Top 30 Second Basemen for 2020

by
September 19, 2019

The newfound depth at shortstop and third base has sort of covered the fact that second base comes up a little light. Consider a dual-eligible player like Gleyber Torres. He ranks 5th at 2B on Razzball’s Player Rater, but sit 9th at SS. There are a host of dual- or even triple-eligible guys at the position, but they are often best deployed here at the keystone.

A wave of rookies who have burst onto the scene could give the position a modicum of depth for 2020, but that’s not a guarantee so we look at the position with some trepidation at this juncture. The top still has some major firepower so don’t be afraid to invest early, but then we get some big globs of sameness.

Other 2020 Rankings:

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Top 30 2B for 2020
Player Comment
1 José Altuve Pwr jump outweighs shrinking SB… and those could return
2 Jonathan Villar Excellent pwr/spd combo with dual-eligibility (SS)
3 Ozzie Albies There’s real 30/30 upside for this premium talent
4 Ketel Marte Still has the spd to push 20+ SB season if he wants it
5 Gleyber Torres Backed up brilliant rookie campaign & could finish w/40 HR
6 Whit Merrifield A 27-SB drop was rough, but it was still a strong season
7 Max Muncy Showed ’18 was no fluke w/33 HR, 89 RBI, and 94 R
8 DJ LeMahieu Even if pwr slips, the AVG, R, and RBI will sustain his value
9 Keston Hiura The 38 HR/20 SB full season pace shows his big time ’20 upside
10 Jeff McNeil Diet LeMahieu not getting the attention he deserves
11 Mike Moustakas 3-yr avg: .261, 34 HR, 88 RBI, 72 R, & 2 SB
12 Eduardo Escobar Hard to imagine another 35-HR yr, but mid-20s w/80+ RBI works
13 Ryan McMahon From 7/1 on: .851 OPS, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 33 R, 4 SB in 259 PA
14 Cavan Biggio Has skills to cut 29% K rate & be a dynamic pwr/spd combo
15 Gavin Lux Across AA/AAA/MLB: .340 AVG, 28 HR, 82 RBI, 106 R, 11 SB
16 Kevin Newman AVG/Spd profile is underrated in today’s pwr-focused game
17 Kolten Wong Shows the extreme volatility of SB: 7, 8, & 6 before 23 this yr
18 Tommy Edman Could be a .285-20-25 bat w/full time role & the same ball in ’20
19 Brandon Lowe Won’t hold .276 AVG w/34% K, but pwr-spd sustain his value
20 Tommy La Stella Ball helps, but made changes to fuel pwr surge; monitor health
21 César Hernández Deep league gem, but doesn’t excel at any one thing
22 Michael Chavis Real pop is there, but AVG will be challenge w/his K%
23 Dee Gordon SB-only profile and not even that many makes him a tough buy
24 Jurickson Profar Might’ve been the unluckiest hitter this yr per this piece ($)
25 Robinson Canó I don’t think I realized he’ll be 37 y/o next season
26 Nico Hoerner Could be a La Stella-type right away thanks to juiced ball
27 Chris Taylor Solid bat, but will struggle to recapture full-time role w/LAD
28 Niko Goodrum Triple eligible (SS/OF) bat averaging 14 HR/12 SB in last 2 yrs
29 Starlin Castro Quietly raking since July 1st: .314 AVG, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 40 R
30 David Fletcher AVG Band-Aid doesn’t fit on every roster
Honorable Mentions: Garrett Hampson, Howie Kendrick, Jonathan Schoop, Jason Kipnis, Luis Arraez
Derek Dietrich, Adam Frazier, Hanser Alberto, Rougned Odor
Brian Dozier, Shed Long, Mauricio Dubon





 

Paul is the Editor of Rotographs and Content Director for OOTP Perfect Team. Follow Paul on Twitter @sporer and on Twitch at sporer.

49 Comments
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frankles27
4 years ago

Would move jonathan villar down several spots, just don’t believe in him as a hitter compared to Marte, Torres, Albies, etc.

23
Fromage
4 years ago
Reply to  frankles27

Villar stuck out for me too. Before 2019, he was fresh off two poor seasons, and he’s not getting younger. At minimum he warrants a caveat: value in roto for steals depending on price/round, but beware in points leagues. Anything besides steals might be gravy. For example, his hard hit rate keeps declining; it is was below 30% last year.

4
Paul Sporermember
4 years ago
Reply to  Fromage

Last year wasn’t poor. I can see the flaws and understand the critique, but last year was pretty strong for roto which is the basis for these. He definitely drops in points, but I’ll get more into that during the winter.

2
Rollie's Mustachemember
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Sporer

It might vary depending on format, but in my points league Villar is the 2nd best 2B in the league, behind only Ketel and tied with Escobar (who will barely retain positional eligibility). So I don’t think your ranking is that outrageous.

2
Chuck Bigby
4 years ago
Reply to  Fromage

Improved launch angle + improved contact rate helps.

0
Fromage
4 years ago
Reply to  Chuck Bigby

Increased launch angle at 28% hard hit even with increased contact suggests lower on base thus lower steals … plus the considerable risk that his body of work over three years is more representative of his lack of power.

0
Paul Sporermember
4 years ago
Reply to  frankles27

I totally feel that, but the SBs are just so valuable when they come with viable pop. I’d probably pass on Villar at his cost now instead opting for Marte and Albies specifically.

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