Astros: Best individual seasons in club history — second base

We continue with our series ranking the best individual seasons in Houston Astros history by position.

As we move around the diamond in our series of ranking the best individual seasons in Houston Astros history by position, we come to a spot that has no shortage of strong players. Through its history, the club has had plenty of talent to man second base.

This list includes two Hall of Famers, one player who’s currently on the Hall of Fame ballot, and one who could end up in Cooperstown when all is said and done. Second base isn’t necessarily known as a premium position, but the Astros have had some premium talent there.

5. Jeff Kent – 2004

It might seem odd to move a Gold Glove winner and future Hall of Famer to a different position, but that’s just what the Astros did to accommodate their signing of Kent. He made good on his two-year deal, producing two solid seasons. His 2004 campaign was the better one, as he hit .289/.348/.531 with 34 doubles, 27 homers and 107 RBIs, good for 3.9 WAR.

4. Bill Doran – 1985

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

• Just how much better is the Houston Astros playoff rotation than the rest?
• Houston Astros: A Lineup Change to Spark Offense
• Astros prospect Hunter Brown throws 6 shutout innings in debut
• Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
• Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer

Doran was the club’s starting second baseman for much of the 1980s, providing above-average offense and a solid glove. His best season was 1985 in which he hit .287/.362/.434 with 31 doubles, 14 homers and more walks than strikeouts. This performance was good for 5.4 WAR.

3. Joe Morgan – 1965

Morgan was arguably the best second baseman to ever play the game, and his Hall of Fame career was one for the ages. Unfortunately his best years came after he was traded to Cincinnati, but his best year in Houston was actually his first as a regular. In 1965, he hit .271/.373/.418 with 22 doubles, 12 triples, 14 homers and 20 steals, good for 5.7 WAR.

2. Jose Altuve – 2016

Altuve won his MVP in 2017, but his 2016 season generated a higher WAR total (7.9). He hit .338/.396/.531 with 42 doubles, 24 homers, 96 RBIs and 30 steals. He finished third in the MVP voting, won the second of his three batting titles and led the major leagues in hits.

1. Craig Biggio – 1997

The future Hall of Famer set career highs in on-base percentage and OPS in 1997 and played in all 162 games for the second consecutive season. He led the league in plate appearances and led the majors in runs scored with 146. He hit .309/.415/.501 with 37 doubles, 22 homers, 81 RBIs and 47 steals, which works out to an impressive 9.4 WAR. He also won a Gold Glove and finished fourth in the MVP voting.