2019 Midseason Prospect Rankings: Top 25 Second Basemen

Second base is one of the lower-end positions in fantasy, but that does not mean there’s a lack of young options. These are the Top 25 prospects at the position for your dynasty leagues. Reminder: A player is considered a prospect until he reaches 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the major leagues.

 

Tier 1: Future Studs

 

Keston Hiura; Milwaukee Brewers; Age: 22

 

Current Level: MLB

Keston Hiura barely qualifies for this list with 101 at-bats at the time of this ranking. He’s clearly the best second base prospect both in real life and in fantasy leagues. Both his hit tool and power tool are borderline elite for his age (22). The realistic ceiling for Hiura is hitting around .315 with 35 home runs and a league-average walk rate. His plate approach could be a bit better, but that is something that I expect will improve over time. The speed is average at best, but with how much he’ll get on base, it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets to 10-15 steals per season. It would not surprise me at all if Hiura is the best second baseman in baseball by 2022. 

 

Nick Madrigal; Chicago White Sox; Age: 22

 

Current Level: Double-A

Nick Madrigal probably has the best plate approach in all of minor league baseball. He’s struck out just under 3% of the time in his professional career, while walking 6.6% of the time. That walk rate will rise as he faces better pitching, but his pure contact tool is one of the best to come through the minors in a long time. He has very good speed that should result in a few 30-steal seasons once he hits his prime. His glove at second base is also very good, which is another reason he should continue to fly through this minor league system. In his second professional season he was recently called up to Double-A, and although it’s only been a 113-plate appearance sample, he’s continued to dominate with a .382/.442/.471 slash line and a hilarious 10:2 BB:K ratio. The only potential flaw in Madrigal’s profile is his power. His 5’7” 165-pound frame doesn’t leave a ton of projection in his bat, and he hasn’t shown a ton of power in the minors. However, considering we’ve seen players who make a lot of contact like Tommy La Stella be able to back into big home run seasons because of the changes to the baseball, it would not surprise me if in his peak Madrigal is a .350 hitter with 15-20 home run power. I worry a bit about the durability of such a small player, but that’s just trying to find a flaw in a guy who doesn’t have many. 

 

Vidal Brujan; Tampa Bay Rays; Age: 21

 

Current Level: Double-A 

The Rays are so much smarter than everybody else. To go along with stud shortstop Wander Franco, they have their second baseman of the future in Vidal Brujan. Brujan’s best trait is his 70-grade speed, which should translate to 30- to 40-steal seasons in his prime. He pairs that with an extremely advanced plate approach for somebody as young as he is (21), which has led to a career 171:171 BB:K ratio in 1,597 professional plate appearances. His power will play up once he gets to Triple-A and the majors with the juiced ball, so I wouldn’t worry about the low home run totals in his career so far. He won’t be a stud in that category, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to reach 20-25 home run seasons in his career. He makes very good contact and should be among the lead leaguers in doubles once he hits the majors. Brujan could be one of the best leadoff men in baseball once he hits his prime, and he should make his major league debut by midseason next year or the beginning of 2021. 

 

Tier 2: All-Star Potential 

 

Cavan Biggio; Toronto Blue Jays; Age: 24

 

Current Level: MLB

Similar to Hiura, Cavan Biggio barely qualifies for this list with 125 at-bats at the time of this ranking. Biggio profiles as an average hitter with plus power and pretty good speed. The most interesting part of Biggio’s profile is his plate approach. He’s consistently posted elite walk rates in the minors, highlighted by a 19.5% walk rate in Triple-A in 2019. So far in the majors that has continued with a 17% walk rate in 153 plate appearances. Unfortunately, he’s been a bit too passive at times, as shown by his 27.5% strikeout rate. However, that may be overstated, as Biggio in his time in the majors has had the highest percentage of pitches out of the zone being called strikes. The more I look into Biggio’s approach since he joined the majors, the more I think he might be one of the most interesting players in fantasy. We’re dealing with a very small sample, but he’s hit the ball incredibly hard consistently at a 50% mark and has just a .295 BABIP. I think he’s more like a .270 hitter with above-average pop and speed, and in his prime he could have more walks than strikeouts. It’s overly simplistic to just say go buy Biggio in dynasty, because his owners obviously value him a ton in that format, but personally I could see Biggio being very similar to something like prime Ben Zobrist with more power. 

 

Luis Urias; San Diego Padres Age: 22

 

Current Level: Triple-A

In the new version of baseball where everyone can hit 20 home runs, Luis Urias is my favorite type of prospect. His plate discipline has consistently ranged from above average to elite, and he pairs that with a really good hit tool that has led to consistent .300 averages in the minors, and that’s what he should be, given he gets everyday plate appearances. His power was likely his least-heralded tool entering 2019, but he has taken a flamethrower to that thought with 17 home runs and a jaw-dropping .275 ISO in Triple-A. Part of that is he’s just too good for Triple-A and he should be in the majors, but he’s never shown that level of power, and it has made him a more interesting prospect than he already was. I think a fair comparison point for him is Cesar Hernandez with a better hit tool and slightly more power. Urias and Fernando Tatis Jr. up the middle is going to be one of the most fun middle-infield pairings in baseball for a long time.

 

Xavier Edwards; San Diego Padres; Age: 19

 

Current Level: High-A

In a farm full of fun, toolsy prospects, Xavier Edwards stands out as one of the most fun of any of them. The first thing that shines when watching Edwards is his legitimate 80-grade speed. He’s one of the fastest prospects in the minor leagues, and his early stolen base totals of 42 in 123 professional games help tell that story. He also has shown great knowledge of controlling the strike zone with a 61:61 K:BB ratio in 543 plate appearances. He has a very small frame, listed at a generous 5’10” 175 pounds, but as he continues to develop he should be able to be a very good gap hitter—although I wouldn’t expect more than 8-10 home runs per year in his prime. He projects to be a very good fielder as well. Edwards profiles very clearly as a future leadoff man with league-leading stolen base and a .300 average upside. He’s just debuted in High-A, so I will be intrigued to see if he can continue to show advanced plate discipline and if he can get his ISO up a little bit and show more gap power. 

 

Isan Diaz; Miami Marlins; Age: 23

 

Current Level: Triple-A

Isan Diaz had three seasons dominating the lower levels of the minors. Entering 2017, he saw himself as a member of Top 100 lists from MLB.com, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus. He struggled a bit in his first test against High-A pitching, and was then traded to Miami as part of the Christian Yelich deal. In his first test against Double-A pitching, he was once again solid with 10 home runs, 10 steals, and a .784 OPS. He really struggled against PCL pitching and ended the season on a pretty bad note with a .639 OPS and a 29% strikeout rate in Triple-A. He has entirely turned that around in 2019. His 20 home runs and .272 ISO represent the highest marks of his professional career. He strikes out a bit too much to replicate his .289 average he has in Triple-A this season, but I could see a .265 hitter with huge power potential. He also walks a good amount and has above-average speed. If he can replicate this season’s 22.2% strikeout rate in the majors, then he could be one of the premier second basemen in baseball, although that is likely a bit of a stretch for Diaz. There’s legitimate 30-15 potential there, and he should have a chance to make his major league debut sooner rather than later. 

 

Tier 3: Solid Starters

 

Shed Long; Seattle Mariners; Age: 23

 

Current Level: Triple-A 

As part of the Mariners’ return in the James Paxton trade, Shed Long is a jack-of-all-trades type of prospect. I wouldn’t consider him to have a single elite tool, but across the board, everything is pretty solid. He’s a bit overaggressive at times at the plate, but has also shown an ability to carry high walk rates. His speed is above average, but scouts have deemed him to be not a great baserunner. He’ll likely get about 15 steals per season in his prime. Although he has a small frame at 5’8” 180 pounds, his best tool is his raw power. There’s 25-ish homer upside in his bat. His batting average will likely range from somewhere between .260 and .280; he’s a solid hitter, but doesn’t have big-time average upside. Long is a safe bet to be a perfectly solid option at second base for your dynasty teams, I don’t think there’s top three in his position upside, but he profiles very similarly to late-prime Jason Kipnis. He should get a full-time chance with Seattle by the end of the season, and what I’ll be looking for in that time is how his power can play up with the new ball and if he can limit his strikeout rate against big league pitching.

 

Nick Solak; Tampa Bay Rays; Age: 24

 

Current Level: Triple-A 

The Rays have too many interesting middle-infield prospects. On a normal team, Nick Solak would stand out as super interesting and the second baseman of the future, but in Tampa he’s stuck in Triple-A. His profile is one that should play up to a juiced ball. He has a very good plate approach and has potential 25-30 home run power with 10-15 stolen base speed. He’s also shown an ability to play in the outfield, although his glove plays up much better at second base. His positional versatility may be what gets him playing time by the start of next season. The fact that he hasn’t seen any dip in his production advancing from High-A to Double-A in 2018 and from Double-A to Triple-A this season makes me think that he should at the very least have a chance in a bench role by the start of next season. 

 

Luis Arraez; Minnesota Twins; Age: 22

 

Current Level: MLB

Luis Arraez has a unique profile compared to most high-level prospects. In 2,074 plate appearances as a professional hitter, Arraez has eight home runs and has been a fairly uninspiring baserunner, as shown by his 29-for-51 on stolen base attempts in his professional career. However. He has one of the best contact tools in all of baseball. He’s never hit lower than .298 at any level, and his strikeout rates have consistently sat around 7%. He doesn’t walk a ton either, but he does a good job of making solid contact, as shown by his 36.8% line-drive rate. He’s probably not going to hit .393 like he has so far in his major league sample of 95 plate appearances, but he is going to hit for a very high average. I would expect him to maintain a utility role, as he’s capable of playing multiple positions, and although he won’t help your team in the power department, he profiles as a very helpful player when it comes to batting average and OBP. 

 

Tier 4: Interesting Profiles

 

Esteury Ruiz; San Diego Padres; Age: 20

 

Current Level: High-A 

The potential power-speed combination is what is very exciting about Esteury Ruiz. After dominating rookie ball in 2017, Ruiz played the entirety of last season in A-ball, and the results were similar to what scouts expected out of him. He showed flashes of his raw power, but his overaggressive tendencies showed themselves as well. In the end, he finished with a league-leading 49 steals and a reasonable .723 OPS for the season with 12 home runs in 493 plate appearances. This led to a call-up to High-A for his age-20 season in 2019 ,and the results haven’t been great so far. He’s still very young, but when prospects start stagnating with their BB and strikeout rates, that’s a bit of a concern to me. Right now, Ruiz is hitting a ton of fly balls, but it doesn’t seem to be helping him generate more power as his season-long ISO of .132 is the lowest of his career. I don’t think this is a disaster, as much as it is Ruiz is trying to adjust to much older pitching and has hit a bit of a wall. An interesting statistic on Ruiz is that he has one plate appearance on the season against a pitcher younger than him, which helps explain why he’s struggled a bit. He’s also still stolen 26 bases, and unlike other minor leaguers who put up gaudy steal totals, he actually has league-leader-in-stolen-bases upside. Ruiz’s tools are clear, and I am still very high on the 20-year-old. If you can find somebody in your dynasties who’s stuck looking at his statistics and not giving them context, I would be very interested in buying.

 

Richard Palacios; Cleveland Indians; Age: 22

 

Current Level: A-Ball

As a third-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Richard Palacios did all he could to make his way onto this list. After showing an elite plate approach in his junior year of college with a 52:16 BB:K ratio, he continued showing that in his first test of professional ball with a reasonable 19:27 BB:K ratio in 190 plate appearances across rookie ball, Low-A, and A-Ball. His calling cards are his hit tool and his speed. He also showed a bit more power than I expected him to with six home runs in his first sample of professional pitching. Following his 2018 season, he had posterior labrum surgery, which has caused him to miss all of 2019. Once he comes back from injury, I will be intrigued to see where they send him, as he represents the type of player who could fly through the minor leagues, and it wouldn’t be surprising to me if he was on the major league club by 2021. 

 

Domingo Leyba; Arizona Diamondbacks; Age: 23

 

Current Level: Triple-A

Domingo Leyba has really changed his profile in 2019 and become a different type of prospect than he profiled to be as recently as a year ago. Entering 2019, he was following an injury-riddled season where in 83 games he hit five home runs and had five steals, but continued to have an above-average walk rate and a minuscule strikeout rate. That had been pretty much what he had been throughout the minors. In his first season of Triple-A ball, that has changed a lot. His 15 home runs are a career high, as is his .254 ISO. On the opposite side of the spectrum, he also has a career-high strikeout rate at 16.7% and his lowest walk rate since 2015 at 6.1%. For context, neither of those last two rates are bad, just very different from what we’ve expected from Leyba. Some may attribute his 15 home runs in 324 Triple-A plate appearances to the new ball, and while that is fair, I think his profile of a guy who makes a ton of contact, doesn’t strikeout, and hits the ball pretty hard, is way more interesting because of the new ball. There still isn’t any speed there for Leyba, but if he can prove this newfound power isn’t a fluke, he could find himself with a MLB starting job by 2021. 

 

Joshua Rojas; Houston Astros; Age: 25

 

Current Level: Triple-A

As a 26th-round pick in 2017, Joshua Rojas has had a different path than most prospects. In his first professional season, he was sent to High-A immediately after being drafted, hit very well, and then was sent to Triple-A for the last four games of the season. In 2018 he spent most of the season in Double-A where he was fairly mediocre. He started this season in Double-A and completely dominated, and has done similarly well in Triple-A. He’s never struck out a ton, but a 44:50 BB:K ratio in 364 plate appearances across the two levels in 2019 is extremely impressive. His 38 steals a year ago and 24 so far this season aren’t representative of what he’ll do as a major leaguer, but he should be able to get to 12-15 steals per season. A really interesting part of Rojas’ profile is how many different positions he’s played; in 267 games he’s started 30 at first base, 79 at second base, 55 at third base, 21 at shortstop, 11 in right field, and 49 in left field. It feels very clear that they are trying to mold him into a utility player for the big league club, and he’s responded very well. His 14 home runs and .962 OPS in 2019 are career highs, and it would not be at all surprising to see him with the big club at the end of this season or the beginning of next. Tony Kemp would be who I see him replacing, which is a bit interesting because I think Rojas profiles as Kemp with more power and a better plate approach, which is an interesting player worth stashing, because there could be more power or speed upside that I am not giving him credit for. 

 

Rodolfo Castro; Pittsburgh Pirates; Age: 20

 

Current Level: High-A 

Rodolfo Castro is pretty far away from contributing for any fantasy teams, but his profile is one worthy of ranking on a list such as this one. He has very good power for his level, and his 6’0” 200-pound frame doesn’t carry a ton of added projection. The plate approach is pretty bad, which isn’t necessarily surprising for someone as young as Castro. After spending his entire 2018 in A-ball and struggling with a .672 OPS, .164 ISO, 12 home runs, and a 26:100 K:BB ratio in 426 plate appearances, he rebounded well to start his 2019 with improvements across the board with a .822 OPS, .274 ISO, 14 home runs, and a 18:68 K:BB ratio. His first test in High-A hasn’t been great so far, but it’s still very early, and with how he adjusted to A-ball, it wouldn’t surprise me if he struggled the rest of the season, and then dominated next season and moved to Double-A by midseason in 2020. His profile as a middle infielder with big-time power upside, average speed, and to say the least a below-average plate approach is fairly unique. He’s only 20, so this isn’t his median outcome, and more so his ceiling, but watching Castro gives me very Jonathan Schoop-ish vibes. Again, I am not projecting him to become Schoop, otherwise he’d be much higher on this list, but in terms of big frame, high-power, shoddy plate approach, and limited speed, it’s easy to see how Castro could become that type of a hitter.

 

Tier 5: Keep An Eye On Them

 

Jahmai Jones; Los Angeles Angels; Age: 21

 

Current Level: Double-A 

As a 2015 second-round pick, Jahmai Jones has had an up-and-down start to his professional career to say the least. As a 19-year-old in 2017, he had a breakout season in which he was very good in A-Ball and High-A. That season landed him on preseason Top 100 lists for MLB.com, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus. He followed that up with a 2018 in which he had worse results in High-A than the season before, which is a bit odd to see from such a heralded prospect. Despite that, he was moved to Double-A and was a bit underwhelming. He entered 2019 hoping to make the leap he was unable to make in 2018, and to say it respectfully, he’s been pretty disappointing. His .203/.267/.281 season-long slash line in 345 plate appearances are some of the worst numbers in professional baseball and represent a complete loss of the power upside he showed in previous seasons. He’s also 5-for-11 on the basepaths after entering the season 92-for-128 on stolen base attempts. So what’s the reason for his struggles? Well, he’s changed his swing multiple times in his career, and attempting to try to adjust your swing and face pitching that’s significantly older than you on average is a reasonable explanation for some struggles. He’s also a 21-year-old in Double-A, so maybe they’ve attempted to progress him too quickly. I still rank him here because there’s clearly upside when you look at what he did his first few seasons in the minors, but I would prefer the Angels sent him down and let him find his footing in High-A, rather than have him flounder and continue to tweak things in Double-A.

 

Travis Blankenhorn; Minnesota Twins; Age: 22

Current Level: Double-A

After fairly mediocre 2017 and 2018 seasons, a huge 2019 is what has landed Travis Blankenhorn on this list. Despite starting the season High-A, Blankenhorn’s outstanding Double-A debut is what is making him stand out. In 300 Double-A plate appearances his .296/.337/.514 slash line is one of the best in the Southern League. His carrying tool is his raw power, which has especially been the case in 2019. His .219 ISO, .851 OPS, and 16 home runs all represent career highs for Blankenhorn. In looking at his swing graphs, it seems that his power is coming from a swing change in which he’s pulling the ball for much more power. The pull-heavy approach seems to have helped him unlock more power than he was showing in previous levels and has made him an interesting second base prospect. His profile isn’t one that I would expect to be especially helpful anywhere else, but as a power source in the middle infield, Blankenhorn is an interesting piece. 

 

Aaron Bracho; Cleveland Indians; Age: 18

 

Current Level: Rookie Ball

Aaron Bracho is a former highly touted international free agent. He signed in 2017, but did not play at all in 2018 due to a broken arm. He just made his professional debut and has looked good so far. He has exceptional bat speed and profiles as a very good hitter with not a ton of speed. If he can stay healthy in 2019 he’s in the group of prospects that has a chance to make a big jump on this list. 

 

Rochest Cruz; Chicago Cubs; Age: 20

 

Current Level: Rookie Ball

Scouting statistics instead of traits is one of the worst things you can do in dynasty leagues. I really try to watch as much of a guy as possible before trying to analyze them as a player. Rochest Cruz is a different case in that due to the fact in his first three years as a professional he’s played in the Dominican summer league twice which has very limited video and is currently playing in Arizona rookie league, which luckily does have video. From watching him it’s very clear, the listed frame of 5’11″, 150 pounds isn’t an exaggeration, he’s very skinny and I would put him at around 25-grade power. His plate approach is good, but he’s also a 20-year-old playing in his third professional season, so I’m not sure how legitimate the 62:42 BB:K ratio is. What makes him so interesting is that a season ago in 66 games he went 56-of-65 on the base paths, which may be the most Dominican Summer League stat possible, but it did put him on some radars. I really don’t know what to make of him, other than that if you have a minor league spot to burn and want to use it on some upside, I’d be interested in Cruz. Hopefully I can give a more helpful scouting report later in the season by watching him more, but right now if I said anything more than 56 steals in 66 games and a good plate approach makes him interesting I would be completely guessing. 

 

Yoyner Fajardo; Pittsburgh Pirates; Age: 20

 

Current Level: Low-A 

In his first professional season with the Pirates, Yoyner Fajardo demonstrated an advanced plate approach with a 29:28 BB:K ratio in 256 plate appearances. His .857 OPS and 17 steals show some of the upside there with Fajardo. At 6’0”, 179 pounds there’s enough of a frame there where it’s fair to project some power upside to the left-handed second baseman. His 2019 season recently started in rookie ball where he showed enough in 13 games to get a call-up to Low-A. I’ll be intrigued to see if he can continue showing a good plate approach and if he can develop his power further as he progresses through the minors. 

 

Kean Wong; Tampa Bay Rays; Age: 24

 

Current Level: Triple-A

Kean Wong’s huge 2019 is the reason he barely makes this list. Coming into 2019, his seventh professional season, the best season-long OPS Wong had was an unremarkable .756 in rookie ball in 2013. This season, his OPS is up to .910, and his .346 batting average is among the league leaders in the International League. Wong is likely a utility infielder at the next level, with an above-average hit tool, but not much else. His speed isn’t great, and he has 15-ish home run power, but he a capable fielder at multiple positions, and that could get him more playing time in the big leagues. When he gets called up, people will try to compare him to his brother Kolten Wong, but I think a more apt comparison for Kean Wong is somebody in the mold of what Neil Walker is at this point in his career. 

 

Tucupita Marcano; San Diego Padres; Age: 19

 

Current Level: A-Ball

After signing as a fairly anonymous international free agent and a mediocre first professional season in 2017, Tucupita Marcano had a huge breakout season in 2018 that landed him in the Top 10 in some publications’ rankings of the Padres farm. His best trait is his knowledge of the strike zone, and he has a very good hit tool. He’s been graded out as having plus speed, but in 169 games in the minors, he’s 31-for-50 on stolen base attempts, which concerns me when it comes to projecting that outward. He doesn’t have any power yet, and he’s struggled a bit in his first test in A-ball. If Marcano can show another plus skill to go along with his elite BB:K ratios, then he will be a riser on this list. 

 

Reivaj Garcia; Chicago Cubs; Age: 17

 

Current Level: Low-A 

In 2018 as a 16-year-old Reivac Garcia put up acceptable numbers in rookie ball. Against competition 3.6 years older than him on average, Garcia hit for a .302/.362/.355 slash line with seven steals in 191 plate appearances. He didn’t hit any home runs, but I’m not really worried about that considering how young he is. It’s a bit of a surprise they had him go up to Low-A, as he’s one of just three 17-year-olds in his league. He’s a switch hitter who looked much more comfortable hitting from the left side of the plate (.775 OPS 15:21 BB:K) than the right side (.588 OPS 0:15 BB:K). He’s struggled in Low-A so far this season, but as he progresses I’m looking to see if he can improve from the right side of the plate and if he can just continue performing adequately at such a young age, because if so there’s a chance the Cubs have a big time gem in Garcia.

 

Kody Clemens; Detroit Tigers; Age: 23

 

Current Level: High-A

The son of legendary pitcher Roger Clemens, 2018 third-round pick Kody Clemens entered 2019 with a good amount of hype after a very good first professional season. A season-long slash line of .288/.365/.415 in 220 plate appearances is certainly worth monitoring. However, he was a 22-year-old who hit well in A-ball and then struggled in his first sample of High-A ball. In his following season the results haven’t been great, but there’s been reason for optimism. He has a very standard profile for a young left-handed hitter; there’s very obvious power in his bat, but as his .488 season-long OPS against left-handed pitchers shows, he’s likely a platoon bat. This is actually a bit encouraging to me, as it gives a reasonable explanation for why his rate stats have dipped as a whole. His numbers against righties are very acceptable with a .257/.329/.449 slash line, a 27:64 BB:K ratio, and eight of his nine home runs on the season. He doesn’t profile as a future stud, but more as a utility player who shows occasional pop and is interesting enough to keep an eye on if he can further adjust to left-handed pitching. I would prefer to see better numbers for a 23-year-old in High-A, but as long as he remains above-average against righties, I’m still intrigued. 

 

Kevin Kramer; Pittsburgh Pirates; Age: 25

 

Current Level: Triple-A 

As a fairly quick riser through the Pirates minor league system, former second-round pick Kevin Kramer has consistently showed a very good hit tool and average power. His speed isn’t great, and as he’s progressed through the minors, the strikeout rate has crept up to a point where I don’t feel great about him as anything more than a utility infielder. In his first big league stint last season he was simply overmatched with a 2:20 BB:K ratio in 40 plate appearances. Similar to other prospects lower on this list, he doesn’t really stand out enough anywhere to get excited about as a prospect. 

 

Honorable Mentions

As a very young hitter in Double-A, Gabriel Cancel has put up solid numbers, and the power potential is intriguing, but he strikes out a bit too much. Andy Young and Matt Batten are both having solid seasons in Triple-A but profile to be lower-end utility infielders. Cole Freeman would have been No. 26 on this list, with above-average speed and solid contact skills, but as a 24-year-old in High-A he just misses the cut.

(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)