Navigate
    Spencer Limbach | Thu, Mar 7th 2019, 7:51am EST

2019 Second Base Ranking Tiers (Fantasy Baseball)

You could make an argument that second base is one of the thinnest positions in fantasy baseball this year. I would describe it more as “top heavy” than anything, given three of the second basemen settle into the top 20 ADP before splitting hairs with the rest of the pack. You’ll see exactly what I mean in a moment.

Before we dissect this position, I wanted to mention that the following tiers are based on my personal rankings and preferences. If players are ranked in the same tier, it means that the difference between their fantasy expectations is negligible or based on categorical need. That is, of course, unless otherwise stated. We will be referencing average draft position (ADP) and expected rounds based on standard 12-team fantasy baseball drafts to give you a sense of value opportunities. With that, let’s go ahead and dive into the good stuff!

Get expert advice during your draft with our fantasy baseball draft software

Tier One – Second’s Best

I think Altuve notches a fine bounce-back season. That’s not too bold of a call considering his robust numbers prior to suffering a knee injury in July. The Houston second baseman is healthy and primed for another 20 HR/20 SB campaign (not to mention 100 runs and a blistering average), but that would likely be a best-case scenario. No matter how you slice it, Altuve makes for a solid lift at his current ADP of 13.

According to FantasyPros ADP consensus, Jose Ramirez ranks third overall. Sure, the guy was fourth in total fantasy production last season, but does he really deserve to be nipping at the heels of Mike Trout and Mookie Betts for the top hitter spot? His 39 homers and 24 stolen bases in 2018 makes for a confident fantasy snapshot, but his .218 average with 10 homers over the second half (63 games) is somewhat concerning. Is that fatigue, regression, scouting, or some combination of all? Will it seep into 2019? Either way, I’ll probably pass on him as a top-three overall option.

Javier Baez comes at a respectable discount from Ramirez and Altuve while profiling as a second-round lift. There’s a lot to like here, as the 26-year-old will try to notch his second-straight 30+ HR/20+ SB season. Oh, and he has never hit below .273 over his past three seasons (.290 last year). Baez comes as more of a value to the other members of this tier on draft day, and he’s a preferred early round target at this position. He probably won’t compete with Altuve in terms of average, but Baez could realistically beat him in every other major category.

Tier Two – Variety Hour

This tier basically comes down to what you are looking for. We went over Matt Carpenter and Daniel Murphy in the “1B Tiers” article, and the former makes for a 30+ HR candidate yet again. However, neither of those guys will give you much in the steals department.

Whit Merrifield finds himself on the opposite side of the spectrum as we expect 30-40 stolen bases and only 10-15 homers. The positional flexibility of Merrifield is certainly a plus, but you won’t get him at a discount with a full-priced ADP at 34. At 30 years old, you probably won’t find any upside beyond his 2018 numbers either.

Adalberto Mondesi is an exciting “semi-sleeper” who could conceivably contribute healthy totals in both the power and speed departments. He racked up 14 HR and 32 SB through just 75 games last year, but the 23-year-old doesn’t have a proven track record or much plate discipline for that matter. Still, he’s a plausible candidate for 20+ HR and 30-35+ SB in his first full Major League season. That’s not too far away from the top tier second basemen, although you’ll have to live with Mondesi’s lower average projected in the .240-.250 level along with the volatility of him not being such a sure thing.

Tier Three – Value Starters

It appears that 2017 wasn’t a fluke for Gennett, as he posted a serviceable line of 23 HRs and 92 RBIs while hitting .310 through 154 games last season. Serviceable? Okay, that’s pretty spectacular when you think about it. He’ll continue to benefit from a hitter-friendly ballpark, and there’s no red flag suggesting Gennett will regress too far. His average may slip closer to .280, but that’s about it. I’m content with his value at an ADP of 93.

The rest of this tier is more about personal preference. Travis Shaw is a solid candidate for 30 HR and 90 RBIs in a hitter-friendly park. He struggled mightily against left-handed pitching last season, so that would be a sore spot to work around in your daily lineups until he proves himself capable with that split.

Gleyber Torres has upside at age 22: debuting with 24 homers, 77 RBIs, and a respectable .271 average through 123 games last season. His 25.2% strikeout rate needs some work, but it’s nice to see that he posted solid numbers in 2018 despite that. Torres is not as proven as the rest of the guys in this tier, but he could come up big in his sophomore campaign. Playing half of his games in Yankee Stadium surrounded by bonafide superstars doesn’t hurt either.

Tier Four – Depth & Discounts

There’s certainly upside in this tier. Jonathan Villar will see the field every day for Baltimore, probably holding a premium lineup spot to boot. He’s still a threat for 30+ stolen bases even though it comes with subpar power (10-15 HR) and average (.250 or so). Villar is really nothing more than a second base filler to beef up your steals department, but 30-35 swiped bags is enticing this late in the draft. The same can be said for “tier-mate” Dee Gordon.

Rougned Odor isn’t the most exciting pick at second base, but he checks in with encouraging value at an ADP of 142. After smacking 30+ round-trippers in each of the past two seasons, Odor only posted 18 dingers through 535 at-bats last year. However, his average climbed to .253 with a higher walk-rate (8.0%) and run-scoring efficiency. Odor’s numbers will probably land close to his average over the past three years, and 25-30 HR upside with 80-85 RBIs this late in the draft isn’t too shabby (even if a .240-.250 average is attached).

Brian Dozier was terrible last season, but the main culprit was a bone bruise that is supposedly 100% healed right now. That doesn’t mean he’ll automatically get back to his 30-35 HR ways, but you aren’t crazy to hope for 25 HRs and 80-85 RBIs either. He holds a similar portfolio as Odor, but Dozier has a higher ADP at 129 – making the Texas second baseman a better value on paper.

It will take some time to get used to Robinson Cano donning a Mets’ uniform. Others seem more optimistic in the 36-year-old’s fantasy prospects, but he’s a reasonable depth candidate who could provide 20 HRs while maintaining a steady batting average around .280 to .290. Cano makes for a respectable pivot if you couldn’t snag any of your targets from the previous tier. Just don’t reach for him over any of those Tier Three players.

Tier Five – Boring but Stable

None of these players have much upside beyond their baseline projections. Jonathan Schoop is the only one who piques my interest in that category, as a change in scenery to Minnesota could bring him closer to the sweet .293 average, 32 HR, and 105 RBI totals from 2017. Fingers crossed.

Cesar Hernandez isn’t a bad filler for depth purposes, but what you see is what you get with a .265-ish average, 10-15 HR, (maybe) 80 runs, and 15-20 stolen bases. There’s room for a higher batting average if he doesn’t succumb to a slump like the second half of last season. We’ll need to see where he’s hitting in Philadelphia’s revamped lineup too.

Yoan Moncada is nothing more of a gamble in later rounds. The scouts gush over his elite power and speed, but that hasn’t translated to the Major League level yet. It’s hard to swallow the inflated 33.4% strikeout rate too. Because of this, Moncada is nothing more than a speculative add in hopes that he somehow flips the switch.

Tier Six – Roll the Dice

Garrett Hampson is a fantasy beast waiting to happen. He’s currently battling for the starting second base job in Colorado, so keep an eye on that development. If Hampson ends up in the Rockies’ opening lineup, fantasy backers will hope he can get off to a fast start to build staying power in the big leagues. He has elite speed with a .300+ average in every minor league season.

Key Takeaways

  • Javier Baez is the preferred elite pick while checking in at a discount from Jose Altuve and Jose Ramirez.
  • Adalberto Mondesi and Scooter Gennett offer upside at their respective ADP in the middle rounds, and they are certainly on my short list of targets.
  • More times than not, I find myself targeting the stable picks of Tier Three or Tier Four.
  • Jonathan Villar, Rougned Odor, Robinson Cano, and Cesar Hernandez are perfectly acceptable fallback options if you find yourself needing a second baseman later on.
  • Yoan Moncada, Jonathan Schoop, and Garrett Hampson are potential lottery tickets in the final rounds of standard drafts.

2019 First Base Rankings Tiers

Dominate with our award-winning fantasy baseball draft software


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | SoundCloud | Stitcher | TuneIn

Spencer Limbach is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Spencer, check out his archive and follow him @spencer_jl.

    Recent News

  1. Video: Updated Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings (2026)