Top 20 2nd Basemen for 2025 Fantasy Baseball, A Recap

We already went over the top 20 catchers and the top 20 1st basemen for 2025 fantasy baseball. Today, we dip our big toe into the top 20 2nd basemen pool. Make sure to go feet first here, because it’s shallow and I don’t want you cracking your medulla oblongata all over the place. The good news is it’s not the worst position, the bad news is it’s not much better. 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 (or at least the appearance of impartiality). Anyway, here’s the top 20 2nd basemen for 2025 fantasy baseball and how they compared to where I originally ranked them:

1. Brice Turang – Loved Turang coming into the year. Thought he was underrated, but to say this year was predictable makes you a big ol’ liar. He went from an outside chance for 10 homers and 60 steals to a 20/20 guy? Oh…[climbs to the top of the Empire State Building]…kay. Also, I think we should mention how awful the 2nd basemen were. They weren’t shallower than the catchers and 3rd basemen are actually worse later (we’ll get there), but the 2nd basemen were easily the worst at the top of the position. When I was in high school, I dated a girl who walked in while I was watching Jeopardy! (not a nerd at all), and she said, “What’s this? Geo-party?” Yes, pronouncing it Geo-party. Battle for the top of the 2nd basemen was a game of Jeopardy! with three of my high school girlfriends. Preseason Rank #7, 2025 Projections: 68/6/63/.256/42 in 531 ABs, Final Numbers: 97/18/81/.288/24 in 584 ABs

2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. – In fairness to Jazz, he really was the top 2nd baseman. He simply missed because of counting stats, due to his injury time. If you filled in for him even half-decently in your fantasy league, then you ended up with the best 2nd baseman. You had my high school girlfriend! By the way, this is not about the postseason, but Aaron Boone benching Jazz for Amed Rosario vs. a lefty was further proof of my theory that Boone can’t be fired by Cashman, because if Boone is then eyes move to Cashman next. Boone is The Buffer. As for Jazz, 30/30 this year and I think he’s 40/40 capable. Preseason Rank #3 for 3rd basemen, 2025 Projections: 87/29/90/.248/31 in 531 ABs, Final Numbers: 75/31/80/.242/31 in 462 ABs

3. Maikel Garcia – Prolly my best sleeper of the past year, which isn’t a great sign for last year’s sleepers, and even Maikel didn’t really do what I expected of him. This might be Confirmation Bias more than anything, but it seems that “fast” guys stole less bags this year and “slow” guys stole more. Maikel did succeed overall though, hitting ball harder, and upping his fly balls, which thankfully worked for him. In general, he hit the ball better, and more. Likely more of a 12-homer guy, but he’s still a 40-steal guy, if he’d just show it. Preseason Rank #18, 2025 Projections: 71/6/64/.266/34 in 567 ABs, Final Numbers: 81/16/74/.286/23 in 595

4. Ketel Marte – My “Jazz would’ve been the best 2nd baseman if he simply stayed healthy” statement could lose in an arm wrestling match to “Ketel would’ve been the best 2nd baseman if he simply stayed healthy.” They’re basically 1A/1B if both stayed healthy. Still not sure entirely how Ketel went from a 30-homer guy to a 12-homer guy back to a 30-homer guy, but he has. Preseason Rank #3, 2025 Projections: 91/25/80/.272/7 in 519 ABs, Final Numbers: 87/28/72/.283/4 in 480 ABs

5. Nico Hoerner – In a sea of unpredictability, Hoerner is the lighthouse guiding our way. His projections and end-of-the-year numbers? No surprises there! Only somewhat sad thing, Hoerner’s preseason rank was 11th overall for 2nd base, and somewhere along the way, we lost six guys out to sea. Watch out for the jetty! Watch for the lighthouse! Crap, now I’m gonna start calling Hoerner The Lighthouse and people in March are gonna be like, “What is this fool going on about now?” Preseason Rank #11, 2025 Projections: 79/8/53/.277/34 in 579 ABs, Final Numbers: 89/7/61/.297/29 in 599 ABs

6. Jose Altuve – The shortened 2020 season played havoc with some guys’ career numbers. Altuve has an outside chance at 3,000 hits, but that chance would be more, uh, inside, if 2020 was 162 games. No, I’m not just talking about a shortened season because it’s Altuve. Okay maybe. Preseason Rank #4, 2025 Projections: 91/22/62/.278/17 in 593 ABs, Final Numbers: 80/26/77/.265/10 in 588 ABs

7. Brandon Lowe – There was a moment in June when Lowe was at the top of the 2nd base class, then he faded in the 2nd half. First, because of power (one homer in July) and then average (.226 in August and .217 in September). One interesting takeaway is what I always say about punting shallower positions because if you can luck into the top guy at a position, why waste a top pick on a top guy? I.e., if you could “luck” into Raleigh or Turang (or Lowe, Maikel, Hoerner, etc.) then you bank a top guy at a deep position (Pete Alonso) and skip a top guy at a shallower position (William Contreras last year).  Doesn’t always work: Pass on the top catcher in the 3rd last year for a top outfielder (Jackson Merrill). Preseason Rank #25, 2025 Projections: 60/24/66/.236/3 in 371 ABs, Final Numbers: 79/31/83/.256/3 in 507 ABs

8. Jorge Polanco – You could’ve likely picked up Polanco in September. That’s not to say he was rostered in April thru August. No, he was available all year. That’s also not to say he wasn’t solid all those months. There is a certain affliction that affects fantasy baseballers (<–my mom’s term!) where they see a guy going well but assume it won’t continue so don’t pick him up, rather than picking him up until he’s no longer good. Remind me of this when I rank Polanco way too low next year. Preseason Rank #49, 2025 Projections: 47/15/54/.228/3 in 447 ABs, Final Numbers: 64/26/78/.265/6 in 471 ABs

9. Ceddanne Rafaela – His 2024 stats were 70/15/75/.246/19 in 544 ABs. Now look at his final stats. He’s Khris Davis but for every category. Preseason Rank #21, 2025 Projections: 67/17/71/.241/24 in 520 ABs, Final Numbers: 84/16/63/.249/20 in 546 ABs

10. Bryson Stott – He’s Maikel Garcia with ugly splits. Call him Maikel 2nd String Cheerleader. Preseason Rank #12, 2025 Projections:  66/12/61/.271/33 in 512 ABs, Final Numbers: 66/13/66/.257/24 in 499 ABs

11. Ozzie Albies – Felt like Albies disappointed, then I saw he had 600+ ABs and I started cackling, and I’m still cackling, days later. My family tried to get me to eat, but I can’t while cackling. Also, at the fear of cackling even more, the one stat negatively affected by ABs? Average, which was .240. He was basically–well, call him Dylan 400-Moore-At-Bats. Preseason Rank #2, 2025 Projections: 91/27/82/.267/15 in 571 ABs, Final Numbers: 74/16/74/.240/14 in 603 ABs

12. Gleyber Torres – He’s the most 17-homer guy you’re ever going to find, who’s never actually hit 17 homers. But he hit 38 homers in 2019 is so funny. That’ll never stop being funny. Preseason Rank #27, 2025 Projections: 76/17/58/.262/5 in 591 ABs, Final Numbers: 79/16/74/.256/4 in 532 ABs

13. Otto Lopez – This guy reminds me of what I was saying above about how fast players didn’t steal and slow players did. Also, didn’t mention this yet so here goes: Turang and Jazz were a tier, Maikel thru Lowe then JoPo and Ceddanne, Stott to Edwards, and finally everyone else. Lopez or Stott or Edwards? All kinda same diff. Preseason Rank #30, 2025 Projections: 61/10/51/.282/25 in 519 ABs, Final Numbers: 66/15/77/.246/15 in 544 ABs

14. Luis Garcia Jr. – I can’t keep up with whether he’s using Jr. or not. He regressed in every way this year, except I guess emotionally if he removed the Jr. Or maybe adding a Jr. shows growth? I don’t know, I am not a junior nor do I have one. Garcia Maybe Jr. was a sleeper that slept all right. He’s the problem with trusting a 20/20 guy. If they go 16/14, they become deathly boring. Preseason Rank #9, 2025 Projections: 69/20/74/.279/26 in 505 ABs, Final Numbers: 67/16/66/.252/14 in 488 ABs

15. Lenyn Sosa – Already went over him in the top 20 1st basemen for 2025 fantasy baseball.

16. Luis Arraez – Pretty close to nailing his ranking, but I have to be honest (arm twisted, “Why do I have to be honest?”) Arraez didn’t really do what I expected. His ability to make some of the most consistently terrible contact finally came back to haunt him. “Boo!” That’s him being haunted (by fans). Preseason Rank #15, 2025 Projections: 91/5/51/.322/10 in 617 ABs, Final Numbers: 66/8/61/.292/11 in 620 ABs

17. Xavier Edwards – Okay, I’m a broken record now, but he stole 31 bags last year in 265 ABs. Then 27 bags in 561 ABs? WDF for the classic what da fuq? Preseason Rank #17 for shortstops, 2025 Projections: 84/4/39/.286/36 in 546 ABs, Final Numbers: 75/3/43/.283/27 in 561 ABs

18. Jackson Holliday – There were moments during the season when I started to get excited for Holliday for 2026, but barely making the top 20 for the top 2nd basemen is like Hellmann’s touting itself as the 2nd best mayo. There is no third best mayo. One good thing for the O’s this season is they gave Holliday 586 ABs to see what he could do. Well, I guess “good” is relative there. Preseason Rank #17, 2025 Projections: 63/15/67/.257/12 in 437 ABs, Final Numbers: 70/17/55/.242/17 in 586 ABs

19. Xander Bogaerts – I don’t have much love for Bogaerts, but I’m going to say something somewhat nice for him and insulting to top 10 2nd basemen: If Bogaerts had 550 ABs and better counting stats, he’d be the 9th best 2nd baseman. Lowercase yay and uppercase WOOF. Preseason Rank #14, 2025 Projections: 71/16/64/.261/10 in 505 ABs, Final Numbers: 63/11/53/.263/20 in 491 ABs

20. Ernie Clement – That Ernie Clement made the top 20 2nd basemen is a bigger insult than I could ever levy. Y’all been levied! Preseason Rank #38 for shortstops, 2025 Projections: 53/10/55/.272/10 in 441 ABs, Final Numbers: 83/9/50/.277/6 in 545 ABs