 runs batted in. Cronenworth signed a seven-year extension with San Diego in 2023 and continued to be a productive player, despite being moved to first base and a drop in average to .229. Entering the 2024 season, he has 262 runs, 445 hits, 102 doubles, 52 home runs and 227 RBIs in 491 games (319 at second base and 160 at first). The 2022 fielding champion has also been solid in the postseason, batting .281 with 11 runs, 18 hits, two homers and nine RBIs in 18 playoff contests.

1. Roberto Alomar – Second base might be the weakest position in terms of talent on the Padres roster, but they have a star at the top. Roberto’s father and brother both had major league careers, and he joined them with San Diego’s Class-A team after signing in 1985 as a 17-year-old. Three years later, after a brief stay in Triple-A, he was starting for the Padres, batting .255 with 41 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. The following year, Alomar was even better, leading all second basemen with 157 games and batting .295 with 184 hits, 56 runs batted in, and 42 steals. He started to get recognition across the league and made his first All-Star team in 1990, where he played against his brother, Sandy Jr., who had been traded to Cleveland. Like Sandy Jr., Roberto found himself traded out of San Diego, going to Toronto in a blockbuster deal after the season. He ended his Padres career with a .283 average, 246 runs, 497 hits, 22 homers, 157 RBIs and 90 stolen bases in 448 games.

On the field, Alomar became one of the greatest players of his generation, amassing 12 All-Star selections, 10 gold gloves and four silver sluggers, as well as winning two straight titles with the Blue Jays and earning the ALCS MVP Award in 1992 and the All-Star Game MVP Award in 1998. The four-time fielding champion played for seven teams in his 17-year career, finishing with a .300 average, 1508 runs, 2,724 hits, 1,134 RBIs and 474 stolen bases in 2,379 games. However, he had a temper, which he used liberally on and off the field. His most memorable moment came when he spit in umpire John Hirschbeck‘s face after being thrown out of a September 1996 game or arguing a strikeout, which led to a five-game suspension the following year (although he still was allowed to appear in that year’s playoffs). Alomar was named a special assistant and consultant, first with Toronto, then with Major League Baseball to help the game grow in his native Puerto Rico. Also, after narrowly missing in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. However, his trouble with women led to his downfall. First, a crazed Canadian woman was arrested for plotting to shoot him in 1996, even attempting to enter the SkyDome with a gun. Next, Alomar had a contentious divorce with his first wife and had four other women claim he exposed them to HIV. Finally, he was fired from his jobs and put on baseball’s ineligible list in 2021 following an investigation into a report that he sexually harassed a female Blue Jays staff member seven years prior (although the suit was later dropped).

Shortstops

Honorable Mentions – Enzo Hernandez was a Venezuelan native who signed with the Astros when he was still in high school. He was traded to the Orioles before the 1969 season but didn’t make his major league debut until he was sent to the Padres after the following campaign. Hernandez started with San Diego and played in his home country during the offseason but dealt with back issues throughout his career. While he set a record for the fewest RBIs in a season in which he had more than 500 at-bats (12 in 1971), he set career highs with 34 RBIs and 37 stolen bases three years later. Hernandez led the league with 24 sacrifice hits in 1975, but his back continued to bother him. He underwent successful surgery but was released after just seven games in 1977, finishing his seven-year Padres tenure (1971-77) with 241 runs, 522 hits, 113 RBIs and 129 steals (ninth in franchise history) in 710 games. Hernandez continued to play in Venezuela, but his big-league career was done after four games with the Dodgers in 1978. He faced depression and declining health in later years and passed away in 2013 at age 63, taking his own life after overdosing on prescribed painkillers.

Damien Jackson played for eight teams during his 11 years in the major leagues, with his longest tenure with any franchise being the four-year run he had with the Padres (1999-2001 and ’05). He played both middle infield positions and all three outfield spots with San Diego, totaling 235 runs, 383 hits, 137 RBIs and 100 stolen bases in 511 games. However, he is best known for the leg injury he sustained after being hit by a pitch by Marlins starter A.J. Burnett during his no-hitter against the Padres in May 2001. Jackson appeared in three games with San Diego in the 2005 Division Series loss to the Cardinals, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored. He finished his career with the Nationals the following year.

Chris Gomez was a Southern California native who was selected by the Tigers in 1992 and earned Rookie of the Year consideration two years later. Gomez was traded to the Padres in 1996 and spent the next six years in his hometown area (1996-2001). He started just two years in San Diego, setting career highs with 62 runs, 132 hits and 54 RBIs in 1997. The following year, he won a fielding title and helped the Padres reach the World Series, batting .364 against the Yankees and totaling five runs, 12 hits and an RBI in 17 playoff games with the club. Gomez was released by the Padres in 2001 and bounced around to six teams in his final eight seasons, ending his 16-year career in 2008.

Everth Cabrera was a Nicaraguan-born infielder who signed with the Rockies in 2006 and was selected by the Padres in the Rule 5 draft two years later. He was known for his speed during his six years with the Padres (2009-14) and led the National League with 44 stolen bases in 2012. Cabrera earned his lone All-Star selection the following year, setting career highs with a .283 average and 108 hits while stealing 37 bases in 95 games. Although he ranks sixth in franchise history with 136 steals and had 221 runs, 430 hits and 128 RBIs in 481 games, his time with the Padres was beset by injuries, especially to his hamstring. Cabrera was suspended for the final 50 games of the 2013 season for using performance-enhancing drugs, which cost him the stolen base crown, and he also was charged with resisting arrest in an incident in California the following year. Cabrera was released after playing 29 games with the Orioles in 2015 and left the major leagues after failed tryouts with the Giants and White Sox. He spent four years playing baseball in Mexico and Nicaragua before retiring in 2021.

5. Ha-Seong Kim – The South Korean-born star played seven seasons in his home country and earned three Korean Baseball Organization Golden Glove Awards before coming to the U. S. and signing with the Padres after the 2020 season. Kim has predominately played shortstop at the major league level, although he had his best season as a second baseman in 2023, setting career highs with a .260 average, 84 runs, 140 hits, 17 home runs, 60 RBIs and 38 stolen bases while becoming the first Korean player to win a gold glove (in the utility spot). The 2017 World Baseball Classic participant appeared in 12 games during the 2012 playoffs, amassing eight runs, eight hits and three RBIs, including two against the Phillies in the NLCS. Kim returned to the starting shortstop spot in San Diego in 2024.

4. Khalil Greene – His father was a Marine and his parents converted to Baha’i, a Middle Eastern religion that values peace among people. Greene was a start, both in high school and college, winning the Golden Spikes Award as best amateur player with Clemson in 2002. He was selected by the Padres in the first round that year and both appeared in the MLB All-Star Futures Game and made his debut with San Diego the following season. Greene burst onto the scene in 2004, batting a career-best .273 and driving in 65 runs to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting. His numbers fell in each of the following two seasons, but he bounced back in 2007, setting personal bests with 89 runs, 144 hits, 44 doubles, 27 home runs and 97 RBIs. Greene slumped the following year, which ended with a broken hand after punching a storage cabinet, and he was traded to the Cardinals, finishing his six-year Padres Career (2003-09) with 301 runs, 594 hits, 150 doubles, 84 home runs, 328 hits and 1,024 total bases in 659 games in the regular seasons and two runs, four hits and an RBI in six playoff contests. In 2009, his struggle with social anxiety disorder became public when it was discovered that he was harming himself. Bouts of the condition led to his release by St. Louis and the voiding of a contract with Texas after he didn’t report to spring training. Greene has been out of the public eye since 2010 and now lives in South Carolina.

3. Ozzie Smith – One of the most memorable trades in franchise history occurred in December 1981 and involved two shortstops. Smith was born in Alabama, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was six years old. He was selected by the Padres in the fourth round in 1977 and made the team as a non-roster invitee the following year, finishing as the Rookie of the Year runner-up after amassing 152 hits, 46 RBIs and 40 stolen bases. Smith also started performing his signature backflip as he reached his position before each game. He posted a career-best 57 steals in 1980 and earned his first All-Star selection in the strike-shortened season the following year, but he was known for his defense. During his time in San Diego, Smith earned two gold gloves, won a fielding title and lead the league in assists three times. He ended his four-year run with the Padres (1978-81) ranked fourth in franchise history with 147 stolen bases as well as 266 runs, 516 hits and 129 RBIs in 583 games.

Following the trade to the Cardinals, he became “The Wizard of Oz,” a defensive dynamo who earned 15 All-Star selections and 13 straight gold gloves, along with a silver slugger, a championship in his first season with St. Louis and an NLCS MVP Award for doing the most unlikely thing possible given a look at his stats, hitting a game-winning home run against the Dodgers in 1985. Smith finished with a .262 average, 1,257 runs, 2,460 hits, 402 doubles, 793 home runs and 580 steals in 2,573 games over his 19-year career. Following his playing days, he was a color commentator and spring training instructor with the Cardinals, hosted This Week in Baseball and worked for CNN. Smith was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

2. Fernando Tatis Jr. – The son of an 11-year major league veteran with the same name who currently has a major league record by hitting two grand slams in one inning (which he did in 1999). The Dominican-born young star signed with the White Sox in 2015 and was traded to the Padres the following year. Tatis worked through San Diego’s minor league system and play in his home country during the winter, but he missed time at the end of the 2018 season due to surgery to repair ligament damage and a broken left thumb on a slide. He made his major league debut the following year, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting after posting a career-best .317 average along with 22 home runs, 53 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Tatis finished fourth in the MVP voting and won a silver slugger after driving in 45 runs during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

“El Niño” signed a massive 14-year, $340 million extension before the following season. He justified the big contract by finishing third in the MVP race and earning his first All-Star selection and second straight silver slugger after batting .282 with 135 hits and 25 steals, setting career highs with 99 runs, 97 RBIs, 292 total bases and a .611 slugging percentage (second in team history) and leading the league with 42 home runs, which also ranks second on the franchise list. He lost the entire 2022 season, first undergoing surgery to repair a fractured scaphoid bone in his wrist that some sources attributed to a motorcycle accident in his home country, then receiving an 80-game suspension for a positive steroid test. Tatis started playing in the outfield before his missed season and moved to right field on a full-time basis in 2023, winning a gold glove and posting a .257-25-78 stat line with 91 runs and career-high totals of 148 hits and 29 stolen bases. Heading into the 2024 season, he is the all-time franchise leader with a .543 slugging percentage to go with a .280 average, 301 runs, 451 hits, 106 home runs and 273 RBIs in 414 games.

1. Garry Templeton – He was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 1974 and made his major league debut two years later. Templeton led the league in triples in each of his first three full seasons with St. Louis and earned two All-Star selections in that span. In 1979, the switch-hitter did something that had never been done in the major leagues before, get at least 100 hits from each side of the plate in the same season (111 as a left-handed batter and 100 from the right side for a league-leading 211). Templeton lost time the following year due to a pair of hand injuries and the strike-shortened 1981 season was marred by an incident in which he made an obscene gesture toward fans during a late August game.

Following a trade to the Padres with Smith going the other way, “Jumpsteady” had his best San Diego season in 1982, scoring 76 runs, driving in 64 and stealing 27 bases while dealing with a knee issue that would require arthroscopic surgery. He won a silver slugger two years later and added three runs, 11 hits and two RBIs in 10 postseason games to help San Diego reach the World Series. Templeton earned his only All-Star selection with the Padres in 1985 after batting .282 with 154 hits and 55 RBIs, but both the shortstop and the team struggled over the next two years. He rebounded over the rest of the decade, but he was traded to the Mets in 1991 and retired after the season when more issues were found with his knee. Templeton ended his decade with the Padres (1982-91) ranked second in franchise history in games (1,286), hits (1,135) and doubles (195), third in total bases (1,531), fifth in triples (36), ninth in RBIs (427) and tenth in runs (430) and steals (101). He was a minor league coach and skipper with the Padres and Angels, and he also managed several independent teams before leaving baseball in 2013. Templeton was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2015.