Coming into today's game with the Rockies, Neil walker trailed only one NL second basement in WAR (according to Fangraphs): Aaron Hill. Walker's 3.0 WAR was just barely edged by Hill's 3.1. Walker was leading all NL second sackers with a .370 OBP and was second in OPS with a .799 mark.
And over the last two weeks, the competition is not even close. Walker's 14-day WAR is an astronomical 1.1, which dwarfs runner-up Logan Forsythe's 0.4. In fact the only player in the NL he trails over that period is, you guessed it, Andrew McCutchen. He's certainly been hitting well as witnessed by his 17-game hitting streak entering the day; but his plate patience is also improving. His 15.6% walk rate is tied for the lead with Dan Uggla. His OBP for the period is .578. That's 142 points higher than his next-closest competitor. What about power numbers? Well, Walker's slugging percentage is .789 over the past two weeks. Runner-up Rickie Weeks is 221 point behind.
All this is being done with improving defense and solid base running. Remember, this is a guy who was drafted as a catcher, groomed as a third basemen and has been learning second base on the fly the past couple of years at the major league level. Some people raised there eyebrows when Walker was nominated for a Gold Glove after last season. His stats were top-notch, but advanced metrics rated him as a negative defender. That's no longer the case. Walker's UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) is a positive 2.0 this season.
There's no question Andrew McCutchen has been the Pirates' MVP this year, but with Walker hitting this well, the Pirates have a great one-two punch in their lineup. Walker is not the clear top second basemen in the league, but nobody is. A look at this year's All-Star roster (one that excluded both Walker and Hill) demonstrates that. One thing is for certain: no NL second basemen is on the same meteoric trajectory and that can only be good news for the Pirates.
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