We already went over the top 20 catchers and the top 20 1st basemen for 2015 fantasy baseball. Today, we dip our big toe into the top 20 2nd basemen pool. Okay, it was actually a lukewarm puddle where lots of amoebas grew, and I don’t mean a giant San Francisco-based record store where the cashiers know more about an REM B-side from their unreleased first album than hygiene. It’s a little scary, for unstints (how I say it), that there were only six 2nd basemen that you wanted to own all year, and even the sixth man (not Marlon Wayans) had his share of “Meh, I guess he’s okay.” Pretty appropriate that the first 2nd baseman off the board in a lot of leagues didn’t even make the year-end top 20. Thank you very much, Anthony Rendon! To recap this crap (rhyme points!), this final ranking for last year is from our Fantasy Baseball Player Rater with my comments. The Player Rater allows me to be impartial while looking at how I ranked them in the preseason. Anyway, here’s the top 20 2nd basemen for 2015 fantasy baseball and how they compared to where I originally ranked them:
1. Dee Gordon – Huge power year from Gordon. This year’s home run total from Gordon is as much as combining his 2012, 2013 and 2014 homer totals. If Bautista did that, he would’ve hit 90 homers this year, and we’d be wondering if cortisone was really a steroid, Grey says with his tongue in cheek. I also said, “Mmrfump arfether,” with my tongue in my cheek, but my mouth was closed. Gordon led the majors in steals and the NL in average. Well, la di da! Something JB and I talk about on the year-end podcast that’s coming this week (maybe next; we’re free-flowing in the offseason like when you have no clean underwear), there were fewer 30-steal guys this year than any year I can remember (7), but maybe my memory isn’t so good. Preseason Rank #4, 2015 Projections: 86/1/29/.263/55, Final Numbers: 88/4/46/.333/58
2. Jose Altuve – I pretty much nailed Altuve’s projections and ranking this year –> Grey’s reaching new heights, unlike Altuve! Though, Altuve showed a lot more power than I thought was possible. Why does the song, “An Ant Can’t Lift A Rubber Treet Plant,” come to mind? Preseason Rank #2, 2015 Projections: 78/8/55/.306/39, Final Numbers: 86/15/66/.313/38
3. Mookie Betts – I want this guy so bad for 2016 already, I can’t. I seriously can’t. I full-on cannot. I am unable. Able just walked out the exit in a David Lynch movie and disappeared into the ether and now we’re left with unable. Preseason Rank #14, 2015 Projections: 68/9/37/.292/18, Final Numbers: 92/18/77/.291/21
4. Matt Carpenter – A quick word about projecting stats. Ks are the easiest for pitchers. K-rates stay fairly normal. For hitters, steals and homers stay pretty normal. So, when I say I was off on Carpenter’s power, I mean I was really3 off. Everyone was. I bet not one single projections system came within ten homers of Carpenter’s final power output of 28 homers. Forty percent of his homers were of the Just Enough variety, which is above the 30% normal rate. His fly ball rate went from 35% to 41%; his HR/FB% went from 4.7% to 15.8% (that’s goofy) and his ground balls nearly disappeared. It’s rare a 29-year-old changes his approach completely, but that’s exactly what he did. Now whether he continues to do it will be something for January Grey. Preseason Unranked for 2nd basemen due to eligibility, 2015 Projections: 87/12/77/.281/3, Final Numbers: 101/28/84/.272/4
5. Brian Dozier – Here’s another guy (with Carpenter) who saw a large uptick in power. Actually, just looking at the first five guys here and 2nd base is awesome! *looks at the next five names* 2nd base is okay! *looks at the next ten names* 2nd base is feces! Preseason Rank #5, 2015 Projections: 89/19/67/.246/15, Final Numbers: 101/28/77/.236/12
6. Ian Kinsler – Gut Call Alert! Kinsler’s runs, RBIs and average this past year are disguising the last decent year of his career. Preseason Rank #7, 2015 Projections: 83/15/77/.269/15, Final Numbers: 94/11/73/.296/10
7. Brandon Phillips – Another huge bounce back season for a Reds vet (thinking of Votto)…and Frazier did well. So, where the hell did the Reds go wrong this year? Besides, doing away with private property. Oh, man, that pitching staff is ugly. Okay, fair enough, smarter side of my brain. Preseason Rank #23, 2015 Projections: 64/10/67/.251/3, Final Numbers: 69/12/70/.294/23
8. DJ LeMahieu – It wouldn’t blow your mind if I told you he hit 40 points higher at home, would it? Every time DJ Mario LeMahieu is home it’s a power play. Look at Grey busting hockey knowledge! For more from someone who actually knows something, check out our fantasy hockey section. (Clickbait!) Preseason Rank #38, 2015 Projections: 62/7/56/.262/12, Final Numbers: 85/6/61/.301/23
9. Robinson Cano – I told everyone to avoid him in the preseason, saying he was overrated, and he did even worse than I thought he would in three of five categories, but (will this sentence ever end?) he still had a decent 2nd half which makes him feel less disappointing than he likely was, especially (end this sentence please!) if someone bought him low around the All-Star break. Preseason Rank #3, 2015 Projections: 82/19/92/.305/7, Final Numbers: 82/21/79/.287/2
10. Matt Duffy – Look at his end-of-the-season stats at the end of this blurb. Now, if his batting average was .7712, I would’ve got so spooked I would’ve ran off with a gang of Moonies. Duffy is the first, and really only completely out of nowhere player. I mean, Forsythe was terrific and unranked by me, but he had been in the league and everyone that wanted to know him, knew him (he’s very quick and open about replying to fan letters). Duffy came completely out of nowhere. He hit 12 homers. In around three-quarters of a season last year in Double-A, he only hit three homers. That’s some serious Maas appeal. Some players say when they get in the zone, the pitched ball appears to be the size of a beach ball. Duffy must’ve been seeing Bochy’s head out there. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 77/12/77/.295/12
11. Jason Kipnis – Here’s a likely reason that some people lost their leagues, because Kipnis was so good in the 1st half, you prolly ignored a lot of the symptoms of garbage in the 2nd half. Symptoms of Garbage was also my high school punk band. You might remember us from the lead single, “My Parent$ Are Facist$.” Preseason Rank #6, 2015 Projections: 81/15/70/.261/24, Final Numbers: 86/9/52/.303/12
12. Logan Forsythe – I grabbed Logan in my 15-team NFBC league super late. How’s that Forsythe?! I grabbed him simply because I liked his eligibility. Tut, tut, don’t be specific, they’ll never know. Unless they read that last part. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 69/17/68/.281/9
13. Neil Walker – Funny thing (completely unfunny), I nailed Walker’s projections, but if you would throw out like two weeks when he was hot, he would’ve ended up with about 10 homers and a giant nogoodnik button. Don’t make me get out the nogoodnik button. Preseason Rank #11, 2015 Projections: 72/17/77/.270/2, Final Numbers: 69/16/71/.269/4
14. Kolten Wong – I had a major wang for Wong this past preseason, and now I’m left with a bone to pick. In 113 games in 2014, he had 12 HRs and 20 SBs. He missed both of those marks in almost forty more games. I need to reevaluate liking any middle infielder ever. Preseason Rank #8, 2015 Projections: 84/18/60/.278/24, Final Numbers: 71/11/61/.262/15
15. Danny Valencia – I’m pretty sure he is ranked this high because of about a two-week time frame where he was ownable when, most everyone, didn’t even own him. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 59/18/66/.290/2
16. Justin Turner – It’s fair to say if Mattingly knew how well Turner was doing, he wouldn’t have played him as much. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 55/16/60/.294/5
17. Ben Zobrist – Came pretty close to nailing his preseason projections and, boy, are those numbers ugly. Preseason Rank #20, 2015 Projections: 77/12/49/.268/10, Final Numbers: 76/13/56/.276/3
18. Daniel Murphy – In the preseason, people are like, “I’m just gonna take Murphy and his counting stats and get my power and speed elsewhere.” If you draft and/or hold any player this low in the rankings, you’re not going to win your league, unless it’s an NL or AL-Only league. Preseason Rank #13, 2015 Projections: 82/10/58/.284/10, Final Numbers: 56/14/73/.281/2
19. Asdrubal Cabrera – How about them Rays middle infielders with two in the top 20? Three if you count Longoria who hit like a middle infielder. Preseason Rank #21, 2015 Projections: 67/15/63/.246/11, Final Numbers: 66/15/58/.265/6
20. Brett Lawrie – Hopefully you see Lawrie after Asdrubal and some other schmohawks above and it sinks in subconsciously when you’re looking at Lawrie in your drafts next year. If you have any hope for Lawrie next year, you’re officially the last one. That includes his parents. Preseason Rank #18, 2015 Projections: 54/14/62/.267/6, Final Numbers: 64/16/60/.260/5
