If Diego Maradona played baseball: second base, rated 88

Diego Maradona as a baseball player: scouting report

Diego Maradona plays second base, and the reason is his first touch. He controlled a ball at full speed as well as anyone who ever played football, and his famous run against England at the 1986 World Cup, past half the defense from inside his own half, was later voted the Goal of the Century in a FIFA poll. A second baseman who can smother a hot short hop the way he cushioned a long pass will make every play look easy.

Fielding is the top mark on his card, and it is close to the best in the pool. His speed is the other headline rating, so he ranges into the hole and behind the bag and charges slow rollers with total confidence. Contact and eye are both strong, which fits a playmaker who saw passing lanes nobody else saw; at the plate he would spray line drives and rarely chase. He captained Argentina to the 1986 title and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, then led Napoli to the first league titles in the club's history, so he is a natural leader for an infield.

The arm is the honest weakness, which is why second base suits him better than shortstop, though he can play short with a modest drop and the outfield works as a backup. Power is moderate, so bat him first or second. Pair him with a strong armed shortstop and a power hitting corner bat. He learned the game on the dirt fields of Villa Fiorito outside Buenos Aires, so a rough infield will not bother him at all. Take him early.

Plays like A low to the ground glove wizard at second base

Put Diego Maradona in your lineup

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