Second Base Facts For The 2022 Season

The second base position does have some depth to it, it isn’t the shallowest nor the deepest position for fantasy in 2022. There are a lot of interesting names coming into the season especially when it comes to young players like Jonathan India and Jazz Chisholm. Whether you decide to grab one earl or late here are some fun facts and opinions I gathered while preparing for drafts.

The Enigma

It’s actually wild how much of an enigma Javier Baez is. He produces year in and year out and he is so bad yet so good all at the same time. In 2021 Baez had the highest Max Exit Velocity and highest EV/FB out of all second baseman. He also finished second in Barrel%, just .6 points behind Brandon Lowe. Yet his zone contact rate of 73.4% was dead last at the position. This isn’t anything new though, he has always been this way.

Baez doesn’t just bring power though, he also brings speed. Based on Steamer he is projected to have the 10th most steals with 13. Besides the shortened season Baez has put up 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases in each season for four straight seasons.

It’s hard to deny what he provides fantasy-wise no matter what his contact issues are.

Mr. DJ

DJ LeMahieu saw a down season in 2021 in both power and average. LeMahieu feasts on the short porch in Yankee Stadium and we should see more than 10 home runs from him. Word came out that he played the entire season with a sports hernia which doesn’t sound like fun.

If DJ is healthy and the hernia truly affected him he could be quite the bargain at his current draft price. We can’t forget that between 2019 and 2020 he hit for .336 with 36 home runs, 150 runs, and 129 RBI in 871 plate appearances.

Like Twins

Two second basemen that are super similar to me, both good hitters, are Jorge Polanco and Jonathon India. Polanco is going around pick 84 while India is going around pick 97, a full round later. It’s minimal but both are such solid options.

Both had identical Max EV’s, near-identical EV/FB’s, identical wRC+’s, and near-identical OPS’. It’s actually scary how similar they are. Last season India finished with 21 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and hit for .269. Polanco finished with 33 home runs, 11 stolen bases, and hit for .269. Polanco’s power will likely regress but both of them are serious five-category contributors.

These two “twins” are great targets to hit in drafts because others before them like Jazz Chisholm Jr, and Tommy Edman have more question marks and don’t necessarily hit on as many categories as them.

The Clear Number One

Trea Turner is the clear number one draft pick for this season. Turner will be hitting second in one of if not the best lineups in the league. He is a guaranteed producer for every single category in typical Roto leagues.

His Steamer projections: .290 batting average, 25 home runs, 104 runs, 83 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. Oh. Baby.

Injury Risk

Second base actually seems to be one of the healthier positions for 2022. All of the elite players at the position seem to be safe health risks like Albeis, Merrifield, Turner, and Semien.

Tommy La Stella

Tommy La Stella heads into the season in a platoon split for the San Francisco Giants. La Stella is a solid hitter when healthy but unfortunately, health has been a consistent issue. In 2021 he missed 93 days with a hamstring injury. In 2019 he missed 87 days with a leg injury. The hamstring seems to be a nagging issue and could continue.

Jed Lowrie

After signing with the Mets and just eight plate appearances Lowrie had himself a nice little 2021 season. He went back to Oakland and hit .245 with 14 home runs, and a 100 wRC+.

Although Lowrie missed just eight days in 2021 he missed all of 2020 and 2019 with knee and leg injuries. He’s not just an injury risk but also has serious playing time risk especially since he hasn’t signed with a team. He isn’t someone you can roster at this time.

Kolten Wong

Kolten Wong is a solid draft pick for 2022, especially at the middle infield position. Set to leadoff for the Brewers he could accumulate over 85 runs while hitting double-digit home runs and grabbing double-digit steals.

Wong does come with risk though as he seems to consistently have lingering leg issues. In 2021 as well as twice in 2018 he had lower leg issues. Calf and hamstring injuries can both linger but with a later ADP of 188, that seems to be built-in.