Second base has been a hot topic this offseason due to the lack of premier talent at the position, but make no mistake, second base has some serious depth.
In early drafts so far in 2025, I’ve found myself waiting on second base, often making it the last position I address (assuming I missed out on someone like Mookie Betts or Ketel Marte in the early rounds). That mostly stems from being comfortable looking to the wire in those shallower leagues in the event my drafted guy doesn’t work out, so if you’re someone who wants to use their waiver wire capital on other positions (pitching, steals, etc.), then you may want to focus on the top three tiers instead of the top four.
Note on Tiers: While the players are ranked in the same order as they appear in the Top 300, the tiers have been reconstructed to better reflect how talent is distributed at the position.
Tier 1
1. Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF, LAD) — Mookie missed most of the summer after being hit on the hand with a 98-mph fastball, but when healthy, he posted a 141 wRC+. The power we saw in 2022 and 2023 never quite kicked in, though he was still on roughly a 25-home run pace. It’s worth noting that Mookie’s power often comes in extreme spikes followed by extended periods of being above-average (see below). With time and health, I think at least one or two of those extreme spikes would materialize and get him to 30+ home runs with those huge counting stat totals and fantastic ratios. Regardless, he is the top dog at second base by a country mile.
Tier 2
2. Ketel Marte (2B, ARI) — Marte had the best season of his career in 2024 and set career highs in home runs, RBI, wRC+, average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and a bunch of other stuff. He did this despite missing 26 games (mostly due to a sprained ankle in late August) and looked like a completely different hitter than the guy we saw in 2023 (who had looked completely different than the guy we saw in 2020-22).
The power surge appears to be tied to Marte pulling the ball a LOT more than in prior seasons (51.8% in 2024, never higher than 44.4% in any other season), which helped convert doubles and triples into home runs. It can be difficult to bring that kind of change into future seasons due to the fickle nature of batted ball direction in general, though it’s not necessarily random (see: Isaac Paredes). While I do think he can keep pulling the ball a bit more in general, I’m skeptical about pulling the ball quite this often as a lot of that came very suddenly and over a relatively short period of time (see chart below).
Even if the power regresses a bit (which I do expect to some degree), Marte’s bat-to-ball skills should keep him in the top 30-40 hitters thanks to strong ratios, plenty of counting stats, and at least 25-27 home runs. He’s particularly valuable in points leagues thanks to his sub-20% strikeout rate, double-digit walk rate, and hitting second behind Corbin Carroll every day.
3. Jose Altuve (2B, HOU) — 2024 was Altuve’s first 20-20 season since 2017, and he also managed to stay healthy; that’s the good news. The less good news is that Altuve did not show the type of power he’d displayed from 2021-23 outside of seven homes in the opening month despite pulling plenty of fly balls. Altuve needs a lot of things to go right to hit a home run due to low exit velocities, but even at 34 years old, I think he can find that home run stroke for at least one more season. Altuve is very likely to get another top-five finish at the position if he plays 140 or more games (which he does the majority of the time these days), and still has it in him to finish as a top-25 hitter if things go right (especially after the Astros showed us they will actually let him run).
4. Ozzie Albies (2B, ATL) — Albies has missed significant time in three of the last six seasons, but in the seasons he has stayed healthy, Albies has shown he can knock 30 or more home runs with double-digit steals. Albies should find himself near the top of Atlanta’s batting order, so plenty of counting stats should be on the way if everything goes the way it ought.
That said, Albies was far from a fantasy standout in the 99 games he played last season and was merely the 12th-best second baseman in the first half despite normal playing time and presumed health. Between injuries and inconsistent performance, there’s quite a bit of risk here, but the upside is fantasy’s best hitter at the keystone.
Tier 3
5. Marcus Semien (2B, TEX) — The ultra-durable Semien came to the plate over 700 times in 2024 for the sixth consecutive full season. That volume allows him to pile up counting stats even when he and his team underperform expectations offensively. The fact he plays a position that has a dearth of elite talent makes that dependability and volume even more valuable.
Semien only slightly underperformed in most categories, though the eight steals (down from 14 in 2023) and .237 batting average (almost 10 points lower than his career average) really hurt. The batting average, in particular, was particularly painful as his 718 plate appearances gave that pitiful number a lot of weight toward a fantasy team’s final number.
Semien is entering his age-34 season, and it’s possible that playing in 1,502 games since his debut in 2013 is catching up to his body. Still, as long as he keeps showing up to play every day, he should be able to put together a solid season. Heck, even his disappointing 2024 was good enough to be a top-four second baseman in standard leagues, and that kind of floor is crucial if you’re looking to take a set-and-forget guy at the keystone.
6. Jordan Westburg (2B/3B, BAL) — Westburg had a breakout in 2024 and looked like a very different hitter than what we saw in 2024. A big part of his success came from his aggressive approach early in counts, which I believe helped him put more power behind his swings. Had he remained healthy, he would have been on track to hit about 27 home runs, had the pace continued, and had Statcast numbers generally supported the results.
The only hesitation I have is how dramatic the changes were, seemingly out of nowhere. The two charts below are from 2023 and 2024, and it’s a huge shift in power. If Westburg remains the 2024 guy, this rank is definitely too low, but a regression toward the 2023 version would quickly turn him into a start-worthy but uninteresting fantasy player.
7. Matt McLain (2B/SS, CIN) — McLain missed all of 2024 but appears to be fully healthy coming into 2025. Like Westburg, McLain had a big power breakout in his most recent action, though I found McLain’s to be a bit more dubious than Westburg’s.
I don’t doubt McLain’s ability to hit 20-23 home runs or steal 15-ish bases. His batting average, though, was driven by a line drive rate that was considerably higher than what we saw in the high minors, and that 28.5% strikeout rate is unlikely to support anything close to a .290 batting average.
Due to the combination of power and speed, McLain has more overall upside than Westburg; however, the risk that comes with a player with a very short and surprising MLB track record is not something to take lightly.
For a bit more on both McLain and Westburg, check out the second base sleeper article from Scott McDermott.
8. Luis Arraez (1B/2B, SDP) — Arraez played with an injured thumb that he surgically repaired in the offseason, though even with the injury, Arraez was mostly what we expected him to be. It’s possible the injured thumb is what kept the power even lower than usual, though, in reality, you’re drafting Arraez because you want a huge boost to your batting average and 80-90 runs scored.
In points leagues, Arraez gets a boost of about a tier (maybe two, if your league heavily penalizes strikeouts), though it’s worth noting that he should be dropped a tier in OBP leagues. But Scott, Arraez has a career OBP of .372 and it was .393 in 2023! Yes, he does have a good OBP, no doubt about it; however, a .370-.380 OBP is not nearly the ratio boost his career .323 batting average provides. Arraez’s .314 batting average led the National League and was fourth in all of baseball, and most importantly, it was a solid 30 points higher than the 20th-best batting average (Freddie Freeman’s .282). When you look at the OBP leaderboard, though, Arraez ranked just 28th, and most of the top-100 qualified hitters in OBP are within 30 points of his .346 OBP.
In other words, Arraez brings huge value in batting average leagues, but that ratio advantage is much more modest in OBP. It seems obvious when you say it to yourself, but I still see Arraez go too high in plenty of OBP formats.
9. Luis García Jr. (2B, WSN) — It was a breakout year for the slap-hitting second baseman as he hit 18 home runs and swiped 22 bags while batting .282. García got more balls in the air and hit balls harder, which paid off handsomely.
Expect some streakiness due to his reliance on batted ball luck, but García should be able to be a solid contributor in standard and points leagues in 2025. He takes a step back in OBP due to his unwillingness to walk, but with his skill set, that’s more of a feature than a bug.
Tier 4
10. Xander Bogaerts (2B/SS, SDP) — Bogaerts missed nearly two months due to a shoulder fracture, but on his return, he showed improved contact ability similar to what we saw in his prime. It’s unlikely that we’ll see Bogaerts clear 20 home runs again, as he’s fallen short in each of the last three seasons, but a return to a .290 or better batting average could very well be in the cards to go with 16-18 home runs and 15-17 stolen bases. It’s not an exciting profile, but it’s a very useful one, especially considering he’s eligible both in the middle and corner infield spots.
11. Andrés Giménez (2B, TOR) — Giménez’s batted balls aren’t impacted much by where he plays, as he doesn’t hit the ball hard at all, and even when he does, it’s generally on the ground. Expect Giménez to hit about .250 for his new club while putting a ton of balls in play and hitting something like 10 home runs or so.
Giménez’s primary value comes from his legs, as he’s stolen exactly 30 bags in each of the last two seasons, and that’s where we might see the real impact of the trade. Unfortunately, it doesn’t bode well, as he goes from a top-five base-stealing team in Cleveland to a bottom-five base-stealing team in Toronto. Since the start of 2023, the Guardians have stolen 128 more bases than the Blue Jays (299 to 171), and in that span, only one Toronto player has stolen more than 20 bases (Whit Merrifield’s 26 steals in 2023). If you use total steals across 2023 and 2024, you still only find three players with over 20 steals (Springer, Merrifield, and Varsho). It’s also worth noting, though, that the Jays haven’t rostered many base stealers over the last few seasons
The bottom of the order in Toronto looks pretty weak as it stands today, so it would behoove the Blue Jays to give Giménez the green light to keep the offense churning, and Giménez is a far better base-stealer than any of his teammates per Statcast’s new Net Bases Gained metric. Hopefully, we see the Jays be aggressive in the spring, giving us more hope that another 30 swipes are in the cards.
12. Bryson Stott (2B, PHI) — Stott had a fantastic month of May, hitting .265 with a .379 OBP, two home runs, nine steals, and 33 combined runs and RBI in 25 games. Most of that came in a two-week stretch from the start of May to May 16, and during that time, he was a top-five hitter in all of baseball.
The rest of the season was far less exciting, as he put up an OBP under .320 and OPS under .685 in every other month of the season. He should get to 30 steals or so, as he did in 2023 and 2024, but his contributions in all other categories (except for batting average, at times) are replacement level (or worse). Still, the upside he showed in that stretch along with the reliable speed is a decent way to fill in your second base spot without paying a premium.
If you’re looking for some analysis with a bit of a brighter outlook on Bichette, check out Jeremy Heist’s shortstop sleeper article!
13. Gleyber Torres (2B, DET) — I love this signing for Detroit (even if it makes it likely that Tork starts the season in the minors) because of the support it gives to several places on their roster. Gleyber will probably hit first or second every day for the Tigers, and he should score plenty of runs in that role.
Torres was a bit of a disappointment in his final season as a Yankee, hitting only 15 home runs after back-to-back seasons of at least 24 while swiping just four bases after stealing double-digit bases in three consecutive seasons before 2024. Gleyber was particularly lackluster at the beginning of the season, failing to hit any home runs by the end of April. He ended the first half with a line of .231/.307/.347 and was on more than a few waiver wires.
The second half was far more promising, as he hit .292 with a .780 OPS with better plate discipline. That version of Torres was a top-60 fantasy hitter and the fourth-best fantasy second baseman (the second half of 2024 was not good for second base). I don’t respect Gleyber to be that good for a full season, but as long as he can avoid being as bad as he was in the first half, he can over-perform this ranking significantly.
Last note on Torres—Comerica Park is not going to do him many favors in the home run department (though it could boost his batting average due to the huge power alleys), and his 15 in 2024 is a far more likely outcome than a return to 20 or more. He’s got a fair shot at getting back to 10 or more steals, though, and the accumulation of counting stats at the top of the order should help make up for the loss of home run power.
14. Brice Turang (2B, MIL) — Turang set the world on fire with his legs at the start of the season, swiping 14 bases by the end of April. He was considerably less exciting in the second half, but frankly, you’re not drafting Turang for his bat; you’re doing it for those sweet, sweet, stolen bases.
Turang has an uphill battle to double-digit home runs, but he’s all but guaranteed to finish in the top three or four in the league in steals while posting ratios that shouldn’t hurt you and scoring a fair number of runs (especially if he gets locked into the leadoff role while Yelich is healthy). Guys who only contribute in two categories won’t always still be on your board by this stage of the draft (like if you took Ohtani, ELDC, J-Ram, or Duran earlier on), but if you’re light in stolen bases, then Turang is the premium “rabbit” on the board (Paul Sporer’s term for speed-only guys).
15. Brendan Donovan (2B/3B/OF, STL) — Donovan’s profile is carried by his contact ability and batting average, but as long as he stays healthy he should find his way to double-digit home runs. As of now, he’s projected to bat fourth for the Cardinals instead of leading off, so he’ll be in a good position to drive in runners despite the limited pop. Donovan isn’t a terribly sexy pick, and his upside is somewhat limited, but ratios and RBI can be tough to find later in the draft and Donovan is here to provide. It’s also worth noting that in Yahoo formats Donovan just barely gets away with third base eligibility thanks to his five starts there last season, adding to his already useful second base and outfield eligibilities.
16. Brandon Lowe (2B, TBR) — The other second basemen in this tier are safer than Lowe, who has struggled mightily to stay healthy throughout his career, but unlike these other guys, Lowe brings power to the table. Second base is bereft of power, and if you look at a variety of projections, there are about as many catchers projected to hit 20 home runs as there are second basemen, and both lag significantly behind the other positions. That makes Lowe a rather interesting play if you’ve chosen to wait on second base, who has put up a 28-30 home run pace in each of the last two injury-shortened seasons.
17. Jonathan India (2B, KCR) — India doesn’t have much power, and he’s remarkably average at making contact. Thankfully, India does have one tool in his toolbox, and it’s his ability to consistently make strong decisions at the plate.
Thanks to his new role as the everyday leadoff man in Kansas City in front of Bobby Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez, India should get the most out of his double-digit walk rate. Assuming he stays healthy (which has been an issue at times), India can get to 90 runs scored and swipe 13-15 bases with a .260 batting average and .360 OBP.
Remember, though, that India’s home run ceiling in Kansas City is devastatingly low. India has at least 10 home runs in each of his four seasons, even when he missed 40-50 games, but that was in Great American Ball Park, the best park for home runs by a fairly wide margin per Statcast’s Park Factors. His new home, Kauffman Stadium, is one of the toughest parks in baseball for home runs. India may make it to double-digit home runs again in 2025, but it won’t be by much.
Kauffman isn’t actually a bad place to hit, though—it’s the fourth-best park overall for hitting and run-scoring thanks to its amazing batter’s eye and enormous power alleys on both sides of the park. India should see a boost to his batting average, and those in points leagues won’t see much of a loss, thanks to the doubles and triples that Kauffman grants.
India isn’t likely to finish inside the top-80 hitters (unless you’re in an OBP or points league) even if he stays healthy, but he’s a lock to finish inside the top 150 and should be a ratio stabilizer who pads your runs scored totals while chipping in some steals.
Tier 5
18. Luis Rengifo (2B/3B, LAA) — Rengifo stole just 18 bases in 448 career major league games prior to 2024 and had a 37th percentile sprint speed in 2024, so of course, he swiped 24 bags in 78 games. It makes total sense!
Unfortunately, we only got those 78 games out of Rengifo last season, as a wrist injury shut him down for the year. Rengifo has never played more than 127 games in any of the last three years.
We should be able to get 15-17 home runs with 20-23 stolen bases, though the latter could be a lot more if he runs at anywhere close to the same rate as he did last season. Rengifo is projected to hit second behind Taylor Ward and in front of Mike Trout, though Zach Neto might have something to say about that if he starts swinging a hot bat.
I’m hedging a little on Rengifo’s stolen base totals just because it was so out of nowhere for him to be on a 50-steal pace, and that uncertainty, combined with his lengthy injury history, is what keeps him so low in these rankings. I wouldn’t be surprised if his current ADP range shoots up a bit as we get closer to the spring, though, especially if Rengifo looks healthy.
19. Nico Hoerner (2B/SS, CHC) — It was a horrendous start for Hoerner, who spent the first few weeks of the season batting seventh and ended April with just a single stolen base on three attempts and (less surprisingly) zero home runs. The stolen bases started coming in May, but the batting average didn’t really kick in until July when he initiated a 12-game hitting streak, and from the start of that streak to the end of the season, Hoerner hit a cool .306.
Hoerner is more valuable in points leagues due to his ability to put the ball in play and because those leagues don’t really care if you’re a sandbag in certain categories. Hoerner is perfect in category leagues if you’ve scooped up plenty of power and RBI but are lacking in batting average or steals, though if you’re already sitting pretty in those categories, Hoerner is best crossed off your list entirely.
20. Colt Keith (2B, DET) — The signing of Torres in Detroit likely moves Colt Keith to first, which is great for his position flexibility. Keith is going to find a way to play every day no matter how the rest of the roster shakes out, and I do think there’s more power in his bat than he showed us last season. Keith got off to a miserably slow start in 2024 and didn’t hit his first home run until May 24 and never really found consistent power (though he did hit a whopping seven home runs in July), but more time and seasoning should help him find that power stroke. Don’t write off Keith as a boring, low-ceiling second baseman just because of that rookie year. If he can get a better feel at the plate and hit flies the opposite way a bit less, Keith could be a 20 home run guy.
21. Connor Norby (2B/3B, MIA) — Norby’s profile is a fairly typical one in that he strikes out in bunches and also could hit 25 home runs. Miami isn’t an ideal place to hit, but it is ideal in the sense that they are likely to just let him play and develop at the major league level. We saw Norby’s walk rate improve towards the end of last season, and if he can bring that improvement into 2025 he should easily outperform this ranking.
22. Jake Cronenworth (1B/2B, SDP) — I squeezed one more high-floor, low-ceiling player in this tier because it’s my list, and I can do whatever I want. Cronenworth’s totals at the end of the season will probably land him somewhere in the top 125 among hitters, mostly from sheer volume. He’ll hit 17-18 home runs and drive in around 70-80 runners hitting behind Arraez, Tatis Jr., Merrill, and Machado. The batting average will be around .240, and the OBP will be slightly less lame .325 or so.
And that’s it. He does yeoman’s work in points leagues due to his sub-20% strikeout rate and ample plate appearances, but in category leagues, you’ll probably want to chase something better at times over the season. When you wonder what the replacement level is for first and second base, you’re looking at it right here in Cronenworth.
23. Tommy Edman (2B/SS/OF, LAD) — Edman missed most of 2024 due to injury, but is lined up to be the starting centerfielder for the Dodgers in 2025. He’s likely to bat near the bottom of the order, but that’s not so bad when you’re a Dodger. Edman flashed pop and speed in his 37 games last season and should return to something like the guy we saw in St. Louis who can swipe 25-30 bases, though any dip in speed will be a huge hit to his value as the bat doesn’t bring much to the table on its own.
24. Nick Gonzales (2B, PIT) — I’m curious to see what a full season of Nick Gonzales looks like, assuming he continues to strike out less than 20% of the time. That strikeout rate tanked his status as a prospect, and if he fixes it permanently, he could hit 15 or more home runs with 8-10 steals and a decent batting average.
25. Jackson Holliday (2B, BAL) — The top prospect of 2024 should have the inside track to a starting role in 2024 at second base, though he’ll need to prove to the Baltimore brass that his .417 OPS against lefties will be quickly corrected to avoid a platoon (most projections seem to bake in a platoon).
While Holliday’s 2024 did not live up to expectations, there were signs that there’s more than just hype in this profile. It’s hard to see through that 63 wRC+ and 33.2% strikeout rate, but buried under all of that yucky stuff was a player who was starting to make adjustments, particularly in his swing decisions.
Holliday’s poor decisions led to strikeouts or, if he did connect, balls in play of poor quality. Holliday did hit the ball hard, but it was almost always on the ground, and he hit hardly any line drives (9.8% is ridiculously low, even in a smaller sample).
The strikeouts and grounders overtook everything in Holliday’s first shot at the majors, but we did see him take the first step towards clearing those hurdles by making better decisions at the dish. If he can carry any of that improvement into 2025, we might get that breakout we all hope for.
26. Zack Gelof (2B, ATH) — 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases should be something to get excited about, but I can’t get over Gelof’s struggles with contact in the zone. Gelof’s zone contact rate was the third worst among qualified hitters, and he pairs those contact struggles with a very aggressive approach on pitches in the zone. It’s a scary combination, but to his credit, Gelof is likely to hold on to the second base job all season, and given that kind of volume, he should be able to churn out 15-18 home runs and steal 25-30 bags. I don’t think any of his other contributions will be helpful, but Gelof can provide power and speed if that’s all you want.
27. Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) — Castro brings expansive eligibility and a leadoff role to your roster, and that alone is worth a spot in your queue late if you have limited room on your bench for hitters. Castro finished just inside the top-100 hitters last season in large part due to his 89 runs scored, though he’s also shown he can steal a few bases as well and is a threat to steal 20 or more bases if he gets the green light again. Even if he doesn’t, Castro’s double-digit home runs and steals, along with the leadoff job, should be enough to bring runs scored and a stable floor across multiple positions if you took one or two extra risks earlier on.
28. Ceddanne Rafaela (2B/SS/OF, BOS) — Ceddanne Rafaela finished inside the top-100 hitters last season, but that was mostly from his first half. Rafaela finished with an absolute whimper, hitting .190/.197/.310 over his final 35 games with zero walks (he did get hit by a pitch, though) and just two home runs and two steals. The Red Sox started benching him by the end of the season, and while there’s upside for 20 home runs and 20 steals, it comes at a significant cost to ratios and with a lot of performance risk.
29. Christopher Morel (2B/3B/OF, TBR) — Stop me if you’ve heard this archetype before — Morel is a guy with loads of power and major contact issues. Morel improved his strikeout rate last season but still whiffed a ton in the zone and hit way too many pop-ups. If the Rays can get Morel to make better decisions more consistently, then we might be looking at a guy who hits 25 home runs and steals 10 bases while hitting .240. Otherwise, Morel will end up being a streamer for those trying to catch the comet’s tail when everything clicks for him in short intervals.
30. Jonathan Aranda (1B/2B, TBR) — Aranda was just finding his power stroke at the end of 2024, hitting .269/.342/.552 with five home runs and four doubles in his last 20 games with an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph. That kind of power is intriguing to say the least, though how exactly Aranda gets regular playing time in Tampa is a huge unknown. He’s eligible at both first and second in Yahoo leagues (just first base everywhere else), and I love scooping him up at the end of a draft if I want to take a flyer on power. You might have to drop him within two or three weeks because the playing time isn’t there, but if he somehow carves out a role, we could be looking at 23-25 home runs with decent ratios.
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Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)