Second Base 2025 Fantasy Rankings

As D’Angelo Barksdale famously said in Season One of The Wire; ” The King stay the King”. Despite missing some time in 2024, Mookie Betts’s reign atop the 2B position (on sites where he still qualifies) is secure for another season. . He also missed almost 50 games recovering from a broken hand suffered in August. Over 116 games, he finished with 19 HR, 75 R, 75 RBI, 16 SB, and a .289 batting average.  He has put up a WRC+ of at least 131 on every year dating back to 2018, and he also has the luxury of hitting between Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the Dodgers’ lineup. Even heading into his age 32 season, Mookie is one of the best offensive players in the game and you get the luxury of a 2B/SS/OF designation, depending on which site you play on.

Jose Altuve once again provided elite production across the board and finished as the #2 second baseball overall. He really is a true model of consistency. Altuve contributed 20 HR, 94 R, 65 RBI, 22 SB, and a robust .295 batting average. He is now 34 years old and there will be some people who are worried about decline, but there haven’t been many obvious signs that he is aging poorly. While his SwStr% went up to 10.4%, he still struck out just 17.4% of the time. His walk rate was still down in double digits. While his slugging percentage and isolated power (ISO) did drop a bit, he’s never been someone who relies on raw power alone to hit home runs, and i’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until he starts to really show his age.

Ketel Marte had a brilliant 2024 campaign. He was one of the better value picks of the season, finishing as the #1 second baseman and the #14 player overall according to the FanGraphs player rater.  Marte had 36 HR, 93 R, 95 RBI, and 7 SB, all while batting .292 with a .932 OPS. His power metrics also improved, as he raised his barrel rate from 8.0% to 12.3%, and his hard hit rate from 42.8% to 53.3%. While those numbers are excellent, Marte has now played 10 major league seasons, and he has been an MVP-level player in two of them. That’s not to say that he was bad in the other seasons, he has been a very serviceable fantasy player throughout his career, but it’s hard to not see 2024 as a bit of an outlier. Now 31 years old, I think it’s reasonable to question whether he will be able to carry those gains over into 2025. His 2nd round draft price has kept him off of my rosters throughout draft season.

Ozzie Albies had a forgettable season in a number of ways. He played in just 99 games as he dealt with wrist and toe injuries, and his performance wasn’t anything to write home about when he was able to take the field. He had 435 PA, and contributed just 10 HR, 52 R, 53 RBI, 8 SB, and a .251 batting average. I think that a lot of his troubles were injury related, though, and a lot of his numbers below the surface were relatively similar to prior seasons. While his barrel rate and hard hit percentages both dropped a few points, his Max EV of 113.7 was a career high and his 18.4° launch angle is pretty close to optimal. Still just 27 years of age, there is a great opportunity to buy the dip on Albies.

Marcus Semien is a workhorse. For the seventh consecutive season (excluding the shortened 2020 campaign), Semien eclipsed the 700 PA threshold. He played in 159 games, a number he hasn’t gone under in a full season going all the way back to 2018. However, this was the first year where he started to show his age a bit. Semien put up 23 HR, 101 R, 74 RBI, 8 SB, and a .237 batting average. He wasn’t bad, still finishing as the #6 2B on the year, but this was a step back. His barrel% (6.6%) and hard hit rate (35.2%) were essentially the same as they were in 2023, his K% (14.6) remained unchanged and there was just a small increase to his very good SwStr% (7.8% to 9.5%).  I think it’s very reasonable to expect him to meet, if not exceed, his projections from steamer (25 HR, 12 SB, .253 batting average). He’s coming at a steep discount this season with his current ADP of 90, and he makes for a really solid target at what is one of the weaker positions heading into 2025.

After a semi-breakout in 2024, Jordan Westburg is primed to take another step forward as a key part of a budding Orioles’ lineup. I would like to see him improve on the pretty poor 4.9 BB% we saw last season, but considering he was in the 11-12% range throughout his time in the minors, that should start to trend up as he continues to get used to major league pitching

Luis García Jr. took a big step forward in 2024. Playing in 140 games, Garcia hit 18 HR with 58 R, 70 RBI, 22 SB, and an excellent .282 batting average.  While his sprint speed is fairly mediocre, the Nationals have shown that they aren’t afraid to get things moving on the basepaths, and Garcia could make a push for 20+ SB once again.

After missing all of 2024, it’s hard to say exactly what Matt McLain will look like, but he showed us in 2023 that he is capable of a Top 5 finish at the position of things break right. The Reds’ lineup looks quite solid, and McLain will likely slot into the 3rd spot in the order between Elly De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson.

After a relatively average rookie season in 2023, Brice Turang took a big step forward this past season and finished as the 2B4 overall. Playing in 155 games, he finished with 7 HR, 72 R, 57 RBI, 50 SB, and a .254 batting average. The big probelems came in the second half of the season, as Turang hit just .220 with one home run in the second half of the season. Steamer projections have him hitting a few more HR while sacrificing a bit of his speed (10 HR/38 SB) and I think most drafters will sign up for that around pick 150.

Spencer Steer has set a production baseline over the last two seasons, with his batting average being the main wild card. 20-25 HR with 13-18 SB feels very attainable, and the Reds’ lineup as a whole being stronger than it has been in recent seasons should put him within reach of 80 runs and 90 RBI.

Jonathan India had a very solid 2024, the best season of his career since he broke onto the scene as a rookie in 2021. Playing in 151 games, the 27 year old had 15 HR, 84 R, 58 RBI, 13 SB, and a .248 batting average. The big variable in this equation is that India was dealt to the Royals in November, a drastic change of scenery for a few different reasons. Firstly, the ballpark. As a whole, Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and Kauffman Stadium in KC grade our fairly similarly, as a 105 and 104 park factor, respectively. This encompasses the entire offensive environment for the two fields. The big difference is the HR factor, as GABP ranks 1st in baseball with a 128, whereas Kauffman ranks 4th last at 85. What this means is that India will likely give back a few HR this season, but his overall offensive production could increase as Kauffman is very friendly for hitting doubles and triples. India has great on-base skills (career .352 OBP) and leading off in front of Bobby Witt Jr. will be pretty appealing for fantasy purposes.

Xander Bogaerts had a bit of a down year in 2024, but I think we can attribute most of his struggles to shoulder injury that he suffered in May. If you look at his production in the second half when he was presumably healed back up, Bogaerts hit .292 with 7 HR and 9 SB. Considering his early ADP of 156 (2B9), he feels very reasonably priced. I think that a fully healthy Bogaerts could be one of the better deals you find on the board, with  Top 100 overall potential even as he enters his age 32 season. An added bonus here is that you will also get the dual 2B/SS eligibility in all formats, as he was able to sneak in 20 games at short in 2024. It’s hard to overstate the benefit of that added versatility when setting your lineups.

Luis Rengifo should be able to repeat mostly repeat his 2024 performance. A great mid-late round option to fill your MI/CI/bench spots. 3/3 Update: I’ve moved Rengifo up quite a bit after digging in more. Even without much power, the batting average and SB floor feels pretty high, and i am also more optimistic about the Angels’ lineup than most. He’s battling some hamstring tightness but its not a major concern as of now.

Nico Hoerner’s season seemed disappointing on the surface, but is overall production was very similar between 2023 and 2024. Playing in 151 games, he produced 7 HR, 86 R, 48 RBI, 31 SB, and a .273 batting average. Compared to 2023, he was down 2 HR, 12 R, 20 RBI, 12 SB, and 10 points of batting average. There is a chance he is ready for spring training, but that Cubs have been fairly vague on his recovery. However, it’s expected to take about four months and he should be ready to go when the season kicks off, or shortly thereafter.

Brandon Lowe did about what we were expecting coming into the season: He provided solid per-game production, but had to miss time due to side, oblique, and toe injuries. Over 107 games, the 30 year old hit 21 HR with 56 R, 58 RBI, 5 SB, and a .244 batting average. His 12.4% barrel rate was a big improvement over the last two seasons where he was around the 10% mark. His .229 ISO was also the best number he had put up since his 39 HR campaign in 2021. Considering the ballpark upgrade, Lowe has become one of my favorite options available down the draft board. If he is able to stay healthy (and it’s a big if), he could be one of the better values this draft season.

Bryson Stott is another serviceable option, finishing as the 2B13 overall. In 148 games, he contributed 11 HR, 65 R, 57 RBI, 32 SB, and a .245 batting average. After hitting .280 in 2023, the batting average dip was very disappointing, but it’s also worth noting that the difference in his xBA between the season was only nine points (.267 to .258). He’s not an especially powerful man, but should still be able to produce double digit HR year based on his solid launch angle. His walk rate also jumped from 6.1% to 9.3%, meaning his OBP was relatively unchanged from 2023.

Ceddanne Rafaela was great from a fantasy POV as a rookie. He won’t have 2B eligibility on a lot of sites, but he should definitely be used there on the platforms where he does (*cough, cough, Yahoo). I worry a bit about how the his bat will develop after he posted some very poor underlying metrics last season, but his excellent glove will keep him on the field, and growth is still very possible at his age.

After a brief initial struggle, Colt Keith proved to be one of the better 2B pickups/late draft picks of the 2025 season. As the Tigers continue to improve around him, this could be an exciting year to roster the 23 year old.

Zack Gelof didn’t quite live up to lofty expectations in 2024 coming off a partial season breakout in 2023. Playing in 138 games, Gelof put up 17 HR, 60 R, 49 RBI, 25 SB, and a .211 batting average.  Gelof should see an improvement in his offensive prowess and more counting stats could be there to go around their group of budding stars.

2024 was a wildly disappointing season for Jackson Holliday He made his major league debut on April 4th, was sent back down on April 23rd, and then recalled again at the end of July. He totalled 60 games at the big league level, hitting 5 HR with 28 R, 23 RBI, 4 SB, and a .189 batting average. All we can hope that this first year in the show provided Holliday with some key information on what he needs to do going forward to be successful. He should be afforded the opportunity to play everyday in a great lineup right out of the gate and as a sophomore that might be all that it takes to get him going, but there is also a chance that his growing pains will linger into year two. His 217 ADP (2B17) certainly isn’t cost prohibitive for you to find out, either.

Without a doubt, Gleyber Torres was one of the most disappointing fantasy assets in 2024, regardless of position. Coming into the season as a Top 100 pick in most rooms, Gleyber regressed in all five standard roto categories. In 154 games, he hit 15 HR with 80 R, 63 RBI, 4 SB, and a .257 batting average. He also lost a bit of juice on his barrel (7.9% to 6.3%) and HardHit rates (40.3% to 35.4%). It’s also worth noting that there’s also the report that he was playing through an undisclosed injury early in the season, so perhaps that was the genesis of his down year 1/14 Update: Detroit certainly wasn’t the ideal fantasy landing spot considering the tough park factors for RHH, especially when it comes to home runs. He will get the chance to hit close to the top of the order initially, but we should keep our expectations in check.

Nick Gonzales had his first real opportunity to play at the big league level, and did very well with the opportunity. Over 94 games, he hit 7 HR to go along with 42 R, 49 RBI, 5 SB, and a .270 batting average. He projects as an everyday player in 2025 who won’t hurt you in any of the five standard roto categories, and he is going later than almost all of the other starting caliber options at the position. I haven’t really been able to figure out why he is going so late. Yes, the Pirates lineup is dreadful, but that shouldn’t impact Gonzales all that much. You aren’t drafting him for massive counting stats, you take him as someone who won’t necessarily hurt you in any category, and that fact that he provides solid depth at a very weak spot

Andrés Giménez has been on a three year decline and without a sure-thing lineup behind him, he’s a scary investment considering the price is still a bit high. 12/16 Update: The trade to Toronto isn’t a great one for his fantasy value. Gimenez has stolen 30 bases in two consecutive seasons, but Toronto doesn’t utilize speed on the basepaths much as an organization. (Cleveland stole 148 bases in 2024, Toronto stole just 72. They ranked 5th and 27th, respectively).

Batting average. That’s what you get from Luis Arraez. Nothing more, and nothing less. If you have a power-heavy build that ignores batting average in the early rounds, you can compensate for that fairly well by selecting Arraez. But don’t expect literally anything else from him. He is someone i tend to stay away from outside of extreme builds.

Jeff McNeil’s going to play everyday, and at this stage of the rankings that’s all it takes. Look for a rebound in batting average (his main asset) following a career worst .256 BABIP in 2024.

One of the biggest breakouts of the 2024 stretch run, Tyler Fitzgerald is one of the latest players available by ADP that is projected for a 20/20 season in 2024. He could be a big riser up this list over the next few months.

Willi Castro was a great utility asset for the Twins and fantasy managers alike in 2024, and I expect him to fulfill essentially the same role this season.

José Caballero is another player that specifically should be drafted if your speed in the early rounds is lacking. He is also a non-zero power asset that could end up playing more than early projections suggest. 2/4 Update. The signing of Ha-Seong Kim could potentially impact Caballero’s playing time, but i don’t think it will be as much of a concern as some others. Considering his solid defensive abilities throughout the infield, I could easily see him fulfilling a super utility role and playing roughly five times a week still.

Jake Cronenworth is a boring, placeholder type of name that likely won’t find his way into your lineup unless it’s a deep league, or you get killed by the injury bug.

Christopher Morel is a troubling player to evaluate, but it’s a good bet to think that the Rays’ player development will be able to get the most out of his unique profile. He could easily end up as a 25/20 bat, but the batting average will likely still be a flaw.

Maikel Garcia was downright bad from a real life perspective, but he did have some fantasy juice with his 84 runs and 34 stolen bases. However, it seems unlikely that he’s at the top of the lineup again and he’s more suited as a depth piece in 2025.

Brendan Donovan is a solid utility option that likely won’t be a massive asset in any category expect for batting average, but he won’t hurt you anywhere either (especially with triple-eligibile on some sites).

Excellent defence and fairly solid plate skills could have Joey Ortiz moving up a tier or two, but his lack of power and inefficiency on the basepaths is a bit of a concern. 12/16 Update: He gets a slight bump with Willy Adames leaving town, which should secure him more PT and potentialy move him up the lineup as well.

The bottom fell out from under Thairo Estrada, and he enters free agency with no guarantee or a starting role in 2025. He could easily bounce back, but there isn’t a lot in the data right now to suggest that it’s likely. 12/16 Update: He signed in Colorado, which is obviously a fantastic destination. He gets a bump as he should have an everyday role, something that was more up in the air when these initial rankings were released

Gavin Lux looked as good as he ever had down the stretch of the 2024 season, but it looks like he won’t have a spot to play regularly considering Tommy Edman was brought back and Mookie Betts is likely to play in the infield. 1/14 Update. I have seen many speak positively about his outlook following the trade to Cincinnati, but he still projects to be a strong-side platoon bat at best. While it might not be as clogged as it was last season, the Reds’ still ahve many mouths to feed in the infield and i doubt that Lux ends up being a huge difference maker for fantasy. He gets a slight bump, but he isn’t a target of mine outside of deeper formats.

Connor Norby looked excellent after his trade to Miami, but still struggled mightily in the strikeout department. More of an option in very deep/NL Only leagues

The overall prowess of Otto Lopez as a hitter leaves something to be desired, but he should play a lot in Miami and could end up stealing 25+ bases with a decent average

It all comes down to the playing time for David Hamilton. He was great when he played, but Boston had no trouble sitting him either, and those PT questions keep him farther down this list than he probably should be

Brendan Rodgers was better than you probably think (13 HR, .721 OPS) considering he was non-tendered, but it’s a huge question whether or not he’ll be able to repeat that outside of Coors Field. 3/3 Update: There is a chance he gets the opportunity to start with regularity in the Astros’ infied if Jose Altuv moves to the outfield, but he would still just be an AL only/draft and hold target for me even if he gets playing time.

After an eternity in the Blue Jays’ system, Spencer Horwitz bust onto the major league scene with a 127 wRC+. He should play most days in Toronto, and will likely be a riser on this list throughout the winter months. 12/16 Update: he was dealt to the Pirates, where he is expected to play most days as the strong side of the 1B platoon. PNC park is quietly a very friendly park for LHH as well, ranking 4th in overall park factor over the past three seasons. 3/3 Update: Horwitz is expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery, and that sort of injury has the ability to really linger even after he returns, and we weren’t starting from a very high power ceiling to begin with. He’s essentially off my board unless he really plummets in drafts