The history of MLB second basemen is an interesting one – while some of the greatest players of the early 20th century manned second base (e.g. Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Collins, Nap Lajoie, etc.), it has not traditionally been viewed as a position for sluggers nor does it have the defensive value of catcher, shortstop, or center field. Nevertheless, it has seen its share of MVP and Hall of Fame-caliber players over the years; in particular, two of the top slugging second basemen in recent memory have been Jeff Kent and Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg retired with the most career home runs by a second baseman, while Kent currently holds that distinction, thus prompting the question:
Who was better – Jeff Kent or Ryne Sandberg?
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