Points Leagues: June Infield Rankings

It’s the start of a new month, which means it’s time to take a look at the positional rankings again. One thing I think it is worth noting before we get into this is that these are not power rankings in response to who has been the best so far. As a result, there will be some underperformers who rank higher than their production might seem to warrant so far, and some overachievers who come in lower than what they’ve done. For example, Xavier Edwards has been fantastic for the Marlins to this point. As you will see, he is ranked higher than he was at the start of the season, or even last month. But do I think he’s going to be a top-3 SS the rest of the season? I do not. Hence, he will not be ranked that high. This might all seem obvious, but it also seems worth clarifying.

Also, for the most part, you will not find injured players included in these lists. However, as you will see, there are a few exceptions. Why? I don’t have a great answer other than it’s dependent on a combination of the player, the injury, and the position as a whole. For example, the absence of a couple particular catchers looms much larger over the landscape of that position than Munetaka Murakami‘s absence does at 1B. Or, Francisco Lindor is clearly well within the top-10 at SS when he’s healthy, but we don’t know when he’s going to be back, and there are more players at that position worth your time than the 15 spots I’ve set aside to rank.

With that all said, let’s start our journey around the bases.

Catcher

• I typically avoid including players currently on the IL in these rankings, particularly when there’s no clear timetable for their return. Baldwin and Raleigh, however, are just too good to pretend like they don’t exist. Granted, Raleigh hasn’t played like it when healthy this year, but I still expect him to be good once he returns. Whenever that is.
• Basallo has been about as good as advertised, and he was advertised as being really, really good. So why is he this low? Blame the Orioles for not playing him against lefties. In roto it might be to his benefit, as it protects his average from taking a hit. But points leagues require volume, and for as good as he is, he’s just not getting quite enough of it. If that changes, he could push for the top five.

First Base

• Has Vlad earned this ranking based on his performance to date? No. But as stated above, these rankings are meant to be a guide going forward, not a power ranking of what’s happened so far. So while he’s dropped a little from where he started the season, I’m not prepared to just write him off. Someone else at this position has shown why that is over the last month. Be frustrated at what you’ve gotten, for sure. But do not forsake hope that better times are ahead.
• This is higher than you’ll find Yandy in most rankings lists, but most rankings lists aren’t made for points leagues. He’s always been better in this format, and this season is no exception. He’s good.
• Devers is an example of why I hesitate to bury Vlad. Last month I dropped him way down, and all he’s done since then is look more like the guy we’re used to. He only moved back up a couple spots this month, but that’s more of a testament to how good this position is than anything. That and the strikeouts. Those are a problem.
• Vargas this high might be something of a homer pick, but he’s been the third-highest scorer at the position. Do I expect him to continue producing at that level? Obviously not, as I have him 11th. But the vibes are better than they’ve been since Yermin Mercedes hit that one homer against a position player back in 2021, and Vargas has been a big part of that. Vibes alone won’t keep him putting up points, but the plate discipline will.
• Arraez started the year slow, as did most of the Giants. He’s been more like what you expect recently. In leagues that heavily penalize strikeouts, move him up a few spots because he simply doesn’t do that.

Second Base

• Ketel took a little while to get going. Now that he has, he is smoking hot. That’s the standout you drafted.
• Drop Jazz down several places in leagues that count Ks as -1. You may even consider benching him. Remember when he said he was going to go 50/50 this season?
• Bazzana has been excellent since getting the call up to the big club. If he can improve his Barrel%, which has been very bad so far, he could rise even higher.
• Like at 1B, bump Arraez up in a scoring system like ESPN’s.
• Did you know Clement has 4 homers over the last month? He only had 6 all last season. Don’t expect the power to continue, but the constant contact should continue to make him an underrated option in points leagues.

Third Base

• What was said about moving Jazz down and Clement up in certain leagues is just as true at 3B as it is at 2B.
• Manny has been bad this season, there’s no way around it. He does have 10 HR, and the walk rate is decent, but everything else looks pretty rough. But does that mean I think he’s going to be worse than Vargas or Muncy the rest of the way? Not yet. He’s been super frustrating, I know. Bench him if you want, but I’m not ready to write him off yet.
• Duran is someone I really just wanted to include as a way to recognize how productive he’s been. He’s actually been top-5 over the last month at 2B, 3B, and SS, and just outside the top-10 at 1B. If you picked him up, he has been incredibly useful. I don’t quite understand how he’s been doing it, as nothing in his metrics jumps out as being particularly good. They’re all better than they were the last couple of seasons, but it’s still a lot of blue on his Savant page. Sometimes you just have to ride the hot hand while it’s hot, and be ready to jump off if things take a turn.

Shortstop

• This was written after Elly left Sunday’s game with a hamstring issue, but before word came down on how bad it is. I am assuming he’ll be headed to the IL, but hopefully it’s a short-term stay and not a month or more.
• Believe me, I know Gunnar has been bad. But I refuse to believe he’s just a .219 hitter going forward. Gunnar, please don’t be a .219 hitter going forward. Oh, and for as bad as he’s been, he’s still been top-10 at the position. Behold, the power of home runs!
• Last year, Trea was a top-5 SS, which was not an unfamiliar finish for him. This year, you might as well have used Brooks Lee instead, and it’s not because Lee has been a must-start. The sprint speed is still elite, and his average exit velocity is actually slightly up from last year, so it’s not like his athleticism has fallen off a cliff. And yet, absolutely everything else has been worse. He could make having him this low look really dumb come July.