The Great Debate: Pedroia V.S. Cano

A recent argument among my friends has inspired me to write this article. My goal is to settle who is better once and for all, Robinson Cano, or Dustin Pedroia.

Dustin Pedroia got his career off to a tremendous start, winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2007, a year in which he hit .317 while having an OBP of .380. Pedroia followed that up with a MVP season in 2008, where he hit a remarkable .326 with 17 Home Runs. Pedrioa would be named an All-Star that season, and the next two seasons. However after 2008, Pedroia has seemed to fall off a bit, hitting an average of .294 in the last 3 seasons, which is actually very good, yet not as good as his first two seasons. Pedroia is a 3-time All-Star, but in 2011 he was not selected as an All-Star, the first time since his rookie year.

Robinson Cano does not have all of the awards that Pedroia has, but some say that he has deserved them. In 2005, Robinson Cano finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting to Huston Street, however I think that it's safe to say that Robinson Cano is better than Huston Street. Cano has also been involved in the MVP vote three times in his career, never winning the award. His highest placement was in 2010 when he finished 3rd. In 2010, Cano had an incredible season in which he hit .319 while driving in 109 batters, and an OBP of .381. Robinson Cano is also a 3-time All-Star, being voted the starter at 2nd Base for the American League in 2011.


These players are without a doubt the two best 2nd Baseman in baseball. However, in all sports you have to be consistent, and Robinson Cano is a model of consistency, hitting an average of .311 the past 3 seasons. When you look at the numbers, Cano actually has the advantage in both power and contact. Cano has a career average of .308 to Pedroia's .304. Also, Cano has over 500 career RBIs, while Dustin Pedroia has a few over 300. Pedroia is definitely a better base runner, averaging 19 stolen bases per season, while Cano averages only 4. However in baseball, what's important is producing runs, and Robinson Cano does that better than any 2nd Baseman in baseball. In conclusion, I believe that the best 2nd Baseman in baseball is Robinson Cano.