Revisiting The Semi-Wasteland Of 2B: Finding Value At A Less Than Stellar Position

This week’s article is going to take a look at my updated top 20 ranking list for 2B-eligible players. After 2 months of play, we can make real assessments of player performances and whether or not we can trust what we see. While 2B is widely seen as an overall weak position for our fantasy needs, plenty of value can be found, sometimes in some unexpected places.  

All stats referenced are as of end of day on Tuesday, 6/3/25. 

Rank (as of 4/17/25 middle infield initial rankings) in parentheses:

 

Biggest Riser: Jackson Holliday

Biggest Faller: Marcus Semien

1.  Ketel Marte (1)

Ketel Marte is incredibly frustrating to roster. He’s going to miss time – that’s just part of who he is. But when in the lineup, if he provides these types of Statcast metrics, you might just get over your frustration. 1.  

Marte probably isn’t worth the RD 2 draft cost that drafters were paying this winter and spring, but he is the most impactful of the 2B options. He has made himself a dependable source of what I covet – power and AVG. The one performance concern I had going into this season was whether he could maintain his power gains from last year. His HH% of 51%, his Barrel% of 15.7%, and his EV of 92.2 mph all suggest that last year’s power increase is real. And his xBA of .330 tells you all you need to know about how well he’s hitting the ball. Oddly, Marte’s BABIP of .272 is 22 points lower than his actual AVG of .294. If he were to continue that trend – and I don’t think he will – this season would be the first of his career when his BABIP wasn’t higher than his AVG. More likely, however, once Marte’s BABIP stabilizes more positively, his AVG will go up as well. If this guy could stay on the field, what would be the ceiling?

2.  Jazz Chisholm Jr. (N/R due to position eligibility)

I should have ranked Jazz Chisholm Jr. on my previous 2B list, but I had missed that he had already earned 2B eligibility. Although he missed significant time due to his last injury, his upside is hard to ignore. His AVG may drive you a little crazy, but his HRs and SBs will likely make you feel much better about it. 25 HRs and 30 SBs are a completely reasonable expectation as long as he can stay healthy. Ay, there’s the rub!

3.  Nico Hoerner (6)

Nico Hoerner continues to hit, and hit, and hit. His whiff, K, and square up rates (all in the 98th+ percentile) explain why that is: he doesn’t miss pitches, and he hits the ball exactly in the way he’s trying to hit it. He isn’t trying to hit with power, and as a Cubs fan, I will say that I really don’t want him to. He is extremely valuable in his current form as a guy who is often on base, and when he gets on base, he’s a continual threat to steal a bag (or two) and score a run. Fill up the stat sheet, Nico.

4.  Jose Altuve (5)

Not too long ago, I saw someone on Bluesky post something about how it’s time to get over our distaste for Jose Altuve. Nah, I’m not there. While I’m not a fan of the steroid era (though watching those bombs being hit was fun), I don’t hold too much ill will against the PED users of the late 1990s and early 2000s because the cheating was so widespread. But trash cans? I have no doubt other franchises have come up with ways to tiptoe around the rules to their advantage, but the Astros were so blatant in their disregard for fair play that I can’t get past it.

Especially when you consider: Jose Altuve is really, really good. The man doesn’t need a trash can to hit. I want him to be bad, but he just won’t do it. While at first glance, this season may be off to a slow start, his counting stats are on pace to finish up somewhere around 22-25 HR, 70-80 R, 55-60 RBI, and 12-15 SB. Those aren’t MVP numbers, but with the exception of the Rs pace, it’s comparable to previous seasons. He continues to age gracefully and provide meaningful stats, so I continue to hold my nose and roster him when given the opportunity.

5.  Jordan Westburg (4)

Jordan Westburg’s 2025 has been injury-plagued so far. I thought his mysterious “upper body injury” was the reason for his struggles for the first month, and then he missed all of May due to a hamstring injury. Now that he is closing in on a return, I suspect he’ll bounce back just fine, but the “injury prone” label is kind of looking more and more applicable. 

As far as performance goes, my expectations for him haven’t changed since my initial middle infield ranks. If he can get healthy, I think he’ll have a big final 4 months.

6.  Brice Turang (9)

Brice Turang hit 3 HRs within the first 2 ½ weeks of the season; almost 2 months later, he has 4 HRs total. His bright red Statcast page that I referenced in my 4/17/25 article is now more like a light brick red. But, to be fair, there is still quite a lot of reddish color there. I’m impressed with the way Turang’s hard hit metrics have stayed strong, nearly 15% higher than his 2024 percentage. His EV is up 4.7 mph from last year, and he’s increased his Barrel% by 5%. His changes to make more authoritative contact seem real, making him a more productive – and valuable – player. His current .271 AVG is fully supported by his .276 xBA. Hit the ball better, get better results.

That means that Turang might not be the one-trick pony I thought he was. Yes, he offers tremendous speed, but his increase in batted ball quality means that he is also going to be a real contributor in AVG. It also means he’ll be on base more consistently, so he’ll score more Rs. I’m in. Let’s keep our HR expectations in check – he isn’t going to hit 25 HRs, but his Razzball rest of season projections put him at final numbers around 10 HR, 80 R, 65 RBI, and 35 SB. Those numbers represent significant value. I apologize, Brice Turang. Well done, sir.

7.  Matt McLain (2)

I still believe in Matt McLain, but I recognize it’s getting harder to play him. You might remember that I say some version of this every week: a player who has plate discipline as bad as McLain’s (31% K%, 32% CSW% – yikes) is a player who is destined to go through ugly slumps. His xBA of .206 says the problem with his AVG is real, but his BABIP being 67 to 196 points lower than every stop of his minor and major league career also suggests that luck is playing a part, too. His HH% is better than it was in 2023 (by 3.5%), as is his EV (by .5 mph). His main problem seems to be the number of flyballs he’s hitting, which is up 11.3% from 2023 while both his GB% and LD% are down by 5-6%. His chase rate and various contact rates are all virtually identical to his 2023 season. 

This is who McLain is. Don’t be surprised if he just magically locks in and goes on a crazy hot run where he looks like the best player in the game. Matt McLain in a head-to-head league is maddening to roster as you will need to try to gauge what kind of streak he’s on before putting him in your lineup, but if you play in any type of roto league, just close your eyes and let things happen.

8.  Jackson Holliday (20)

I previously ranked Jackson Holliday 20th on the list, more out of belief in his promise than anything he had accomplished. He looks like he’s starting to grow into what his prospect hype suggested he might. Take a look at all of the red on his Statcast page. I think a 20 HR / 20 SB season is more likely than his projections currently suggest. I’m in.

9.  Gleyber Torres (N/R, Honorable Mention)

I was hesitant to buy back in on Gleyber Torres: last year was rough, and the move to Detroit felt like a bit of a desperation option that could have easily backfired due to power limitations imposed by Comerica Park. My bad – I was clearly wrong.

I’ve pointed out Gleyber’s strong performance so far this season on a couple of occasions now (see my articles on 4/17/25 and 5/29/25), and it’s time to get him on this list. Yes, his power will fall victim to Comerica limiting his HR upside to probably around 20. But he might just be using his home park’s large outfield to help his hitting ability. He looks like the old Gleyber, and I have him rostered and starting everywhere I can.

10.  Maikel Garcia (19)

While Maikel Garcia’s .313 AVG is likely to drop, his xBA of .284 suggests the AVG is more real than not. I am impressed with the quality of Garcia’s contact: a Squared-Up% of 34.7 puts him in the 93rd percentile. His plate discipline metrics are much more impressive than I initially expected, and though Garcia is surprisingly not all that fast (27.6 ft/s), no one doubts his ability to steal bags. I underestimated what kind of numbers he could put up, but my current thoughts are right in line with the Razzball rest of season projection that would have him end up at a .268 AVG with 10 HRs and 30 SBs. By any measure, this guy was a steal at his draft price.

11.  Brendan Donovan (N/R, Honorable Mention)

A completely unsung hero, but man, this guy just finds a way to do what the Cardinals need him to do. His plate discipline continues to be top notch, and he’s hitting the ball harder than in previous seasons. His .321 AVG looks real, and his consistent lineup spot in the 3-hole basically guarantees plenty of Rs. I didn’t think I’d have him this high, but he’s doing the types of things that appeal most to me. Welcome to the top 15, Mr. Donovan.

12.  Luis Garcia Jr. (15)

Luis Garcia Jr. is a heck of a player: he offers legitimate power, impressive plate discipline, and more speed than I gave him credit for in my initial middle infield rankings. I’m still a little concerned about his shaky SB success rate, but Dave Martinez seems comfortable with Garcia running. The one problem is his team doesn’t believe he can hit LHP, and he hasn’t done anything to disprove that. While he continues to be such a platoon risk, his upside is limited. But a player who can provide a .265 AVG with 15-20 HR, 70 R & RBI, and 15-20 SB is welcome on my roster.

13.  Tommy Edman (12)

It’s hard to get a sense of what to expect from Tommy Edman since he missed so much of May due to injury. He still looks to be on a legitimate 20 HR / 20 SB pace even with the missed time. Until he shows me something different, I’m still bought in. His drop to 13 isn’t so much his fall as other players’ gains.

14.  Ozzie Albies (3)

I thought Ozzie Albies would storm back with a vengeance this year, but instead he’s entered with more of a whimper. While his plate discipline in most ways looks nearly identical to last year’s, he is swinging less often when the pitch is in the zone (down 6.1%), and he continues to hit the ball with very little authority. His 2025 HH% is a woeful 27.1%, down almost 5% from last year’s disappointing one that was already down nearly 7% from his last quality season in 2023. I’m not exactly ready to say he’s broken, but if someone in my league thinks he will bounce back and wants to give me trade value based on Albies’s previous career performance, I would gratefully accept that offer very quickly.

15.  Bryson Stott (14)

Bryson Stott continues to lead off vs. RHP, and he’s getting to face more LHP than I expected. He seems in good shape to accrue 600-650 PAs, with most of them coming from the top of a strong lineup. Give me his not-so-great 10-12 HRs if it means 80-85 Rs and 25-30 SBs. I wish I had drafted more shares. The only reason he isn’t above Albies is that Stott will likely get significantly fewer PAs and RBIs. Like Edman, the only reason for his small dip in the rankings is other players’ gains.

16.  Xander Bogaerts (10)

Xander Bogaerts’s brand of oatmeal has been rather flavorless this year. I’m worried that the decline phase of his career may be starting up, but nothing in his underlying stats jumps out to say for sure. He continues to contribute with his legs, and his underlying metrics suggest he’s been a bit unlucky with his .241 AVG. I think he’ll level out back toward .260 and find a way to 15 HRs. That plus his standard contribution of Rs and RBIs and his pace of 20-25 SBs suggest he’s still going to provide plenty of value, boring though it may be.

17.  Brandon Lowe (17)

Brandon Lowe is smoking the ball and regularly clearing the fence, just like he’s supposed to. His mediocre to downright bad contact skills make him a slump waiting to happen, but when he’s hot, he can carry your run production categories. The likelihood of a .230 AVG keeps me from putting him higher on the list, but I’m more than happy to have him as my 2B.

18.  Otto Lopez (16)

Otto Lopez, like Tommy Edman, missed much of May due to injury, so it’s hard to get a true sense of what to expect from him. He’s currently on a 15 HR / 15 SB pace, and while I suspect his power results might dip, I equally expect his SB pace will get better. I also expect his AVG to level out based on his previous results. If he finishes with a .260 AVG, 12 HR, 60 R & RBI, 25 SB, that will be just fine with me.

19.  Luis Arraez (18)

Luis Arraez’s lack of counting stats makes him a less-than-ideal option on many fantasy teams. But if you drafted your team in such a way that you have power covered and just need some help in AVG and Rs, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than Arraez. Pro tip: due to his low walk rate, your team gets even more ABs supported by good AVG without the empty OBP (at least as far as most fantasy leagues are concerned) that can come from walks.

20.  Kristian Campbell (8)

Baseball is hard. And MLB pitchers are really good. So it’s no surprise that Kristian Campbell’s amazing start has been almost completely reversed. But the Red Sox seem to be sticking with him – he continues to play almost every day – and until they quit believing in him, I’m still in. Campbell didn’t forget how to play baseball since mid-April despite his 100+ point drop in AVG. His contact rates are certainly more concerning than they were in mid-April, and his K rate has gone up significantly. But he continues to hit the ball with authority. I suspect he’ll adjust to the adjustment the pitchers have made to be able to get him out, leveling out his performance. 

Razzball’s rest of season projections put him at final numbers of 12 HR, 50-60 R & RBI, and 7 SB. The Fangraph-available projections increase those numbers to closer to 15 HR, 60 R & RBI, and 10 SB. Those are helpful numbers, especially considering the draft day price it took to get him. If you’re rostering Campbell in a 10-team league, feel free to drop. But if you’re in 12-team+ leagues, I’d hang on to him to see what kind of recovery he makes.

 

Dropped out of list:

Marcus Semien (7)

Semien is still the victim of some bad luck, but he’s given no real indication that he’s going to bounce back anytime soon.

Luis Rengifo (11)

I suspect Rengifo will figure things out at some point or, more likely, we’ll learn that he’s been playing with an injury all season. But right now, I can’t roster him.

Andres Gimenez (13)

I hate to penalize a player for being injured, but Gimenez’s terrible performance before he went on the IL and then the missed time added on give me no confidence whatsoever that he belongs on my roster. In fact, Toronto may decide something similar soon if he doesn’t change his plate approach.

 

That’s the list for this week. Let me know if there are any particular players you’d like me to look at more closely. Until next week. – ADHamley