All-Century Team: Best High School 2nd Baseman of This Century
December 17, 2025
Every generation has its own definition of greatness. At second base, greatness shows up in different ways. Flash. Grit. Complete dominance.
For the All-Century Team, we narrowed the field to three players who define what the position has been since 2000. Each took a different path. Each brought a different style. And each forced the game to adjust around them.
This is the All-Century Team at second base, SkillShow style.
Javier Báez (Arlington Country Day School, Florida)
Some players make the routine look difficult. Javy Báez makes the impossible look normal.
At Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida, Báez was already a five tool shortstop with a big arm, explosive bat speed, and rare athletic instincts. Scouts saw the upside immediately.
Drafted ninth overall by the Chicago Cubs in 2011, Báez turned raw talent into one of the most electric careers in modern baseball.
In the big leagues, he became a three-time All Star, a Silver Slugger winner at second base, a Gold Glove recipient, and the 2018 National League MVP runner-up. That season, he hit .290 with 34 home runs and 111 RBIs.
Báez plays defense like the game is moving in slow motion. His tags are art. His creativity is unmatched. That is why baseball calls him "El Mago.”
Dustin Pedroia (Woodland High School, California)
Dustin Pedroia was never supposed to look the part. He just refused to be ignored.
At Woodland High School in California, Pedroia hit .445 as a senior and built a reputation as one of the toughest outs in the state. He carried that edge to Arizona State, where he became one of the most accomplished hitters in college baseball history, finishing with a .384 career average and starting every game he played.
Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2004, Pedroia turned doubt into dominance.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2007 and American League MVP in 2008. He earned four Gold Gloves and helped lead Boston to World Series championships in 2007 and 2013.
Pedroia was undersized, overlooked, and relentless. He became the heartbeat of a dynasty and one of the toughest second basemen the game has ever seen.
Mookie Betts (John Overton High School, Tennessee)
There are great players. And then there are players who do everything.
At John Overton High School in Nashville, Tennessee, Mookie Betts was already different. He hit over .500, stole bases at will, and starred across multiple sports.
Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round in 2011, Betts came up through the system as a second baseman before expanding his impact all over the field.
At the Major League level, Betts built one of the most complete résumés in modern baseball. He won the American League MVP in 2018, earned multiple All-Star selections, collected Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, and won four World Series championships with Boston and Los Angeles.
Betts hits for power and average. He plays elite defense. He runs the bases at the highest level. Wherever he lines up, he is one of the best players on the field.
Why Mookie Betts Is The Pick
When you look at the full picture, the hitting, the defense, the speed, and the year after year consistency, Mookie Betts stands above the rest.
He is an MVP, a multi time All Star, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, and a four time World Series champion. He represents the most complete version of what a second baseman can be.
That is why Mookie Betts is our All-Century Team selection at second base.
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