Top 30 Second Basemen for 2020
by Paul Sporer
September 19, 2019
The newfound depth at shortstop and third base has sort of covered the fact that second base comes up a little light. Consider a dual-eligible player like Gleyber Torres. He ranks 5th at 2B on Razzball’s Player Rater, but sit 9th at SS. There are a host of dual- or even triple-eligible guys at the position, but they are often best deployed here at the keystone.
A wave of rookies who have burst onto the scene could give the position a modicum of depth for 2020, but that’s not a guarantee so we look at the position with some trepidation at this juncture. The top still has some major firepower so don’t be afraid to invest early, but then we get some big globs of sameness.
Other 2020 Rankings:
Let me know what you think in the comments.
Top 30 2B for 2020
| Player | Comment | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | José Altuve | Pwr jump outweighs shrinking SB… and those could return |
| 2 | Jonathan Villar | Excellent pwr/spd combo with dual-eligibility (SS) |
| 3 | Ozzie Albies | There’s real 30/30 upside for this premium talent |
| 4 | Ketel Marte | Still has the spd to push 20+ SB season if he wants it |
| 5 | Gleyber Torres | Backed up brilliant rookie campaign & could finish w/40 HR |
| 6 | Whit Merrifield | A 27-SB drop was rough, but it was still a strong season |
| 7 | Max Muncy | Showed ’18 was no fluke w/33 HR, 89 RBI, and 94 R |
| 8 | DJ LeMahieu | Even if pwr slips, the AVG, R, and RBI will sustain his value |
| 9 | Keston Hiura | The 38 HR/20 SB full season pace shows his big time ’20 upside |
| 10 | Jeff McNeil | Diet LeMahieu not getting the attention he deserves |
| 11 | Mike Moustakas | 3-yr avg: .261, 34 HR, 88 RBI, 72 R, & 2 SB |
| 12 | Eduardo Escobar | Hard to imagine another 35-HR yr, but mid-20s w/80+ RBI works |
| 13 | Ryan McMahon | From 7/1 on: .851 OPS, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 33 R, 4 SB in 259 PA |
| 14 | Cavan Biggio | Has skills to cut 29% K rate & be a dynamic pwr/spd combo |
| 15 | Gavin Lux | Across AA/AAA/MLB: .340 AVG, 28 HR, 82 RBI, 106 R, 11 SB |
| 16 | Kevin Newman | AVG/Spd profile is underrated in today’s pwr-focused game |
| 17 | Kolten Wong | Shows the extreme volatility of SB: 7, 8, & 6 before 23 this yr |
| 18 | Tommy Edman | Could be a .285-20-25 bat w/full time role & the same ball in ’20 |
| 19 | Brandon Lowe | Won’t hold .276 AVG w/34% K, but pwr-spd sustain his value |
| 20 | Tommy La Stella | Ball helps, but made changes to fuel pwr surge; monitor health |
| 21 | César Hernández | Deep league gem, but doesn’t excel at any one thing |
| 22 | Michael Chavis | Real pop is there, but AVG will be challenge w/his K% |
| 23 | Dee Gordon | SB-only profile and not even that many makes him a tough buy |
| 24 | Jurickson Profar | Might’ve been the unluckiest hitter this yr per this piece ($) |
| 25 | Robinson Canó | I don’t think I realized he’ll be 37 y/o next season |
| 26 | Nico Hoerner | Could be a La Stella-type right away thanks to juiced ball |
| 27 | Chris Taylor | Solid bat, but will struggle to recapture full-time role w/LAD |
| 28 | Niko Goodrum | Triple eligible (SS/OF) bat averaging 14 HR/12 SB in last 2 yrs |
| 29 | Starlin Castro | Quietly raking since July 1st: .314 AVG, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 40 R |
| 30 | David Fletcher | AVG Band-Aid doesn’t fit on every roster |
Honorable Mentions: Garrett Hampson, Howie Kendrick, Jonathan Schoop, Jason Kipnis, Luis Arraez
Derek Dietrich, Adam Frazier, Hanser Alberto, Rougned Odor
Brian Dozier, Shed Long, Mauricio Dubon
Derek Dietrich, Adam Frazier, Hanser Alberto, Rougned Odor
Brian Dozier, Shed Long, Mauricio Dubon
Would move jonathan villar down several spots, just don’t believe in him as a hitter compared to Marte, Torres, Albies, etc.
Villar stuck out for me too. Before 2019, he was fresh off two poor seasons, and he’s not getting younger. At minimum he warrants a caveat: value in roto for steals depending on price/round, but beware in points leagues. Anything besides steals might be gravy. For example, his hard hit rate keeps declining; it is was below 30% last year.
Last year wasn’t poor. I can see the flaws and understand the critique, but last year was pretty strong for roto which is the basis for these. He definitely drops in points, but I’ll get more into that during the winter.
It might vary depending on format, but in my points league Villar is the 2nd best 2B in the league, behind only Ketel and tied with Escobar (who will barely retain positional eligibility). So I don’t think your ranking is that outrageous.
Improved launch angle + improved contact rate helps.
Increased launch angle at 28% hard hit even with increased contact suggests lower on base thus lower steals … plus the considerable risk that his body of work over three years is more representative of his lack of power.
I totally feel that, but the SBs are just so valuable when they come with viable pop. I’d probably pass on Villar at his cost now instead opting for Marte and Albies specifically.