Category: Second Base

Archive for Second Base

Second Base 2026 Fantasy Rankings

by Joe Orrico

March 20, 2026

Changelog

1/2/2026 – First Release
2/11/2026 – Write-ups added for all players, many rankings changes within Tiers 6 and 7; Injury updates on Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Tommy Edman; Updated ADP data from NFBC Draft Champions to NFBC Online Championships
2/20/2026 – Some shuffling in the mid-tiers. Westburg significantly dropped, Polanco, Semien get small bumps
2/26/2026 – Donovan, McNeil, Castro move up slightly, Clement, Sosa, Westburg, and Clemens move down
3/6/2026 – Polanco jumps into Top 10, Semien and Torres also jump up a few spots. Westburg, Holliday, Otto Lopez trend downward
3/20/2026 – Maikel Garcia, Matt McLain, Jeff McNeil get slight bumps, small shuffles in the mid-tiers

Ranking Methodology

$ Values are based on standard 5×5 12-team league using the FanGraphs Depth Charts and these Auction Calculator settings. They default to a player’s most valuable position, so if the first base list includes a catcher, it will show that player’s value at catcher.
ADP and $ Values are updated as of the last update date on this post.
5-game eligibility was used for these lists to cast the widest net.

The Elite Tier

Clearly above the rest.

The Elite Tier

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
1	Ketel Marte	ARI	2B	–	32	$17
2	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	NYY	2B/3B	–	20	$15

Ketel Marte has been the best second baseman over the past two seasons, and it hasn’t been particularly close either. Since the start of 2024, his 149 wRC+ is 29 points higher than the next second baseman. He leads all qualified players at the position in HRs, runs, RBI, and batting average in that time as well. 2025 also saw him post the best barrel rate (13.5%) and maxEV (119.6) of his career. He gets drafted after Jazz in nearly every room which doesn’t make a ton of sense to me

Jazz Chisholm Jr. had the most complete fantasy season of his career in 2025, reaching the 30-30 plateau for the first time in his career despite missing 32 games. Durability has been a bit of a question in his career, but he has played in 77% of possible games since the start of 2024. His strikeout rate will likely keep the batting average in the .240/.250 range, but you can live with that considering the categorical output and the positional versatility you get.

Not Quite Elite, But Still Foundational Assets

Fantastic options that should be targets for most managers

Not Quite Elite, But Still Foundational Assets

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
3	Brice Turang	MIL	2B	–	51	$10
4	Nico Hoerner	CHC	2B/SS	–	104	$11
6	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B/OF	–	115	$10

Brice Turang made some excellent strides with his power output in 2025. He raised his barrel rate from 2.4% to 7.9%, and his hard hit rate went from 29.7% to 47.4%. Those are massive gains to make over the course of a single season, especially since Turang didn’t sacrifice any of his bat-to-ball skills and still achieved a .288 batting average. He represents a bit of a no-mans land after the first two names and before the next batch by ADP, and it’s justified in my eyes. He is very easily the #3 second baseman heading into 2026.

Nico Hoerner quietly had a fantastic 2025 season, something that didn’t seem guaranteed last offseason after he underwent shoulder surgery. At this point, we have an established baseline expectation of the production Hoerner brings: single-digit HRs with ~ 90 runs, 30 SBs, and a batting average that will be close to .300. He’s a great draft pick as long as you compensate for the lack of power you’ll be getting.

Jose Altuve has his doubters every year, and he always ends up producing anyway. Even at 35 years of age, he managed to hit 26 HRs while providing solid coverage across the other categories. He may not be the super elite target that he once was, but I’m not willing to count him out until we see the bottom really fall out from under, and we didn’t really get any string indications that he will be hitting that cliff in the immediate future. Now, we also get the added benefit of outfield eligibility.

Excellent Fall Back Options

If you miss out on the top two tiers, you should feel more than comfortable with these players starting for your squad

Excellent Fall Back Options

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
5	Maikel Garcia	KCR	2B/3B/SS/OF	–	66	$15
7	Ozzie Albies	ATL	2B	–	153	$5

Maikel Garcia had the breakout season in 2025 that many were expecting a year earlier. He was a true five category asset and also cut down on his strikeout rate while improving his launch angle and barrel rate. Those playing on Yahoo or sites with lighter eligibility thresholds will get a goldmine utility player that they can stick just about anywhere in their lineup

Is this ranking of Ozzie Albies an indication that I believe he will bounce back, or is the position simply so bad that even a guy who was arguably droppable last year is entering the year as a Top 10 option? Well, yes on both fronts. We have seen several elite fantasy seasons from Ozzie Albies and I find it very hard to believe that all of the magic is just gone before he even turns 30. The Braves are positioned to be one of the better lineups in baseball (stop me if you’ve heard that one before) and Albies will be afforded the opportunity to play every single day. I’d personally be very surprised if we don’t see him turn things around in a big way in 2026.

The Question Marks

The players who have big questions surrounding their value entering the season, but all are very capable of returning Top 100 value if thinhs break right

The Question Marks

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
8	Brandon Lowe	PIT	2B	–	183	$1
9	Jorge Polanco	NYM	2B/3B	–	213	$4
10	Matt McLain	CIN	2B/SS	–	162	$6
11	Ceddanne Rafaela	BOS	2B/OF	–	128	$11
12	Luke Keaschall	MIN	2B	–	122	$6
13	Marcus Semien	NYM	2B	–	261	$5
14	Jackson Holliday	BAL	2B	▼5	198	-$1
16	Xavier Edwards	MIA	2B/SS	–	186	$6

What will Brandon Lowe look like in Pittsburgh? Well, I think fairly similar to what we’ve seen in Tampa. The initial instinct will be to think that Lowe is getting a park upgrade considering that the Rays are going back to Tropicana Field, but PNC park isn’t all that great for left-handed power hitters either. Over the past three years, PNC park ranks 25th in HR factor for LHH, and it was actually dead last in 2025, coming in more than 30% worse than league average. At the end of the day, Lowe is powerful enough to mostly compensate for that, but he may end up losing a few dingers. We also have to worry about his durability, as he’s never played 150 games in a season and the closest he came was 149 way back in 2021.

Jorge Polanco was terrific in 2025, especially considering he was hitting in one of the worst parks in the league. Across 138 games, he hit 26 HRs with a .265 average and a 132 wRC+. Now he’ll be in New York hitting right behind Juan Soto and should thrive in a better ballpark and RBI spot. He is one of the more mis-priced players on the board in early drafts, he should be going at least 75 picks earlier on average.

2025 was a horrific season for Matt McLain that saw him lose time as the Reds’ everyday second baseman. He still managed 15 HRs and 18 SBs, but it came with just 50 RBI and a .220 batting average over nearly 600 plate appearances. His hard hit metrics plummeted throughout the course of the season and he finished with a 77 wRC+. I still mostly believe in his talent, especially while hitting in that park, but we may have to adjust our expectations down a bit from what we thought he could achieve following his incredible rookie year in 2023. He may be able to reach those heights again, but it would be wiser to expect something in the 20-20 neighborhood and he pleasantly surprised if he is able to surpass that.

Ceddanne Rafaela fits more into the “accumulator” category as opposed to someone who will give you elite per-game production. He is arguably the best defensive center fielder in all of baseball so playing time will never be in jeopardy. However, he has an exceptionally high chase rate and SwStr%, which have been big reasons why his OBP has never exceeded .295. He’ll probably provide something close to a 20-20 season, just be prepared for it to come with a .240 batting average and potentially underwhelming counting stats.

Many are exciting at the prospect of drafting Luke Keaschall, but I think he may be a bit overpriced in early draft rooms. While I think he can hit for a strong batting average and likely provide ~25 SBs, I worry about the power potential and what his counting stats will look like in a rebuilding Twins’ lineup. He had just a 5.2% barrel rate and 31.2% hard hit rate as a rookie. Combined with his 46% ground ball rate, that translated to just four homers in 49 games. He’s a better target for OBP and point league players than he is for standard categories and roto formats.

I’m very intrugued by Marcus Semien as a New York Met. It’s very likely that he will be sandwiched between Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto in that lineup, which would provide Semien with a massive opportunity to provide runs and RBI. While he did miss some time in 2025, Semien has built his career around being a guy who plays 162. Even if he can’t quite play every game in 2026, I can easily see a world where he suits up 150 times, and even with a degrading skillset, ~150 games in that lineup spot could mean he comes close to 100 runs and RBI. He’s priced as a bench piece who could very easily become a cornerstone of your lineup.

I am expecting Jackson Holliday to take a big step forward in 2026 now that he’s had close to 900 plate appearances to get acclimated to big league pitching. He’s been mostly disappointing to this point but hasn’t really been overmatched by big league pitching either. He’s has an 8.3 BB% and 24.4 K% with relatively solid plate discipline metrics, especially considering he just turned 22 in early December. He’s expected to lead off for the Orioles, at least against RHPs, and we could see a monster season from Holiday if he is able to lift the ball just a bit more than what we’ve seen to this point. 2/11 Update: Holliday will miss opening day with a broken hamate bone and that does concern me with regards to his power for the rest of the season. This feels like a situation that the Orioles will approach carefully as opposed to rushing him back, so we cold end up looiking at a mised month (or more) with potentially diminished skills in the immediate aftermath.

Xavier Edwards did just about exactly what we thought he would in 2025. A very marginal power output that was accompanied by 27 steals and a .283 batting average, and that is about what we should expect again. He’s a phenomenal contact hitter and could compete for the batting title in a given year. In a lot of ways, he’s a poor man’s Nico Hoerner. You can expect relatively similar production from Edwards with a lower floor in most categories, but if you miss out on Hoerner and want to shore up your speed/BA categories, Edwards is a solid option in what has become a very interesting offence in Miami.

Mediocre/Middle Infield targets

The guys who you won’t be terribly excited to draft, but will likely return a small profit by the end of the year

Mediocre/Middle Infield targets

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
15	Gleyber Torres	DET	2B	–	250	$6
17	Brendan Donovan	SEA	1B/2B/3B/OF	▲5	269	$1
18	Bryson Stott	PHI	2B	–	185	$7
20	Luis García Jr.	WAS	2B	–	254	$2
21	Brett Baty	NYM	2B/3B	–	291	-$6
22	Jordan Westburg	BAL	2B/3B	▼15	565	-$2
25	Lenyn Sosa	CWS	1B/2B	–	488	-$10

Gleyber Torres is back in Detroit following a very solid first year with the team in 2025. However, it was a tale of two season for Gleyber. He slashed .281/.387/.425 in the first half with a 131 wRC+. In the second half, he slashed .223/.320/.339 with an 88 wRC+. This will probably keep people away and is likely why his ADP has been around 250 all draft season, but I’m not overly concerned about the splits. Torres is still only 29 and he represents a very high floor at a terrible position. He’s a solid fall back option as a starter in deeper leagues, a very good MI candidate, and could function as a bench asset in shallower leagues

While his 2026 home is still undetermined with trade rumors flying all around, Brendan Donovan should be counted on as a solid asset wherever he lands. Across four seasons and nearly 500 major league games, Donovan has a 119 wRC+ with a .282/.361/.411 slash line. For fantasy purposes, he’s a great option to throw in when you know he’ll be facing a lot of RHPs, but he is a bit limited overall considering the lack of power and speed. He’s a great batting average asset and you could get away with starting him in your MI spot, but I’d prefer if he wasn’t in the starting 2B spot if possible due to the lack of categorical juice. 2/11 Update: A trade to the Mariners should actually help his value despite a ballparl downgrade. We were never relying on donovan for power to begin wth and now he is projected to lead off for a very, very good mariners lineup. He’s a very strong target in all formats.

While there has been some fluctuation in his year-to-year output, we have a pretty solid baseline when it comes to Bryson Stott. He plays nearly every day in a solid lineup and is a great speed threat if you went power-heavy early in your draft. He goes around pick 200 in most drafts, which is more than reasonable considering what he’s done to this point in his career. It’s also about the lowest he’s gone since he became a household fantasy name in 2023.

Luis Garcia Jr. wasn’t quite what we were hoping for in 2025, but it was necessarily a bad campaign either. He went 16-14 while providing decent counting stats and a .252 batting average, but it does look like he is capable of more than that. He showcased a career high 9% barrel rate and 46% hard hit rate and also cut down on the ground balls for the third consecutive season. He’s a nice option for those looking to punt the position in deeper formats and go bargain bin hunting, as I’d still feel comfortable with him as my starting 2B in a 15 team league.

Brett Baty was surprisingly really good in 2025, but it mostly flew under the radar. He hit 18 HRs with a .254 average and a 111 wRC+, and really thrived in the second half with an .829 OPS and 135 wRC+. He’ll likely enter 2026 as the Mets’ everyday third baseman and will be given the opportunity to play everyday. With an ADP in the 260s and qualifying at two of the worst positions in fantasy, he’s looking like a great late pick

Talent has never been the question when it comes to Jordan Westburg, it’s just been a matter of staying on the field. The positive news is that he did finish the season healthy and the Orioles’ lineup looks as good as it ever has in this era of Baltimore baseball. We are projecting him to hit 2nd in the O’s lineup and should that stick, he’ll find himself in a very opportune spot for run production. 2/11 Update: Westburg is already dealing with a sore oblique and given his track record of health (or lack theirof), he has to move down a touch until we have a clearer picture from the Orioles

2025 was Lenyn Sosa’s first full major league season, and he delivered with 22 HRs, 75 RBIs, and a .264 batting average. He displayed an impressive 10.4% barrel rate with very strong contact rates as well. After some offseason moves, he is now projected to serve in a branch role for the White Sox but I don’t see that as being very likely. This isn’t a team that is good enough to leave Sosa on the bench with any regularity, even given his defensive shortcomings. I expect him to see time at first, second, and third base throughout the season with DH reps mixed in as well. He is being drafted beyond the Top 300 picks in NFBC drafts, and I think he has become a value.

The Boring Tier

These players all have their uses but aren’t particularly exciting and likely won’t be mainstays in your starting lineup all season.

The Boring Tier

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
19	José Caballero	NYY	2B/3B/SS	–	205	-$11
23	Colt Keith	DET	2B	▲4	460	-$2
24	Jeff McNeil	ATH	2B/OF	▲17	484	$2
26	Luis Arraez	SF	1B/2B	▲2	284	$7
27	Willi Castro	COL	2B/3B/SS/OF	▲9	258	$1
28	Otto Lopez	MIA	2B/3B/SS	–	229	$5
29	Ernie Clement	TOR	1B/2B/3B/SS	–	346	$5

While he is not the most exciting player to draft, Jose Caballero will fit a lot of builds in 2026 due to his elite speed. Since the start of 2024, his 93 stolen bases trail only Elly De La Cruz and he led the majors in 2025 with 49. Caballero was initially projected to serve in more of a utility role for the Yankees, but Anthony Volpe’s injury means that more playing time has opened up for him at shortstop to begin the season. He is a traditional fantasy “rabbit” that will likely only assist you in one category, but there is value in that for speed deficient teams given his mid-200s ADP

Colt Keith has some fairly strong underlying skills, and is a target in particular when it comes to OBP formats. Over 137 games last year, he slashed .256/.333/.413 with 13 HRs and a 9.2% barrel rate. He also is a very good contact hitter who doesn’t chase a lot of pitches. RosterResource is also projecting him to lead off for the Tigers which should add to his fairly pedestrian run total from a year ago. An added bonus is that he has eligibility all over the field and will be easy to squeeze into your lineups.

Jeff McNeil feels like a very good fit in the Athletics’ lineup. On a team full of young players, McNeil is the only bat besides Brent Rooker in the lineup who is over 30 years old and should provide a stable veteran presence. We could see a few more home runs than usual given the very favourable home park that the A’s will be playing in again, and we’ve seen the batting average upside throughout his entire career. McNeil will likely be in the middle of the order somewhere but don’t be surprised to see him get some top-of-the-order reps as well. He’s a great but right now.

I believe we have reached the point where Luis Arraez has become undervalued. While he doesn’t possess a well rounded fantasy skillset, he has the ability to win a batting title and even in a poor 2025, he still hit .292. He has at least 600 plate appearances in every season going back to 2022 and his batting average with that volume is incredibly valuable. As the leadoff hitter for the Giants we can expect a solid run total to go along with his usual chip in homers and steals. His ADP is usually around the 280 range, and it feels like the market has soured on him a bit too much this year.

After a poor 2025, Willi Castro seems like a strong bounceback candidate in 2026 as he heads to Colorado. We’ve seen solid fantasy seasons from him in the past and in a very hitter friendly environment where he should play everyday, Castro could return something like 15 HRs and 30 SBs as long as he stays healthy. Initially not someone I had a ton of interest in, I now see Castro as a pretty viable sleeper at a very dark position. As a bonus, you can also use him at third and in the outfield, two other very scarce positions in 2026

Otto Lopez had a very serviceable fantasy season in 2025, putting up a 15/15 season with 77 runs and a .246 batting average. The issue is that it took him nearly 600 plate appearances to do so and he doesn’t have a strong offensive skillset when you look beneath the hood. While he is a strong contact hitter, most projections see him as a ~.260 bat with very limited power. He’s also projected to be the #6 hitter in the Marlins lineup which is far from ideal for fantasy counting stats. He’s not necessarily a fade, but not really a target unless I am desperate for a middle infielder.

Ernie Clement had a strong 2025 season and went on a legendary run in the postseason, but he doesn’t have a very strong fantasy skillset. In 157 games and 588 plate appearances, he managed just nine homers and six steals while driving in 50. His .277 batting average and 83 runs scored were nice, but the main appeal here is his multi position eligibility and being able to plug him in when one of your starters is injured or sitting. If he is in your starting lineup with regularity, you will inevitably start to fall behind with power and speed.

We’re Throwing Darts, Folks

The point of a draft where you are simply throwing darts and hoping for the best

We’re Throwing Darts, Folks

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
				–
30	Chase Meidroth	CWS	2B/SS	–	638	-$3
31	Kody Clemens	MIN	1B/2B/OF	–	703	-$20
32	Brooks Lee	MIN	2B/3B/SS	–	512	-$1
33	Tommy Edman	LAD	2B/3B/OF	▼13	724	-$2
34	Kristian Campbell	BOS	2B/OF	–	744	-$30
35	Jonathan India	KCR	2B	–	602	-$10
36	Jake Cronenworth	SDP	1B/2B/SS	–	744	-$2
37	Christian Moore	LAA	2B	–	747	-$18
38	Andrés Giménez	TOR	2B	–	381	$5
39	Gavin Lux	TB	2B	–	747	-$13
40	Hyeseong Kim	LAD	2B/SS/OF	–

Chase Meidroth had a very impressive rookie debut in 2025. He played a very strong second base and shortstop while also showing a lot of promise at the dish. His contact ability is already some of the best in baseball, evidenced by his 21.9% O-Swing, 91.6% Z-Contact, and 4.3 SwStr%. His power will likely be non-existent given his 1.6% barrel rate and 53.3% groundball rate, but he will likely give you ~15 SB with a strong batting average as an everyday player. There is some value here but he really is best suited deeper league players.

Kody Clemens has a similar story to Lenyn Sosa. They both played their first full season in 2025, had success for a re-building team, and are now projected as bench pieces. As with Sosa, I think this will not end up being the case with Clemens. He hit 19 HR in just 386 plate appearances, anchored by a 12% barrel rate and 48.3% hard hit rate. His power is also combined with solid contact and low chase rates. He’s a strong defender at first and second base, and I can see him functioning in a utility role that sees him playing ~5 times per week. He’s an afterthought in drafts with his 392 ADP. I’d be buying the dip where possible, especially in NFBC Draft Champions formats.

Brooks Lee has a fairly average profile overall. His power and contact rates are fairly average and he’s not a standout defender anywhere on the field. However, as the Twins continue to rebuild, Lee should stand to see 500+ plate appearances again in 2026. After 189 games played and more than 700 major league plate appearances with a 75 wRC+, it’s fair to question what Lee will turn into, but he’s being drafted outside of the Top 300 picks and brings 2B/3B/SS eligibility to the table. He’s a decent dart throw but keep expectations in check.

Playing for the Dodgers can be a huge boon to your fantasy value, and that’s why Tommy Edman comes in as high as he does on this list. In just 97 games, he managed 49 runs and 49 RBI, even with a career worst 81 wRC+. Edman is still just 30 and I’d expect him to start stealing again now that the ankle issues are in the rearview mirror. The upside here is a Top 7-10 option at the position if he is able to stay healthy. That’s a big if with Edman, but he’s priced to buy with an ADP beyond 300. 2/11 Update: Edman will miss the start of the season as he continues to recover from anle surgery. I’d still be willing to draft him if he falls quite dramatically in drafts, but it would have to be a substabtual discount given his track record over the past couple of years.

Kristian Campbell was a bit of a disaster in 2025. He looked great in April before faltering and being sent down to AAA where he spent the remainder of the year. The Red Sox have said that he’ll be primarily in the outfield this season and he’ll have a chance to earn a job out of spring training. We should be encouraged by the fact that Boston has already paid him, as it shows their confidence in the 23-year-old and also incentivizes them to play him. He’s not a specific target outside of deep formats, but there is a world where he breaks camp with the team and hits his way into the lineup on a regular basis.

Jonathan India was a total disaster last season. He failed to reach double digit homers and did not successfully steal one base. I’m encouraged by the fact that much of his profile remained the same from his time in Cincinnati and he will still have a regular role for the Royals in 2026. With an ADP of 370 and eligibility at 2B/3B/OF, India is a solid bounceback candidate on what should be an improved team.

At this stage of his career, we know exactly who Jake Cronenworth is. He’s going to hit 10-15 HRs, steal a handful of bases,and hit somewhere in the .230/.240 range. Considering he does after pick 400 in most drafts, that production is fine, but he doesn’t stand out in any category and will likely be hitting in the bottom third of the Padres’ order which will limit his counting stats.

Christian Moore struggled during his first cup of major league coffee in 2025, slashing .198/.284/.370 in 53 games. However, I find it encouraging that even with his struggles, he hit seven home runs in just 184 plate appearances. He has a very long way to go as a hitter but the Angels should give him a lot of rope as an everyday player considering the state of their team. Another player who is best suited for deep mixed/AL Only leagues.

Andres Gimenez has been steadily declining offensively ever since his breakout 2022 season. He hasn’t even been a league average bat in any year since and in 2026, he will be transitioning from second base to shortstop. I can see him stealing ~20 bases but that’s about it when it comes to his fantasy value. No power from a bottom of the order bat who can’t hit for avagere either is a recipe for fantasy disaster without drastic changes to his hitting profile.

An offseason trade has landed Gavin Lux with the Rays, where we are currently projecting him as the leadoff hitter on the strong side of the second base platoon. He was a serviceable bat in 2025, hitting .269 with a 102 wRC+ as a member of the Reds. While he’s not a massive target for me, getting a leadoff hitter (even a part-time one) behind pick 450 feels like a very safe investment to make

Hyeseong Kim didn’t really have the role many were expecting he would entering the 2025 season. He ended up with just 171 plate appearances and while he did hit three home runs and steal 13 bases while hitting .280, there wasn’t much fantasy managers could do besides hope he would get in the lineup more. The Tommy Edman injury has opened an opportunity for Kim to start the season as the everyday second baseman and potentially earn himself a full time role. His recent ADP is 486 and even with concerns about his plate skills and playing time, that’s more than a fair price to pay for a player who could wind up as a regular contributor to the best lineup in baseball.

Full Rankings Without Tiers

No tiers. Just the rankings.

Full Rankings Without Tiers

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Change	ADP	$
				–
1	Ketel Marte	ARI	2B	–	32	$17
2	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	NYY	2B/3B	–	20	$15
3	Brice Turang	MIL	2B	–	51	$10
4	Nico Hoerner	CHC	2B/SS	–	104	$11
5	Maikel Garcia	KCR	2B/3B/SS/OF	–	66	$15
6	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B/OF	–	115	$10
7	Ozzie Albies	ATL	2B	–	153	$5
8	Brandon Lowe	PIT	2B	–	183	$1
9	Jorge Polanco	NYM	2B/3B	–	213	$4
10	Matt McLain	CIN	2B/SS	–	162	$6
11	Ceddanne Rafaela	BOS	2B/OF	–	128	$11
12	Luke Keaschall	MIN	2B	–	122	$6
13	Marcus Semien	NYM	2B	–	261	$5
14	Jackson Holliday	BAL	2B	▼5	198	-$1
15	Gleyber Torres	DET	2B	–	250	$6
16	Xavier Edwards	MIA	2B/SS	–	186	$6
17	Brendan Donovan	SEA	1B/2B/3B/OF	▲5	269	$1
18	Bryson Stott	PHI	2B	–	185	$7
19	José Caballero	NYY	2B/3B/SS	–	205	-$11
20	Luis García Jr.	WAS	2B	–	254	$2
21	Brett Baty	NYM	2B/3B	–	291	-$6
22	Jordan Westburg	BAL	2B/3B	▼15	565	-$2
23	Colt Keith	DET	2B	▲4	460	-$2
24	Jeff McNeil	ATH	2B/OF	▲17	484	$2
25	Lenyn Sosa	CWS	1B/2B	–	488	-$10
26	Luis Arraez	SF	1B/2B	▲2	284	$7
27	Willi Castro	COL	2B/3B/SS/OF	▲9	258	$1
28	Otto Lopez	MIA	2B/3B/SS	–	229	$5
29	Ernie Clement	TOR	1B/2B/3B/SS	–	346	$5
30	Chase Meidroth	CWS	2B/SS	–	638	-$3
31	Kody Clemens	MIN	1B/2B/OF	–	703	-$20
32	Brooks Lee	MIN	2B/3B/SS	–	512	-$1
33	Tommy Edman	LAD	2B/3B/OF	▼13	724	-$2
34	Kristian Campbell	BOS	2B/OF	–	744	-$30
35	Jonathan India	KCR	2B	–	602	-$10
36	Jake Cronenworth	SDP	1B/2B/SS	–	744	-$2
37	Christian Moore	LAA	2B	–	747	-$18
38	Andrés Giménez	TOR	2B	–	381	$5
39	Gavin Lux	TB	2B	–	747	-$13
40	Hyeseong Kim	LAD	2B/SS/OF	–

Optimal ADP Clusters: 2B Punts

by Vlad Sedler

February 20, 2026

“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.”

Joni Mitchell may not be a roto savant, but even she might agree that the best part of the fantasy baseball season is research-and-draft season. Every day, from February until Opening Day, is so incredibly thrilling – nonstop spring training news, draft rankings adjustments, and player pool deep-dives – there’s always some rabbit hole of research to go down. As we continue studying and gaining confidence in the fresh player pool and a new year’s ADP, more questions arise, and the more work there is to be done.

Whether in NFBC or best ball contests, high-volume early drafters subconsciously form bad habits in draft rooms. We get too comfortable targeting and drafting the same players over and over. Conversely, we avoid players who have burned us in previous seasons and those we have some subjective bias against. Rarely do we deep dive and reassess those players because we’ve already made up our minds. That’s why it’s crucial to explore every nook and cranny of a positional tier. We have all fallen victim to draft room paralysis, where a decision between several similarly ranked shortstops or starting pitchers becomes gut-wrenching when we’re on the clock. This preseason column aims to help with those tough calls. We will explore some of the most confusing ADP clusters, by position, beyond the simple “I need to boost my batting average, so I’m taking this guy.”

Let’s dive into these ADP pockets logically and systematically, reviewing four analytical components of the players within each cluster.

Playing Time (and Role)
Health/Durability
Skills/Categorical Contributions
Context of Team Offense

ADP Cluster 2: Second Base Punts

ADP from NFBC 12-team Online Championships (OC) over the last two weeks (2/6-2/19)

If there is one position we can afford to punt this season, it’s second base. It’s the thinnest position by a wide margin. There are only three in the top 100 – Jazz Chisholm Jr. (ADP 20.7), Ketel Marte (31.8), and Brice Turang (52.4) – before it drops off to Nico Hoerner (105.8) and a few other questionable options in the 120-180 range. Unless we have a strong urge to target one of the top guys, most of us will inevitably wait until the second half of a 30-round draft to secure the services of a second baseman. Carefully navigating late-round options at the keystone is imperative. We want to get the most bang for a buck, and avoid hitters we might be tempted to quickly replace on the waiver wire or FAAB. The ADP 180-300 range is the best place to shop for our second baseman, so let’s zone in on a few clusters to help us score some of that sweet, sweet profit.

Semi-Punts

Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds (ADP 179.8)
Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins (181.3)
Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies (184.4)
Brandon Lowe, Pittsburgh Pirates (189.2)
Jorge Polanco, New York Mets (213.9)

NFBC drafters have pulled Matt McLain into the top 200 over the last few weeks. Unironically, his rise is probably related to the mid-January news about him adding 12 pounds of muscle. The former UCLA standout and Reds’ first-round pick from 2021 was an all-around disappointment as a top 100 fantasy draft pick in 2025. Despite some massive slumps and spending half of his at-bats hitting eighth and ninth, McLain scored 73 runs, hit 15 home runs, and swiped 18 bags on 20 attempts. He strikes out a ton (career 28.8%) and won’t help with batting average, but McLain is a shoo-in to improve in his second full season following a lost 2024 due to a left shoulder injury. Great American Ball Park ranks fourth in overall Park Factor, and McLain could work his way into the two-hole, ahead of Elly De La Cruz.

Death, taxes, and Brandon Lowe hitting bombs when healthy. Lowe boasts a career .234 ISO, and his 17.4 AB/HR ranks 16^th since 2023 – a higher rate than Eugenio Suárez and Rafael Devers. Moving to PNC Park is rarely ideal for hitters, but it’s slightly better for lefty bats, and of course, half of his games are away from PNC. Lowe should thrive hitting in the top third of this lineup. If he avoids the injured list and hits behind top prospect Konnor Griffin, fantasy profit shall be unlocked.

Xavier Edwards and Bryson Stott are the two speed-friendly picks in this cluster. Stott is an asset on defense, but he is a below-average hitter (career .127 ISO, 4.4% BRL), particularly against lefties (61 wRC+ in 2025), which puts him at risk of being platooned again this season. Don’t let the fact that Edwards only managed to barrel four balls in 619 plate appearances deter you from drafting him in a power-heavy build. He’s an elite bat-to-ball guy – one of seven with a Contact rate over 89% last season. Between his unique skill set and the improved team context (full seasons from Jakob Marsee, Agustín Ramírez, and Kyle Stowers), Edwards can benefit fantasy managers in three roto categories. The 95th percentile outcome is .320, 85 runs and 42 stolen bases.

Jorge Polanco is slightly outside of this cluster, but is quickly gaining steam, moving up 1.5 rounds (ADP 230) since January. Despite his slightly boring fantasy profile, Polanco’s offensive environment is superior to the others in this cluster, especially if he can spend a good chunk of the season hitting fourth behind Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette. Polanco’s .229 ISO last season was his second time over .200 (.235 in 2021 when he hit 36 homers), and his 45.8% HardHit rate was a career high. He will earn first base eligibility early in the season, though fantasy managers should start him at second. The key to profit is avoiding the IL. He has only surpassed 650 plate appearances twice, and is on the wrong side of 30, turning 33 right before the All-Star break. A .255 average with 22 HR and 70 RBI would make him a worthwhile investment at the current price.

Medium Punts

Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins (ADP: 226.4)
Luis García Jr., Washington Nationals (244.6)
Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers (250.6)
Marcus Semien, New York Mets (255.4)

Otto Lopez got comfortable in his second full big-league season, producing a respectable .246-66-15-77-15 roto line in 594 PAs. The homers were a tad fluky based on a few metrics like launch angle (8.4 degrees), barrel rate (7.1%), and hard-hit rate (38.3%), but low double-digit dingers are certainly attainable. Lopez is a tough cat to punch out (15.3% strikeout rate over the last two seasons), and he offers coverage at second base and shortstop. I’ve noticed that several NFBC sharps are bullish on him, but I’d be surprised if he bests any of last season’s roto categories outside of stolen bases and possibly average.

We can’t target everyone under the sun, and Luis García Jr. happens to be one of those guys I’m not very fond of. He’s a solid 15/15 guy who shouldn’t negatively impact the BA category, but he’s a dud against southpaws (22 wRC+ in 2025). Perhaps we should avoid platoon infielders in formats with shallow benches.

Gleyber Torres and Marcus Semien don’t excel in any one fantasy category these days, though they are very good at one important thing: racking up plate appearances. Since 2018, no one has more than Semien, who has averaged 697 per season over that span. Torres missed 17 games last season, but averages 655 since 2023. Torres has produced a $10+ season in each of the last four, and his plate discipline in his first season with the Tigers was impressive – 13.5% walk rate, 16.1% strikeout rate. He probably won’t hit more than 20 homers or steal double-digit bases, but he will find a way to return another $10 or more in his age-29 season.

Semien has oddly never barreled balls at a rate over 10%, yet has a 33 and 45 home run season on his resume (shout out Dunedin and Buffalo!). He missed 35 games with a fractured left foot last season – his first time playing fewer than 159 games in a non-COVID year since 2016. His surface stats regressed mightily, and we can’t blame it on his “feud” with Corey Seager, nor his injury, since it occurred in late August. Perhaps this revamped Mets’ offense, with its positive team context and fresh faces of leadership, can help jumpstart Semien into a profitable fantasy season at this depressed cost. I haven’t targeted or drafted Semien in several years, but I’m absolutely on board with him as a second base punt in 2026.

Full Punts

There are several potentially viable punts after ADP 250, though most are best utilized as reserve and depth bats. Willi Castro (278.6) should resume earning everyday at-bats in a fresh shade of purple and should score his third straight season of double-digit dingers and swipes. Andrés Giménez (327.1) and Luisangel Acuña (341.4) are SB-specific picks. Jeff McNeil (354.3) should not yet be proclaimed roto-dead. The 33-year-old has a bit of juice left, especially with this strong A’s lineup and the home park boost in Sacramento. Finally, there’s Brendan Donovan, who may just be the steal of the late rounds. The contact savant takes his talents to sleepy Seattle. He will earn third base eligibility in no time, and is projected to lead off for the Mariners, with Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, and Josh Naylor hitting behind him. Donovan is a career .282 hitter who can score 100 runs with 650-plus plate appearances.

Recap

Undervalued: Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Brendan Donovan

Overvalued: Bryson Stott, Luis García Jr

Speed Punts: Xavier Edwards, Andrés Giménez, Luisangel Acuña

Power Punts: Brandon Lowe

Top 50 Overall Upside: Matt McLain

Jake Mailhot’s 2026 Tiered Rankings for Ottoneu Points: Middle Infield

by Jake Mailhot

February 19, 2026

Chad started off the Ottoneu rankings push with his 4×4 middle infield rankings yesterday and I’m following up with my rankings for Ottoneu points leagues. You can find all the information about the format and methodology for these rankings in Chad’s introduction.

Changelog

2/19/2026: Updated projections w/ ZiPS and OOPSY. Added player notes for all players in tier $1-$2 and above. Updated tier placement for 11 players (green = moved up, red = moved down).
3/18/2026: Updated tier placement for 16 players based on 2026 draft results.

Jake Mailhot’s Ottoneu Tiered Rankings for Points Leagues: C | 1B | MI | 3B | OF | SP | RP
Chad Young’s Ottoneu Tiered Rankings for Points Leagues: C | 1B | MI | 3B |OF | SP | RP
Chad Young’s Ottoneu Tiered Rankings for 4×4: C | 1B | MI | 3B | OF | SP | RP

Here are few more notes about my process:

Projected points. I’ve been building my own homebrewed projections for the past decade plus, ever since I started playing Ottoneu, and they form the basis for the rankings below. They’re nothing overly complicated; essentially just a MARCEL-esque projection using three years of historical data filtered through a rough aging curve and adjusted for the current run environment. I also include a collection of up to five public projection systems (ZiPS, Steamer, OOPSY, THE BAT, and PECOTA) to provide some additional context. That gives each player a wealth of data sources to form their projection. Currently, the projections below only include Steamer and THE BAT projections. I will update the rankings in February once ZiPS, OOPSY, and PECOTA are released.
P/G vs P/PA. Points per game played is the gold standard by which you should be evaluating players in Ottoneu. I won’t argue with that. That measure does have some drawbacks, particularly for players who pinch hit, pinch run, or are used as defensive substitutions often. Those limited appearances can skew a player’s P/G lower than what they’re producing when they’re getting three or four plate appearances when they start a game. To provide a little more context for these kinds of players, I’m projecting players using points per plate appearance. That measure should give us a better idea of how a player produces no matter how he’s used by his team.

Just to reiterate a point that Chad makes in his introduction: yes, these rankings are presented ordinally, but the tier a player appears in is much more important than if they’re ranked 16th or 28th. Within tiers, players are generally ranked by their projected Pts/PA but that doesn’t necessarily mean I think one player is significantly more valuable than another in the same tier. I’ve got notes on the top 50-ish players below and I’ll add more notes when I update the rankings next month. Let’s get into it.

Ottoneu Points MI Tiered Rankings

Tier	Rank	Player	Position	Projected Pts	Pts/PA	Notes
$45-$54	1	Bobby Witt Jr.	SS	1040.4	1.55	Clearly the best MI in baseball with just six hitters projected to outproduce him.

$36-$44	2	Ketel Marte	2B	857.8	1.47	The best 2B in baseball, trade rumors shouldn’t affect production.
$36-$44	3	Corey Seager	SS	732.4	1.45	Productive when on the field but injury concerns will always be a factor.
$36-$44	4	Gunnar Henderson	SS	941.6	1.43	Took a step back in 2025 but the ceiling is still very high.

$28-$35	5	Francisco Lindor	SS	920.6	1.35	Consistent production means he’s a little overlooked in favor of flashier MI, but he’s been very good for four years straight.
$28-$35	6	Elly De La Cruz	SS	885.2	1.34	Quad injury clearly held him back in 2025, but the ceiling is sky high. Considered ranking him a tier higher, but needs to prove it first.
$28-$35	7	Mookie Betts	SS	800.3	1.31	Lost positional flexibility and spring illness negatively affected his entire 2025. Should bounce back in 2026, but how high?

$21-$27	8	Trea Turner	SS	798.6	1.30	The power is probably on the downswing, but contact ability is still excellent. Steals are a bonus in FGpts.
$21-$27	9	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	2B/3B	721.2	1.29	Huge power explosion in first full season in New York raises his ceiling significantly.
$21-$27	10	Geraldo Perdomo	SS	784.6	1.29	Big breakout in 2025 and all the underlying metrics look sustainable. Still worried about some power regression.
$21-$27	11	Zach Neto	SS	747.8	1.27	The ceiling is a 30/30 season. Batted ball metrics all point to significant breakout potential.
$21-$27	12	Bo Bichette	SS	746.4	1.27	Posted his best offensive season in 2025 after a down year in ’24. Any potential landing spot shouldn’t affect his production too much.

$15-$20	13	Jose Altuve	2B/OF	745.4	1.21	Approaching the age cliff at 36 years old. Still possesses solid skills, but how long will they last?
$15-$20	14	Jeremy Peña	SS	714.8	1.19	Came back down to earth after rib injury (143 wRC+ in 1H, 120 in 2H), but 2025 represented a big step forward for him.

$10-$14	15	Jacob Wilson	SS	623.8	1.22	Idealized version of Luis Arraez with a touch more power. Still pretty BABIP dependent which leads to low lows.
$10-$14	16	Brandon Lowe	2B	615.9	1.21	Move to Pittsburgh shouldn’t hurt too much. 2025 was his first (mostly) healthy season since 2021.
$10-$14	17	Luke Keaschall	2B	512.7	1.20	Looked like a big leaguer in his cup of coffee in 2025. Batted ball peripherals are a bit concerning, but the contact skill is real.
$10-$14	18	Jorge Polanco	2B/3B	586.7	1.20	Swing change allowed him to thrive despite battling nagging injuries. Probably won’t be MI eligible next year.
$10-$14	19	CJ Abrams	SS	730.9	1.19	Has developed into a good player, though the promise of a power breakout is probably fleeting unless he makes some serious contact quality gains.
$10-$14	20	Willy Adames	SS	774.9	1.17	The power is real but playing in SF hurt his overall offensive production.
$10-$14	21	Brendan Donovan	2B/SS/OF	645.7	1.17	Solid player across the board with no weaknesses. Multi-positional eligibility helps his value.
$10-$14	22	Carlos Correa	SS/3B	608.6	1.15	Has a history of quality production but health will determine if he can reach his previous highs.
$10-$14	23	Gleyber Torres	2B	734.2	1.15	Played through injury during the second half but still put up a solid season in Detroit.
$10-$14	24	Maikel Garcia	2B/SS/3B/OF	719.3	1.14	Huge breakout in 2025 doesn’t look like a mirage. Positional flexibility a big bonus.
$10-$14	25	Brice Turang	2B	706.7	1.14	Another big breakout from 2025 that looks like it’s going to stick. Might have the highest ceiling of any player in this tier.

$6-$9	26	Jordan Westburg	2B/3B	593.6	1.23	Solid player across the board with no weaknesses, but no standout skills either. Needs to stay healthy.
$6-$9	27	Kevin McGonigle	SS	360.2	1.19	Top prospect who could make his debut sometime in 2026.
$6-$9	28	Colt Keith	1B/2B/3B	559.7	1.13	Quietly put together a great season in his second year in the big leagues. Projections really like him in 2026.
$6-$9	29	Trevor Story	SS	643.4	1.13	First healthy year since 2021 led to significant improvements in contact quality. Poor plate discipline holds him back.
$6-$9	30	Konnor Griffin	SS	550.0	1.12	Top prospect who could make his debut sometime in 2026.
$6-$9	31	Ezequiel Tovar	SS	649.4	1.12	Extremely streaky hitter who had a big step backwards in 2025. Uncertain future, but Coors effect should be a benefit.
$6-$9	32	Nico Hoerner	2B	704.6	1.11	All hit, no power profile works when he’s making contact 90% of the time.
$6-$9	33	Xander Bogaerts	SS	600.9	1.11	Probably won’t reach his previous highs, but still a useful accumulator with decent skills across the board.

$3-$5	34	Luis García Jr.	2B	576.8	1.13	Still only 26, he’s improved signifcantly over the last few years. Added a bit of power in 2024, needs to put it all together to really take step forward.
$3-$5	35	Brett Baty	2B/3B	461.9	1.12	Excellent 2H (135 wRC+) gives him something to build off of. Excellent contact quality but needs to elevate more often. Could have a path to playing time at DH in a crowded infield in New York.
$3-$5	36	Jeff McNeil	2B/OF	557.5	1.10	New ballpark in Sacramento should help, but health uncertain after offseason thoracic outlet surgery.
$3-$5	37	Bryson Stott	2B/SS	623.8	1.10	Swing change helped him improve contact quality in 2H. Breakout candidate if the swing change sticks.
$3-$5	38	Luis Arraez	1B/2B	696.9	1.10	Contact rate king, but too much weak contact to make the most of all those balls in play.
$3-$5	39	Colson Montgomery	SS/3B	533.1	1.09	A lot of home runs make up for a really poor approach at the plate.
$3-$5	40	Dansby Swanson	SS	663.9	1.08	Still has some pop but poor plate approach caps his ceiling as an average MI.
$3-$5	41	Zach McKinstry	SS/3B/OF	472.7	1.08	Came back down to earth after All-Star break (132 wRC+ in 1H, 81 in 2H). He really leaned into his pull side to outperform xwOBA. Positional flexibility is an asset.
$3-$5	42	JJ Wetherholt	2B/SS	448.4	1.08	Probably closer to the big leagues than the other two top prospects in this tier but lower ceiling than Griffin and McGonigle.
$3-$5	43	Xavier Edwards	2B/SS	594.3	1.07	BABIP fell by 68 points and walk rate dropped by 3 points in 2025. High-contact approach will always be dependent on batted ball luck.
$3-$5	44	Caleb Durbin	2B/3B	553.9	1.07	High-contact, pull-oriented approach should play well in Boston.
$3-$5	45	Ozzie Albies	2B	636.6	1.07	He’s fallen pretty far from his peak but still only 29 years old. The power has completely evaporated and it doesn’t look like it’s coming back.
$3-$5	46	Ceddanne Rafaela	2B/OF	602.8	1.07	Managed to cut strikeout rate by 6.5 points in 2025, but underlying plate discipline metrics aren’t pretty. Chases and whiffs too much to support a K% below 20%.
$3-$5	47	Jackson Holliday	2B/SS	613.2	1.06	Slower development than expected from a former top prospect. Ceiling is still high and only 22 years old.
$3-$5	48	Willi Castro	2B/3B/OF	547.3	1.06	Absolutely tanked after joining Chicago last summer but he was a useful utility guy in Minnesota for three years. New home in Colorado should help.
$3-$5	49	Jake Cronenworth	1B/2B/SS	594.0	1.05	Put together his best season in 2025 since breakout in 2021.
$3-$5	50	Marcus Semien	2B	657.1	1.04	Another veteran who has fallen far from his peak. Solid 2H gives some hope he’s still got something in the tank.

$1-$2	51	Romy Gonzalez	1B/2B	396.9	1.21	Significant improvement in contact quality in 2025, but still might only be the short side of a 2B platoon.
$1-$2	52	Kody Clemens	1B/2B/OF	332.3	1.07	Earned consistent playing time after joining Minnesota in late April and contact quality significantly improved. Doesn’t have a path to full-time at-bats right now, but should be first man off the bench.
$1-$2	53	Tyler Freeman	2B/OF	397.8	1.06	Claimed full-time at-bats by June but limped through the end of the season (66 wRC+ in 2H)
$1-$2	54	Marcelo Mayer	2B/SS/3B	424.9	1.06	Has had trouble staying healthy (wrist surgery derailed his rookie season) and might not start against LHP. Has the pedigree and skill set to be successful, but needs to put it all together first.
$1-$2	55	Jonathan India	2B/3B/OF	587.9	1.05	Suffered through his worst season of his career in 2025. Too much elevated contact without enough quality to do real damage.
$1-$2	56	Josh Smith	1B/SS/3B/OF	541.8	1.05	Plate discipline improved in 2025 but contact quality slid backwards. Decent bat with flexible positiion eligibilty.
$1-$2	57	Matt McLain	2B	568.5	1.04	His breakout in 2023 seems like eons ago. Was the shoulder injury still affecting him or did we see the real McLain in ’25?
$1-$2	58	Jett Williams	2B/SS/OF	481.3	1.04	Trade to Milwaukee opens up a path to a major league debut in 2026. Power/speed combo is enticing, but questions about his hit tool remain.
$1-$2	59	J.P. Crawford	SS	600.3	1.02	Excellent plate discipline gives him a solid floor but power dried up in 2025.
$1-$2	60	Masyn Winn	SS	600.0	1.02	Played through knee injury in 2025 which could explain the dip in power output. Elite defense will keep him on the field, helping him accumulate points.
$1-$2	61	Kristian Campbell	1B/2B/OF	374.7	1.02	Disaster of a rookie campaign and now it doesn’t look like he has a path to a full-time role in the majors. Needs to bounce back in Triple-A first and force his way into the lineup.
$1-$2	62	Jordan Lawlar	2B/SS/3B	279.8	1.01	Arizona continues to find excuses to bury Lawlar on the depth chart. Now he’s learning center field this spring but still might be sharing time anyway.
$1-$2	63	Otto Lopez	2B/SS	548.4	1.01
$1-$2	64	Jose Caballero	2B/SS/3B/OF	376.0	1.01
$1-$2	65	Ernie Clement	1B/2B/SS/3B	536.2	1.00
$1-$2	66	Max Muncy (ATH)	2B/SS/3B	329.5	0.96
$1-$2	67	Leo De Vries	SS	427.4	0.93	Top prospect who might be a year or two away from making his debut. Very high ceiling, but still very young.
$1-$2	68	Cole Young	2B/SS	358.4	0.92
$1-$2	69	Colt Emerson	SS	381.5	0.88	Top prospect who could make his debut sometime in 2026. Solid skills across the board, but doesn’t have the elite carrying tool like other top prospects ranked above.
$1-$2	70	Jesús Made	SS	#N/A	#N/A

$0-$1	71	Sebastian Walcott	SS	376.2	0.81
$0-$1	72	Luis Peña	2B/SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	73	Ethan Holliday	Util	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	74	George Lombard Jr.	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	75	Eli Willits	Util	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	76	Travis Bazzana	2B	306.8	0.95
$0-$1	77	Franklin Arias	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	78	Aidan Miller	SS	450.3	0.98
$0-$1	79	Bryce Rainer	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	80	Aiva Arquette	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	81	Angel Genao	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	82	JoJo Parker	Util	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	83	Arjun Nimmala	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	84	Kaelen Culpepper	SS	#N/A	#N/A
$0-$1	85	Edmundo Sosa	2B/SS/3B	276.9	1.11
$0-$1	86	Alex Freeland	2B/SS/3B	475.6	1.09
$0-$1	87	Davis Schneider	2B/OF	376.6	1.08
$0-$1	88	Ha-Seong Kim 김하성	2B/SS	419.5	1.07
$0-$1	89	Tyler Fitzgerald	2B	336.0	1.05
$0-$1	90	Gavin Lux	2B/3B/OF	487.8	1.05	Patient enough to have a solid floor but not enough power to have a high ceiling. Decent bat with flexible positiion eligibilty.
$0-$1	91	Brooks Baldwin	2B/SS/3B/OF	374.2	1.05
$0-$1	92	Adael Amador	2B	393.2	1.04
$0-$1	93	David Hamilton	2B/SS	270.3	1.03
$0-$1	94	Nolan Gorman	2B/3B	456.2	1.02
$0-$1	95	Weston Wilson	2B/OF	255.1	1.02
$0-$1	96	Jeremiah Jackson	SS/3B/OF	341.9	1.02
$0-$1	97	Edouard Julien	1B/2B	336.6	1.01
$0-$1	98	Lenyn Sosa	1B/2B	453.0	1.00
$0-$1	99	Casey Schmitt	1B/2B/3B	357.4	1.00
$0-$1	100	Nick Gonzales	2B/SS	412.1	0.99
$0-$1	101	Vaughn Grissom	2B/SS	328.3	0.99
$0-$1	102	Ronny Mauricio	2B/3B	288.6	0.99
$0-$1	103	Tommy Edman	2B/3B/OF	417.3	0.99
$0-$1	104	Carson Williams	SS	404.4	0.98
$0-$1	105	Andrés Giménez	2B/SS	517.4	0.98
$0-$1	106	Chase Meidroth	2B/SS	505.6	0.98
$0-$1	107	Anthony Volpe	SS	557.7	0.97
$0-$1	108	Christian Moore	2B	385.6	0.97
$0-$1	109	Jared Triolo	1B/2B/SS/3B	439.4	0.97
$0-$1	110	Sung-Mun Song 송성문	2B/3B	450.8	0.95

$0	111	Jace Jung	2B/3B	399.2	1.04
$0	112	Dylan Moore	1B/2B/3B/OF	319.5	1.03
$0	113	Ramón Urías	2B/3B	336.5	1.02
$0	114	Miguel Rojas	2B/SS/3B	297.2	1.01
$0	115	José Fermín	2B	207.5	1.01
$0	116	Zack Gelof	2B	386.2	1.00
$0	117	Amed Rosario	2B/3B	313.1	0.98
$0	118	Blaze Alexander	2B/3B	350.7	0.97
$0	119	Hyeseong Kim 김혜성	2B/SS/OF	224.9	0.97
$0	120	José Tena	2B/3B	299.4	0.97
$0	121	Brendan Rodgers	2B	329.2	0.96
$0	122	Andy Ibáñez	2B/3B	243.7	0.96
$0	123	Brooks Lee	2B/SS/3B	472.1	0.95
$0	124	Joey Ortiz	SS	480.1	0.94
$0	125	Leo Jiménez	2B	230.9	0.94
$0	126	Thairo Estrada	2B	323.8	0.94
$0	127	Michael Massey	2B/OF	319.2	0.93
$0	128	Luis Rengifo	2B/3B/OF	415.9	0.93
$0	129	Luis Urías	2B/3B	265.6	0.93
$0	130	Leo Rivas	2B/SS	226.1	0.93
$0	131	Jon Berti	2B/3B	211.5	0.93
$0	132	Paul DeJong	2B/SS/3B	306.2	0.92
$0	133	Thomas Saggese	2B/SS/3B	353.3	0.92
$0	134	Christian Koss	2B/3B	208.8	0.92
$0	135	Nick Yorke	2B/OF	324.9	0.91
$0	136	Jorge Mateo	2B/SS/OF	188.6	0.91
$0	137	Nick Loftin	2B/3B/OF	233.1	0.91
$0	138	Darell Hernaiz	2B/SS/3B	314.5	0.91
$0	139	Mauricio Dubón	2B/SS/3B/OF	345.1	0.90
$0	140	Gabriel Arias	2B/SS	370.0	0.90
$0	141	Ezequiel Duran	1B/2B/SS/3B/OF	270.8	0.90
$0	142	Brayan Rocchio	2B/SS	412.2	0.90
$0	143	Curtis Mead	1B/2B/3B	258.6	0.90
$0	144	Kyle Farmer	1B/2B/SS/3B	239.3	0.89
$0	145	Daniel Schneemann	2B/SS/3B/OF	306.1	0.89
$0	146	Chris Taylor	2B/OF	216.6	0.88
$0	147	Max Schuemann	2B/SS/3B/OF	279.7	0.88
$0	148	Michael Helman	SS/OF	215.6	0.87
$0	149	Jose Iglesias	2B/SS/3B	254.5	0.87
$0	150	Luisangel Acuña	2B	344.0	0.87
$0	151	Nasim Nuñez	2B/SS	267.9	0.86
$0	152	Tim Tawa	1B/2B/OF	260.2	0.86
$0	153	Enrique Hernández	1B/2B/3B/OF/RP	281.9	0.86
$0	154	Isiah Kiner-Falefa	2B/SS/3B	355.8	0.86
$0	155	Adam Frazier	2B/OF	330.1	0.86
$0	156	Javier Báez	2B/SS/3B/OF	329.0	0.86
$0	157	Angel Martínez	2B/OF	347.5	0.86
$0	158	Taylor Walls	SS	255.4	0.82
$0	159	Ildemaro Vargas	1B/2B/3B	197.1	0.82
$0	160	Orlando Arcia	1B/2B/SS/3B	324.8	0.81
$0	161	Josh Rojas	2B/3B	274.4	0.81
$0	162	Trey Sweeney	SS	266.9	0.81
$0	163	Santiago Espinal	2B/3B/OF	238.3	0.78
$0	164	Oswald Peraza	1B/2B/SS/3B	200.6	0.71

Beat the Shift Podcast – Middle Infield Episode w/ Chris Towers

by Ariel Cohen

February 6, 2026

The Middle Infield episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Chris Towers

Strategy Section

League format differences
- How would your draft strategy change between?
  - Rotisserie (Roto) vs. HTH Points vs. HTH Categories
  - Waiver wire leagues vs. non-waiver wire (Draft Champions / Draft & Hold) leagues
  - Having IL slots vs. no IL slots
  - Large bench vs. small bench
  - Trading vs. non-trading leagues
  - Daily lineups vs. weekly lineups
Middle Infielders
- General player pool observations
- Jacob Wilson as a fantasy starting shortstop
- Which statistics should you look to draft from the MI position?

ATC Undervalued Middle Infielders

Injury Update

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Second Base ADP Market Report: 12/27/25

by Justin Mason

December 30, 2025

As we hit the beginning of draft season, it is important to monitor where players are being drafted on a regular basis. Throughout draft season, I will be doing that work for you with regular updates on the Average Draft Position on NFBC up until Opening Day. You can read all the Market Reports here.

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Ottoneu: Jake’s 2026 Keep or Cut Decisions at MI

by Jake Mailhot

December 22, 2025

The Ottoneu keeper deadline is quickly approaching. There’s about a month and a half left to make your roster decisions before the January 31 cut deadline. I’m going through a handful of difficult keep or cut decisions at every position group to give you a transparent look at my decision making process and hopefully help you with theses specific cases for these specific players. I started with the corner infielders last week and will have outfield and pitchers after the holidays.

–

Carlos Correa, SS/3B
Salary: $26, $15
Average Salary: $15
2025 P/G: 4.42
Projected 2026 P/G: 5.19

Carlos Correa’s capacity for greatness still resides somewhere within him. Just a year ago, he posted a 154 wRC+, though he was limited to just 86 games thanks to a significant foot injury. He played through that same issue this year and it’s likely that it seriously affected his ability to perform for most of the season. He limped to a .267/.319/.386 slash line (97 wRC+) through the first half of the season, though he improved on that after being traded back to the Astros at the trade deadline.

The most concerning yellow flag in Correa’s peripherals was a groundball rate that jumped 4.5 points from 2024. He was still hitting the ball with authority, but all that additional contact on the ground meant that his barrel rate fell to 6.8%, the second lowest mark of his career. His top level plate discipline metrics were a little out of whack too; his strikeout rate was mostly stable but his walk rate fell by more than three points. There was nothing really amiss in his underlying metrics; he was a little more aggressive at the plate because he saw more pitches in the zone than ever before but that doesn’t fully explain the drop in free passes.

The projections are a little more pessimistic than I’d expect based on his history, though his excellence in 2024 seems like the outlier when looking at his down seasons in ‘23 and ‘25. It all boils down to how his foot is fairing. If he’s truly healthy heading into next season, it’s reasonable to expect him to beat his projections. There’s also the matter of his position switch. Correa will retain shortstop eligibility next year, but he’ll probably lose it the year after unless something surprising happens in Houston.

Keep or cut?

I’m happy to keep Correa at $15 and I’d probably be comfortable up to $18 or $20 just based on his history of production. There’s a risk that he won’t be healthy, but he was valued around $25 during his abbreviated 2024 season. That’s the upside, even if he misses some time next year. But that same health risk means that I’m probably not keeping my $26 share.

–

Xander Bogaerts, SS
Salary: $9
Average Salary: $13
2025 P/G: 4.49
Projected 2026 P/G: 4.76

At this point in his career, Xander Bogaerts is a much more valuable real life shortstop than a fantasy one. There’s been a steady drop in offensive production over the last three years, though the good news is that his 2025 was an improvement on his dismal ‘24 season. Even though he’s likely well past the era of posting wRC+’s in the 130s, he’s only a couple of years removed from putting up a 119 wRC+ in 2023. While that first season in San Diego was a step back from his time in Boston, his fantasy value still sat around $20 for his efforts.

Despite the league average results on the field, there were some encouraging signs in Bogaerts’s underlying metrics. Never one to post outrageous batted ball peripherals, his hard hit rate was the highest it’s been since 2022 and his barrel rate, air contact rate, and pull rate the highest they’ve been since 2021. The main reason behind all those improvements? A 1.5 mph increase in his bat speed this year. Those gains in those specific metrics should have resulted in better outcomes but his actual wOBA trailed behind his expected wOBA by 12 points.

Steamer sees a bounce back season in Bogaerts’s future and I think I can see what the computer is picking up on. His down season in 2024 was marred by a serious shoulder injury and the improvements to his bat speed and batted ball peripherals tell me that his body has mostly returned to normal.

Keep or cut?

I’m going to keep at $9 and I think I’d be comfortable keeping up to $12 or $13. There’s some risk of age related decline, but he showed he was healthy last year. Don’t pay for his name recognition or the production you’d expect if he still played in Boston, but he still can be a useful middle infield option for your fantasy squad.

–

Jackson Holliday, 2B/SS
Salary: $9
Average Salary: $14
2025 P/G: 4.26
Projected 2026 P/G: 5.08

How do you properly assess a 21-year-old phenom who hasn’t lived up to the sky-high hype across his first two seasons in the majors? The scouting reports were so glowing, I imagine plenty of fantasy players paid a pretty penny for Jackson Holliday, hoping that they were getting a future star to anchor their lineups. Holliday could certainly still turn into that star, but he didn’t make the immediate impact many were expecting.

The good news is that Holliday is still exceedingly young and he improved by leaps and bounds during his second taste of the big leagues.His overall batting line was a hair below league average but he made some strides to elevate the ball more often and improved his contact rate by more than eight points. You can still dream on the ceiling because he still has so much more growing to do — both from a physical standpoint and just learning how major league pitchers will approach him — but he could be a year or two away from realizing that potential.

The projections see a small step forward from him in 2026 which is pretty reasonable given his pedigree and age. Still, those improvements only get him to the level of a replacement level middle infielder in fantasy baseball. Could he blow past those projections with a post-hype breakout? Absolutely! Do I want to bank on that happening next year? Eh…

Keep or cut?

I’m probably keeping at $9 though I think that’s probably the highest I’d be comfortable going at this point. Any higher and I’m buying his potential ceiling without any real indicators he’s about to breakout in a meaningful way. I also recognize that your place in your team’s competitive window will have a huge bearing on your willingness to keep Holliday. If you’re in win-now mode, keeping Holliday with a double-digit salary is a tougher pill to swallow than if you’re still rebuilding your roster and looking to compete in a year or two.

–

Bryson Stott, 2B/SS
Salary: $6, $4
Average Salary: $9
2025 P/G: 4.20
Projected 2026 P/G: 4.49

From July 23 through the end of the season, Bryson Stott posted a .307/.376/.508 slash line, good for a 143 wRC+ and 5.5 P/G. That hot streak corresponded with a pretty dramatic change to his swing mechanics. He was able to improve the quality of his contact while still maintaining the excellent plate discipline that buoyed his value as a batter throughout his career. With a solid approach now enhanced by more hard contact, Stott has all the underlying indicators of a potential breakout in 2026.

The projections aren’t yet picking up on those mechanical changes — to the silicon circuits, his hot streak to end the season was just that, no real signal to affect next year’s projection. But if his improved swing carries over to 2026, there’s real reason to believe he’ll be able to beat those projections easily. The risk is that he falls back to his previous career norms and remains a replacement level middle infielder for fantasy purposes.

Keep or cut?

I’m willing to pay $6 (and $4) to see if his swing changes carry over to next year. Those salaries are low enough that it’s easy to cut bait if he’s the same old Stott next year, but the potential for a huge breakout is real enough that it’s not a problem to carry him on my rosters to start the season. I’m not sure I’d go into double digits to keep him but I do think the ceiling is a lot higher than the projections think it is.

Second Base 2025 Fantasy Rankings

by Joe Orrico

March 4, 2025

Heading into the 2025 season, second base will once again be one of the weakest positions in all of fantasy baseball. Truthfully, once we get past even the Top 5, things start to go downhill very quickly. The elite names are all very sure things in terms of returning draft day value, but even players that will be drafted as starters could potentially struggle and fall short of expectations. Eligibility on your site of choice will also play a major factor here. In fact, my #1 option at second base wont even be eligible there on a majority of sites (Bless your heart, Yahoo), making things even more challenging for a majority of players as we will go from five elite options down to four on CBS, Fantrax, NFBC, etc.

It appears that the wisest thing that you can do when planning out your draft is to take one of the elite options and then not have to worry so much about the vast wasteland that is the keystone position. This has been the case for the last several seasons, and it will likely benefit your squad if you take one of the elite talents at the position, as opposed to waiting for the later rounds to secure your target(s).It simply cannot be overstated how barren the position will be in 2025 draft rooms, so go get yourself a Betts, Altuve, Marte, Albies, or Semien.

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Beat the Shift Podcast – Middle Infield Episode w/ Mike Gianella

by Ariel Cohen

February 4, 2025

The Middle Infield episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Mike Gianella

Strategy Section

3rd & 4th Rounds
- Should you continue to avoid [downside] risk in the 3rd and 4th rounds?
- Is it too early to take a closer in rounds 3 & 4?
When should you shift your emphasis from being risk averse to risk indifferent to risk seeking?
- Health Risk vs. Performance Risk vs. Playing Time Risk
How to handle position runs mid-draft?
- Are position runs a factor in pre-draft KDS selections?
Middle Infield strategy
- Player pool
- Which position gets a bigger replacement level / positional scarcity bump – 2B, SS or 3B?

ATC Undervalued Players

Middle Infielders
- Luis Arraez 1B/2B
- Luis Garcia 2B
- Xavier Edwards SS
- Jeremy Pena SS
- Zach Neto SS
- Bryson Stott 2B
- Gleyber Torres 2B
- Tyler Fitzgerald 2B*/SS
- Brendan Donovan 2B/OF

Injury Update

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The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1370 – 2B Preview Pt. 2

by Paul Sporer

January 28, 2025

1/27/25

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live. Support the show by subscribing to our Patreon!!

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@justinmasonfwfb – Co-Host/Producer

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SECOND BASE PREVIEW PT. 2:

Tier 4

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Jake Mailhot’s 2025 Tiered Ottoneu Rankings: Middle Infield

by Jake Mailhot

January 16, 2025

After starting off with the largest position group last week, Chad and I are back with tiered Ottoneu rankings for the second largest position group: the two middle infield positions.

Jake Mailhot’s Ottoneu Position Rankings: MI | OF
Chad Young’s Ottoneu Position Rankings: MI | OF

You can find all of the information about the format and methodology in Chad’s introduction to these rankings. I’ve matched his tiers so that it’s easy to compare across rankings and to provide a common language to discuss these rankings.

Here are few more notes about my process:

Projected points. I’ve been building my own homebrewed projections for the past decade plus, ever since I started playing Ottoneu, and they form the basis for the rankings below. They’re nothing overly complicated; essentially just a MARCEL-esque projection using three years of historical data filtered through a rough aging curve and adjusted for the current run environment. I also include a collection of three public projection systems (ZiPS, Steamer, and PECOTA) to provide some additional context. That gives each player six data sources that form their projection. Currently, the projections below only include Steamer and the ZiPS25 projections that were posted last year, not the updated 2025 projections that Dan Szymborski is currently rolling out.
P/G vs P/PA. Points per game played is the gold standard by which you should be evaluating players in Ottoneu. I won’t argue with that. That measure does have some drawbacks, particularly for players who pinch hit, pinch run, or are used as defensive substitutions often. Those limited appearances can skew a player’s P/G lower than what they’re producing when they’re getting three or four plate appearances when they start a game. To provide a little more context for these kinds of players, I’ve also included points per plate appearance below. That measure should give us a better idea of how a player produces no matter how he’s used by his team.

The two middle infield positions are really interesting beasts to tackle. They’re both extremely top heavy with some of the best players in the game populating the top of these ranks. There’s a very steep cliff down from the top to the middle class and then the positions get really deep in the bargain bin section. You’re very likely to find a replacement level MI on the waiver wire if you look hard enough, which is important if you didn’t secure one or two of those top options on your roster. Because these positions are so top heavy, I think I’m willing to invest a little more budget to ensure I get one of the top options which is reflected in my rankings being a little higher than Chad’s pretty much across the board.

Rather than give notes on every player like Chad, I’ll give my general thoughts on each tier below and discuss the outlier players I like more or less than his rankings. Let’s get into it.

Ottoneu MI Rankings – Tier 1–3

Rank	Player	Ottoneu Pos.	Tier	Projected Pts	Projected Pts/G	Projected Pts/PA	Chad’s Tier
1	Bobby Witt Jr.	SS	$55-$65	1087.90	6.95	1.59	$45-$54
2	Mookie Betts	2B/SS/OF	$55-$65	978.90	7.09	1.58	$45-$54
3	Corey Seager	SS	$45-$54	845.50	6.72	1.53	$36-$44
4	Gunnar Henderson	SS	$36-$44	1006.10	6.63	1.50	$36-$44
5	Ketel Marte	2B	$36-$44	913.80	6.40	1.48	$28-$35

There are exactly six players with a points per game played projection higher than Witt and he’s younger than all of them. If I was starting a brand-new Ottoneu league today, Witt might be my number one target to build around. You’re going to pay a premium to get Betts’s positional flexibility, but it might be worth it to roster one of the best players in baseball and be able to line him up wherever you want. I went back and forth on ranking Betts and Witt number one, but ultimately decided on Witt’s youth as the separator.

I have Marte a tier higher than Chad because he’s clearly the top 2B in baseball now (if you’re playing Betts at shortstop) and all of his contact quality peripherals took a huge jump in 2024. This isn’t a repeat of his 2019 “breakout” with the rabbit ball; this is legit improvement across every significant batted ball metric fueling a dramatic increase in production.

Ottoneu MI Rankings – Tier 4 & 5

Rank	Player	Ottoneu Pos.	Tier	Projected Pts	Projected Pts/G	Projected Pts/PA	Chad’s Tier
6	Francisco Lindor	SS	$28-$35	944.40	6.12	1.38	$28-$35
7	Elly De La Cruz	SS	$28-$35	859.30	5.91	1.35	$28-$35
8	Trea Turner	SS	$28-$35	824.40	5.80	1.30	$21-$27
9	Matt McLain	Util	$21-$27	735.60	6.03	1.37	$15-$20
10	Jose Altuve	2B	$21-$27	838.00	5.95	1.32	$21-$27
11	Ozzie Albies	2B	$21-$27	711.00	5.52	1.25	$21-$27
12	Carlos Correa	SS	$21-$27	651.60	5.48	1.26	$15-$20
13	Oneil Cruz	SS/OF	$21-$27	756.40	5.33	1.27	$21-$27
14	Marcus Semien	2B	$21-$27	829.70	5.26	1.16	$21-$27

This second group of middle infielders all have their warts, though they’re still clearly a step above the pack. Whether it’s age (Altuve, Semien), injury (McLain, Correa), or inconsistent production (De Le Cruz, Cruz), it’s a lot harder to predict what you’re going to get from this cohort.

Turner is a tricky one to peg. He had the hiccup in 2023 in his first season in Philadelphia and then rebounded a bit in ‘24 thanks to a 20 point increase in his BABIP. Worryingly, his power output fell quite a bit and his contact quality wasn’t as sterling as it’s been in the past. The track record speaks for itself, but he just hasn’t been the same player as before since joining the Phillies.

Ottoneu MI Rankings – Tier 6 & 7

Rank	Player	Ottoneu Pos.	Tier	Projected Pts	Projected Pts/G	Projected Pts/PA	Chad’s Tier
15	Willy Adames	SS	$15-$20	797.80	5.19	1.21	$15-$20
16	Bo Bichette	SS	$15-$20	648.40	5.19	1.18	$15-$20
17	Jordan Westburg	2B/3B	$15-$20	546.30	4.94	1.23	$15-$20
18	Xavier Edwards	SS	$10-$14	562.20	5.66	1.24	$6-$9
19	Luis Arraez	1B/2B	$10-$14	790.90	5.31	1.21	$6-$9
20	Brandon Lowe	1B/2B	$10-$14	558.90	5.04	1.21	$10-$14
21	Jonathan India	2B	$10-$14	691.60	5.03	1.17	$10-$14
22	CJ Abrams	SS	$10-$14	703.50	5.02	1.17	$10-$14
23	Spencer Horwitz	1B/2B	$10-$14	522.30	5.02	1.25	$6-$9
24	Brendan Donovan	2B/3B/OF	$10-$14	683.20	4.97	1.18	$10-$14
25	Xander Bogaerts	2B/SS	$10-$14	686.40	4.96	1.19	$6-$9

I was really tempted to put Edwards in a higher tier because his projection is so rosy. So much of his success in 2024 was BABIP fueled, but he rode high BABIPs to great success as a minor leaguer. He’s got a great knack for squaring the ball up, even if he doesn’t have much oomph behind his swings, plus he’s got a great eye at the plate. It’s a volatile profile, but I think there’s value here.

Jordan Westburg has a weirdly low projection but his contact quality metrics are all solid. You’d obviously like to see a little higher walk rate from him, but he’s aggressive enough in the right counts to make the approach work. I originally had him in a tier lower, but I think his talent will push him into this higher tier once he gets a full season in the majors.

Ottoneu MI Rankings – Tier 8 & 9

Rank	Player	Ottoneu Pos.	Tier	Projected Pts	Projected Pts/G	Projected Pts/PA	Chad’s Tier
26	Gleyber Torres	2B	$6-$9	738.20	4.83	1.13	$10-$14
27	Ezequiel Tovar	SS	$6-$9	738.50	4.80	1.12	$10-$14
28	Nico Hoerner	2B/SS	$6-$9	698.60	4.80	1.12	$3-$5
29	Masyn Winn	SS	$6-$9	667.90	4.75	1.09	$6-$9
30	Luis Rengifo	2B/3B	$6-$9	545.30	4.72	1.17	$6-$9
31	Zach Neto	SS	$6-$9	644.00	4.70	1.20	$6-$9
32	Connor Norby	2B/3B/OF	$6-$9	496.40	4.70	1.05	$3-$5
33	Dansby Swanson	SS	$6-$9	686.20	4.58	1.11	$6-$9
34	Luis Garcia	2B	$6-$9	593.20	4.51	1.16	$10-$14
35	Kristian Campbell	2B/SS/OF	$3-$5	347.80	4.88	1.22	$6-$9
36	Tyler Fitzgerald	SS/OF	$3-$5	531.00	4.60	1.16	$3-$5
38	J.P. Crawford	SS	$3-$5	585.40	4.49	1.06	$0-$1
39	Jonathan Aranda	1B/2B	$3-$5	261.00	4.39	1.13	$6-$9
40	Jake Cronenworth	1B/2B	$3-$5	642.10	4.37	1.05	$3-$5
41	Bryson Stott	2B/SS	$3-$5	641.80	4.34	1.10	$3-$5
42	Jeremy Pena	SS	$3-$5	655.00	4.31	1.05	$3-$5
43	Matt Shaw	2B/SS/3B	$3-$5	527.80	4.29	1.12	$6-$9
44	Jeff McNeil	2B/OF	$3-$5	598.60	4.25	1.08	$3-$5
45	Nick Gonzales	2B/SS	$3-$5	417.30	4.25	1.05	$3-$5
46	Tommy Edman	SS/OF	$3-$5	529.90	4.25	1.09	$3-$5
47	Jacob Wilson윌슨	SS	$3-$5	430.30	4.23	1.12	$3-$5
48	Josh Smith	SS/3B/OF	$3-$5	504.30	4.21	1.08	$1-$2
49	Andrés Giménez	2B	$3-$5	628.40	4.18	1.03	$6-$9
50	Trevor Story	SS	$3-$5	430.80	4.13	0.97	$3-$5
51	Anthony Volpe	SS	$3-$5	644.10	4.10	0.98	$6-$9
52	Joey Ortiz	SS/3B	$3-$5	580.60	4.04	1.10	$3-$5
53	Christopher Morel	2B/3B/OF	$3-$5	532.80	4.03	1.01	$6-$9
54	Colt Keith	2B	$3-$5	563.80	4.02	1.04	$6-$9
55	Zack Gelof	2B	$3-$5	513.30	3.94	0.98	$1-$2
56	Jackson Holliday	2B	$3-$5	296.40	3.47	0.95	$10-$14

Finally! Some guys I’m lower on than Chad! Torres gave back all the gains he made with his strikeout rate in 2023 and posted a disappointing final season in the Bronx. Now he’s in Detroit and I really don’t like that park fit. Tovar has the ideal park fit but his hyper aggressive approach is going to produce some really low slumps to go along with his altitude fueled production. I really like the improvements Garcia has made over the last few years, but I just don’t see the ceiling to pay double digits for him right now.

My perspective on prospects is pretty starkly shown in my ranking of Jackson Holliday. Yes, he has a very high ceiling and he only just turned old enough to drink last month, but his debut season in the big leagues was a disaster all around. There were a few encouraging things under the hood, but he really needs to prove it before I’m comfortable investing a significant portion of my budget on rostering him. Could I regret that stance in a few years when he’s established himself as a superstar? Maybe.

Ottoneu MI Rankings – Tier 10–12

Rank	Player	Ottoneu Pos.	Tier	Projected Pts	Projected Pts/G	Projected Pts/PA	Chad’s Tier
57	Will Wagner	1B/2B	$1-$2	244.70	4.88	1.15	$3-$5
37	Ha-Seong Kim 김하성	SS	$1-$2	599.40	4.51	1.14	$1-$2
58	Jordan Lawlar	Util	$1-$2	248.40	4.26	1.05	$3-$5
59	Willi Castro	2B/SS/3B/OF	$1-$2	618.70	4.25	1.06	$0-$1
60	Nolan Gorman	2B	$1-$2	426.30	4.21	1.11	$3-$5
61	Ronny Mauricio	Util	$1-$2	129.20	4.20	1.02	$1-$2
62	Nick Yorke	2B/OF	$1-$2	359.40	4.19	1.06	$1-$2
63	Jorge Polanco	2B	$1-$2	462.60	4.14	1.01	$0-$1
64	Thairo Estrada	2B	$1-$2	456.10	4.08	1.00	$3-$5
65	Edouard Julien	2B	$1-$2	387.30	4.00	1.09	$0-$1
66	Christian Moore	2B	$1-$2	225.40	3.98	0.99	$3-$5
67	Otto Lopez	2B/SS	$1-$2	455.00	3.94	1.05	$0-$1
68	Michael Massey	2B	$1-$2	444.80	3.94	1.05	$1-$2
69	Juan Brito	1B/2B/3B	$1-$2	263.00	3.87	0.98	$0-$1
70	Brice Turang	2B	$1-$2	559.90	3.83	1.00	$1-$2
71	Brooks Lee	2B/SS/3B	$1-$2	381.00	3.80	0.99	$3-$5
72	Maikel Garcia	2B/3B	$1-$2	542.40	3.77	0.94	$0-$1
73	Gavin Lux	2B	$1-$2	475.20	3.74	1.05	$3-$5
74	Luisangel Acuña	2B/SS/OF	$1-$2	223.80	3.73	0.94	$1-$2
75	Ceddanne Rafaela	2B/SS/OF	$1-$2	490.50	3.60	0.96	$0-$1
76	Jose Iglesias	2B/3B	$0-$1	435.40	4.26	1.10	$0-$1
77	Brendan Rodgers	2B	$0-$1	493.20	4.20	1.04	$0
78	Geraldo Perdomo	SS	$0-$1	455.60	3.68	1.03	$0-$1
79	Dylan Moore	1B/2B/SS/3B/OF	$0-$1	453.00	3.67	1.05	$0
80	Orlando Arcia	SS	$0-$1	511.10	3.55	0.93	$0-$1
81	Brett Baty	2B/3B	$0-$1	328.70	3.41	0.91	$1-$2
82	Trey Sweeney	SS	$0-$1	225.70	3.40	0.91	$0-$1
83	Vaughn Grissom	2B	$0-$1	109.60	3.24	0.85	$1-$2
84	Carson Williams	SS	$0-$1	179.60	3.70	0.92	$3-$5
85	Sebastian Walcott	SS/3B	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$3-$5
86	Travis Bazzana	2B	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$3-$5
87	Marcelo Mayer	SS	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$1-$2
88	JJ Wetherholt	SS	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0-$1
89	Leodalis De Vries	SS	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0-$1
90	Aidan Miller	SS	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$1-$2
91	Cole Young	2B/SS	$0-$1	217.00	3.53	0.88	$0
92	Colt Emerson	SS	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0-$1
93	Colson Montgomery	SS	$0-$1	321.20	3.30	0.82	$0-$1
94	Jett Williams	SS	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$1-$2
95	Adael Amador	2B	$0-$1	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0-$1
96	Brandon Drury	1B/2B/3B	$0	404.00	3.87	0.97	$0-$1
97	Amed Rosario	2B/SS/3B/OF	$0	442.70	3.83	1.00	$0
98	Whit Merrifield	2B/3B/OF	$0	432.70	3.82	0.97	$0
99	Richie Palacios	2B/OF	$0	299.10	3.82	1.05	$0-$1
100	Shay Whitcomb	SS/3B	$0	129.60	3.81	0.95	$0
101	Angel Martínez	2B/OF	$0	175.10	3.73	0.90	$0
102	José Tena	2B/SS/3B	$0	272.20	3.72	0.96	$0
103	David Hamilton	2B/SS	$0	317.90	3.70	1.13	$0-$1
104	Isiah Kiner-Falefa	2B/SS/3B	$0	468.80	3.64	0.95	$0-$1
105	Hyeseong Kim 김혜성	Util	$0	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0
106	Ernie Clement	SS/3B	$0	394.40	3.48	1.01	$0-$1
107	Weston Wilson	SS/3B/OF	$0	128.40	3.45	1.22	$0
108	Lenyn Sosa	2B/3B	$0	310.30	3.39	0.89	$0
109	Ezequiel Duran	1B/SS/3B/OF	$0	316.00	3.36	0.99	$0
110	Chris Taylor	2B/3B/OF	$0	314.20	3.29	0.99	$0
111	Oswald Peraza	SS	$0	176.70	3.24	0.83	$0
112	Paul DeJong	SS/3B	$0	376.80	3.23	0.93	$0
113	Davis Schneider	2B/OF	$0	358.20	3.22	0.93	$1-$2
114	Leo Jiménez	2B/SS	$0	178.90	3.20	0.99	$0
115	Josh Rojas	2B/3B	$0	387.50	3.19	0.93	$0
116	Mauricio Dubón	1B/2B/3B/OF	$0	388.10	3.17	0.95	$0
117	Abraham Toro	2B/3B	$0	273.40	3.16	0.84	$0
118	Jose Caballero	2B/SS/3B	$0	369.20	3.14	0.93	$0
119	Edmundo Sosa	2B/SS/3B	$0	272.30	3.13	1.08	$0
120	Miguel Rojas	2B/SS/3B	$0	334.00	3.12	0.93	$0
121	Jared Triolo	2B/SS/3B	$0	307.80	3.05	0.86	$0
122	Kyle Farmer	2B/SS/3B	$0	325.40	3.02	0.99	$0
123	Enrique Hernández	1B/2B/SS/3B/OF	$0	356.70	3.00	0.88	$0-$1
124	Javier Báez	SS	$0	316.80	3.00	0.76	$0
125	Santiago Espinal	2B/3B	$0	312.90	3.00	0.92	$0
126	Andy Ibáñez	1B/2B/3B	$0	279.40	2.98	1.00	$0
127	Brayan Rocchio	SS	$0	389.10	2.96	0.90	$0-$1
128	Blaze Alexander	2B/SS/3B	$0	161.40	2.93	0.90	$0
129	Jorge Mateo	2B	$0	276.50	2.92	0.93	$0
130	Kevin Newman	1B/2B/SS	$0	265.70	2.91	0.96	$0
131	Max Schuemann	2B/SS/3B/OF	$0	336.00	2.85	0.85	$0
132	Daniel Schneemann	SS/3B/OF	$0	182.00	2.84	0.93	$0
133	Cavan Biggio	1B/2B/3B/OF	$0	244.00	2.82	0.95	$0
134	Zach McKinstry	2B/SS/3B/OF	$0	328.60	2.81	0.89	$0
135	Adam Frazier	2B/3B/OF	$0	323.10	2.79	0.86	$0
136	Tim Anderson	SS	$0	237.90	2.76	0.66	$0
137	Oswaldo Cabrera	1B/2B/3B	$0	272.00	2.68	0.89	$0-$1
138	Austin Martin	2B/OF	$0	216.80	2.67	0.94	$0
139	Tyler Freeman	SS/OF	$0	252.50	2.66	0.86	$0
140	Taylor Walls	SS	$0	246.80	2.65	0.79	$0
141	Enmanuel Valdez	2B	$0	171.80	2.62	0.92	$0
142	Ildemaro Vargas	2B/SS/3B/OF	$0	219.60	2.62	0.84	$0
143	Nick Madrigal	2B/3B	$0	172.40	2.62	0.86	$0
144	Marco Luciano	2B/SS	$0	72.30	2.59	0.74	$0-$1
145	Romy Gonzalez	1B/2B/SS/3B	$0	178.90	2.53	1.08	$0
146	Nicky Lopez	2B/SS	$0	274.70	2.52	0.73	$0
147	Curtis Mead	2B/3B	$0	79.50	2.36	0.69	$1-$2
148	Casey Schmitt	2B/SS/3B	$0	153.40	2.34	0.79	$0
149	Luis Guillorme	2B/3B	$0	163.00	2.30	0.83	$0
150	Gabriel Arias	SS/3B	$0	187.50	2.26	0.81	$0
151	Trey Lipscomb	2B/3B	$0	108.20	2.02	0.59	$0
152	Vidal Bruján	2B/SS/3B/OF	$0	158.50	1.96	0.73	$0

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