More rankings! It’s what we’re good at.

This week we bring you second basemen, many of them, starting with #31 – #50.

Enjoy.

#31 – #40

Back in my early fantasy baseballin’ days (going on a cool 20+ years, wow how the time flies; I still remember being on study abroad in Ghana, adding Jon Papelbon when they named him Red Sox closer, from a computer lab on campus that was slower than dial-up, just praying it was too early in the day for my leaguemates, and it was), but I digress. Point being, looking in this range for a second baseman used to be my MO; 2B has typically been the weakest Fantasy position, after catcher, so the lower tiers can bring great values. This group of ten gives us a little of everything, prospects, possible bouncebacks, post-hype sleepers, what do you need? This tier has it.

Let’s jump in with our upside guys, starting with the Cubs’ James Triantos. Drafted in the 2^nd round back in 2021, Triantos made it to Triple-A last season, and a call to the big-league club in 2025 should be expected. Once he gets there, Triantos will bring speed (47 steals in 2024) and a good batting eye (career minor league strikeout rate of only 13.5%, a walk rate of 7.6%). Even with that lower walk rate, Triantos still produced a respectable .349 OBP thus far in the minors. Power is the only thing he doesn’t have; 24 homers in 1426 minor league plate appearances.

Two Pirates are in this grouping, Spencer Horwitz and Nick Gonzales. Horwitz is new to the team, as he ended the 2024 season as a Blue Jay, then was traded to Cleveland, and later to Pittsburgh, on December 10^th. Doesn’t everybody want to be wanted? Horwitz had a decent, under-the-radar, season for the Blue Jays, playing both first and second base, with little power and no speed, but a respectable .265/.357/.433 slash line in 2024. A 24^th round pick back in 2019, Horwitz will be in a platoon in Pittsburgh, as he excels against righties and doesn’t against lefties, so note that for weekly leagues.

Gonzales, on the other hand, was the 7^th overall pick in 2020, and was a top prospect for years, making an underwhelming debut in 2023. In 2024 he split time between Triple-A and the Majors, and did better than 2023; slashing .270/.311/398 with seven homers, five steals and 91 R+RBI in 387 plate appearances. The walk rates he posted in the minors (12.2% in 1000+ PA) haven’t shown at the big-league level (4.7%), nor has the power; he had a .905 career minor league OPS, and .686 thus far in the bigs. There is definitely room for improvement, and that makes him a cheap target this offseason.

A guy I missed on big time last season was the Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman…and I’m ready to get my heart broken again. Gorman has a 34.1% K rate in 1179 big league plate appearances over the past 3 seasons, and that is simply crushing his batting average (bottoming out last season at .203, and with an average that low, it doesn’t matter how much he walks (10% clip), his OBP is barely .300. The positives are the homers, 60 already in his career, and if you like Barrel %, well, he’s got a good one. The power is tantalizing, but the Cardinals won’t be good in 2025, so less R+RBI, and how long of a leash will he get? Well, maybe longer than we think; Cards GM said they want to see Gorman get 600 ABs…as a glutton for punishment, I’m back in for one more merry-go-round.

Gorman’s teammate Brendan Donovan had a productive slash line season in 2024; producing a .278/.342/.417 line to go with 14 homers, five steals and 138 Runs+RBI. This feels like his ceiling, although he is only 28-years-old. Donovan qualifies in the outfield as well, so a good utility player fill-in. Another guy who also qualifies in the outfield (and third base too) is the Rays’ Christopher Morel. Morel had just a bad a season in 2024 as he had a good one in 2025; that nets to a league-average player. He also has major split issues against left-handers, but he did improve his K and walk rates in 2024, and he’s only 25, so there may be room for improvement, but I’m not betting on it.

The Padres Jake Cronenworth is the definition of a league average player, but he qualifies at two positions (1B as well) and has typically yielded a high amount of Runs+RBI  Expect 17-ish homers, 5-ish steals, 170+ Runs+RBI, and a .240/.330/.390 slash and you won’t be disappointed. Take note that Cronenworth has value in deeper leagues, especially ones that start Middle Infielders. The Reds have so many options for lineups it’s hard to gauge Gavin Lux for 2025 and beyond, just know I’ve been avoiding.

We might see former Yankees prospect and current Brewers one Caleb Durbin manning the keystone in Milwaukee sooner than later, if the Brew Crew moves current 2B Brice Turang over to shortstop.; if so, he plays well in OBP leagues and could steal 30+ bases, just don’t expect a lot of power. Only 20 years old, Mariners prospect Michael Arroyo has been very productive thus far as he climbs the minor league ranks; he’s looking to debut in 2026 or 27, so not soon, but with a career-low wRC+ of 118, he projects to have both power and speed, but, as many do, has to watch the Ks. Get in on him sooner rather than later.

(Phil Barrington)

#41 – #50

Demetrio Crisantes is climbing up the prospect ranks thanks to his patient approach at the plate and excellent bat-to-ball skills. Crisantes impressed through 92 total games in 2024. He slashed .341/.429/.492 while hitting six triples and seven home runs, stealing 30 stolen bases on 33 attempts. Crisantes will need to add some muscle at 6’0” and 178 pounds and has an aggressive approach on the base paths that will likely not transfer up the ranks. But where he lacks in size, he makes up for with his bat and smarts. Crisantes will carry a 57-game on-base streak into next season and continue to turn heads. Likely already owned in deeper formats and still a few years away, Crisantes is a player to add to your watchlist.

Last year’s trade of Nick Yorke to the Pirates may mean he will not be at second base for long. With Nick Gonzalez likely to get the first crack at everyday playing time, Yourke may need to work the outfield to find a roster spot. Yorke found a pair of home runs in his 2024 cup of coffee, but do not expect more than 13 home runs with his 8% – 10% launch angle. Yorke’s profile does not suggest a ton of speed, but his small sample size showed 90th percentile sprint speed. We should expect Yorke to be a ten-home run, ten-stolen base type player, leaving him only deep league relevant or very short-term roster plug-in a daily moves league. Not a target in 10 or 12-team leagues, Yorke may only be an option at the middle infield positions for leagues 15 teams or larger.  

The Gaurdians’ current number four MLB Pipeline prospect, Angel Genao, is a switch hitter who relies on his hit tool and speed over power to succeed. With a good eye at the plate, Genao puts the bat on the ball and will use all fields. Genao will not offer much in the power department, but he continues to increase his hard-hit ability. The potential to reach as high as 15 home runs and chip in 20-plus stolen bases is not out of the question. For now, Genaos’ offensive statistics will not play in shallow leagues, but his defensive skills will keep him on the field and valuable in deeper formats. 

We may have seen José Caballero’s peak season in 2024. Caballero’s 44 stolen bases led the American League, but his 16 caught-stealing events tied Elly De La Cruz for the league lead. Caballero also saw his everyday playing time shrink in the second half of 2024, playing only 60 games and starting 49 with the return of Taylor Walls and end of season call-up of Junior Caminero. Caballero does make the most of each time he gets on base, slashing .227/.283/.347 is a product of his well below-average 83.7 MPH exit velocity, 5.1% barrel rate, 69.7 MPH bat speed, Caballero is likely to be used in pinch-running situations in 2025.  If you hold Caballero and can find someone who wants him, now would be a good time to move off.

Willie Castro has been very consistent with his offensive statistics. Eligible at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield, Willie’s statistics will not wow you, but last year’s 635 plate appearances were a big plus in deeper leagues. He posted a career-best 89 runs, 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and a slash line of .247/.331/.385. Increases in his exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate year over year suggest that Castro could add more home runs in 2025. Castro also registered a 90th percentile launch angle sweet spot percentage and has increased his pull percentage to 40.4% on batted balls. Projecting to bat in the leadoff spot for the Twins will also provide a few extra stolen bases opportunities and could be some sneaky value with his multi-position versatility. 

Michael Massey’s 2025 value has more questions than answers. Roster Resource has him playing in a strong-side platoon at second base. With the signing of Johnathan India, the 2025 Royals depth chart could be very fluid. Massey hit 14 home runs in his 356 plate appearances with only part-time play, we can expect the same for 2025 unless a potential shift to the outfield opens up more playing time for Massey. Over the past three seasons, he’s also brought his K-rate down from 23.7% in 2022 to 15.7% in 2024. Massey has brought his average exit velocity up to a career average of 88.9 MPH and has had a consistent 18.0-degree launch angle, suggesting that he is learning how to use his hit tools and take advantage of the pitches provided to him. Massey is also very consistent amongst all pitches but tends to chase sliders. He will not be a league winner, but consistent results and the 2024 endorsement of Royals General Manager J.J. Picollo could lead to more playing time. He could be valuable in large-roster, 12-team or deeper leagues.

Is Vaughn Grissom just a quad-A player? He’s been unable to translate his minor-league success to the majors and has declined since he debuted in 2022. While Grissom’s strikeout rate remains around 20% between the major and minors, his walk rate between the majors and minors is drastically different at 15.4% in triple-A and only 6.1% at the major-league level in 2024. His Statcast numbers also show below-average velocity, barrel percentages, and hard-hit percentages combined with a low 7.8% launch angle. If you have been holding onto him, you might as well see what happens with playing time in Boston. If you are taking a chance on Grissom, trying to get him a throw-in player for deeper league formats is appropriate.                                                            

Edouard Julien was a top prospect in the Twin’s organization, but his shine seems to have worn off. After a strong rookie showing in 2023, he struggled to get on base in 2024. With a strikeout rate climbing to 33.9%, and an increase to 30.9% for his whiff rate, Julien struggled mightily with offspeed and breaking pitches in 2024. Julien took advantage of the fastballs he saw, posting a .301 batting average over the 362 pitches compared to a .040 over 142 curveballs. Overall, Julien slashed .199/.292/.323 over his 301 plate appearances with seven of his eight home runs coming before his demotion to A ball in June. Deep league prospectors may want to take a chance on acquiring Julien on the cheap, but he will likely be used as a strong side platoon bat even if he manages to find his swing during the off-season.

Sal Stewart is a quick-footed and athletic profile with great bat skills and projectable power. he’s 2024 season ended short with a wrist injury in July which required surgery to remove a tendon. With Stewart being cleared to play, he will look to build off his 2024 season in the power department having the potential for a 20 home run season in 2025.. Stewart also walks as much as he strikes out and is great with the bat, spraying the ball to all fields making him a great option in OBP leagues. Originally drafted as a third baseman, the Reds split his time between second and third in 2024 and this versatility should help Stewart move through the system. Likely three years away from the majors, he is a good second baseman to prospect on in deeper leagues. 

Thomas Saggese continues to grow into his power and could become a good second base option, though he does not walk much which hurts in OBP leagues. After a small sip of coffee in 2024, he will not likely be the full-time second baseman for the Cardinals but is projected to be on the roster in 2025. Nolan Gorman’s hot and cold play could lead to more at-bats this season and Saggese has had solid defensive play at second base making him a solid candidate for playing time. His max exit velocity also continues to rise, however, his average exit velocity, launch angle, and hard hit percentage all dipped in 2024. ZIPS projects Saggese for 15-17 home runs and seven stolen bases, with around a .247/.297/.396 slash line over the next three seasons. Saggese could be a late-round second base score for this season if he can overtake Gorman and be the everyday second baseman for the Cardinals. 

(Donovan Miller)