The Center Of My Interest: Surprisingly Promising Middle Infield Depth Charts — AL Central Edition

For the fourth installment of a full division’s worth of players, I offer you our final AL division to cover, the AL Central. 

I had fairly muted expectations prior to diving into the depth charts, but after looking more closely at some of the lower-profile groups of players, I’m much more interested in some under-the-radar players than I initially expected. While big names like Bobby Witt Jr. and Carlos Correa get most of the attention from fantasy players, there is a collection of lesser-known players that offer value in leagues of just about any size. When looking for injury fill-ins, this division isn’t a bad place to go waiver wire shopping.

Any position eligibility I reference is based on NFBC eligibility. All stats I reference in this article are as of end of play on 5-27-25. 

The depth chart (according to MLB.com) of the 2B and SS positions for each team:

 

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS – meh, but sneaky value at 2B

The low-budget Guardians deserve credit in how they get lesser players to provide comparable value to more talented players on other teams. Once again, the organization has found a way to get competitive stats despite refusing to actually pay anyone to get them. 

2B: Daniel Schneemann, Gabriel Arias, Will Wilson

SS: Gabriel Arias, Daniel Schneemann, Will Wilson

Gabriel Arias

In my April 24th waiver wire piece, I discussed my belief that Gabriel Arias’s strong start to the season was probably too good to be true. Six weeks later, Arias has added 0 HRs, 12 Rs, 12 RBIs, and 1 SB, while losing 31 points on his AVG. This isn’t my “I told you so” piece – I actually like some of Arias’s skills. What I don’t like is his frightening lack of plate discipline, which is a near guarantee that while there will be hot streaks, there will also be bad slumps. But he also gets PAs almost every day for a decently competitive baseball team (though he’s dropped from the 2-hole to more often hitting in the 7-hole). So, keep an eye on him, and when he looks to be getting hot, roster him until he cools off. But don’t be afraid to cut bait quickly – his downturns can be a roster killer

Daniel Schneemann

I haven’t been paying enough attention to Daniel Schneemann. He, like Arias, gets everyday PAs, but his plate discipline is markedly better than Arias’s. His 73.6% Contact% isn’t good by any means, but it isn’t so scarily bad that he shouldn’t be rostered. His walk-rate of 10.7% helps his OBP, giving him more potential to score Rs. His 41.2% HH%, 14.1% Barrel%, and EV of 88.2 mph show that he can hit the ball with authority. Unfortunately, his 53.6% GB% suggests he’s hitting the ball with authority right into the ground, but he does have 7 HRs in just 131 PAs. His xBA of .251 shows that he’s getting every little bit out of his AVG potential (as he is currently hitting .250). Schneemann doesn’t look like the next coming of a special player, but he offers to be a decent contributor if you’re in need at middle infield; plus, his triple eligibility (2B/SS/OF) allows your roster some additional flexibility.

In 15-team leagues, I’m very interested. In 12-teams and below, I’m probably picking him up only if the waiver wire is somehow bare, but I’d keep my eye on him.

Will Wilson

In my other life as a high school English teacher, I teach a little-known Edgar Allan Poe story called “William Wilson.” It’s a fascinating little piece about the main character William Wilson, and his conscience (in the form of another character also named William Wilson). Each time the conscience offers up a warning to the main character, it whispers into the main character’s ear, “William Wilson.” 

Yeah, that’s pretty much all I have here. Will Wilson the player has 39 PAs at the MLB level, and he’s done almost nothing with those. He is the backup of a backup for the Guardians, and I would definitely recommend reading the Poe story as a better use of your time than picking Wilson up off the waiver wire. But, seriously, check out that story.

 

KANSAS CITY ROYALS – that SS is pretty good

The biggest star of any middle infield group is Bobby Witt Jr., and he carries the Royals in terms of offensive value. The problem comes at 2B, which is woefully underperforming expectations.

2B: Michael Massey, Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia

SS: Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia

Maikel Garcia

Maikel Garcia doesn’t exactly belong in the middle infield depth chart piece since he spends most of his time at 3B, but he has logged games at both 2B and SS. Garcia appears to be turning in the type of season that many of us had dreamed up for him to have last year. While he probably will never be a HR hitter due to his low LA, he is once again hitting the ball with authority. His HH% of 43.6% and his EV at 90.9 mph make it clear that Garcia can hit the ball hard. And he has been able to drop his GB% by almost 7 points from last year’s near 50% mark while raising his FB% by 5.7%. This small change appears to have opened up the possibility of double digit HRs for Garcia. He continues to show good to excellent contact skills, and he’s increased his walk rate to 9% while keeping a low K-rate (16.2%). All of these numbers suggest someone who is a legitimate source of AVG (supported by his xBA of .286) and is on pace to reach nearly 15 HRs and 30+ SBs. If you picked Garcia at his low 200s ADP during draft season, it looks like you made a savvy investment that is paying for itself with interest.

Jonathan India

Upon Jonathan India’s offseason trade from Cincinnati to Kansas City, fantasy players were able to convince themselves that he would be a boon at the top of the Royals lineup, delivering Rs galore and also supplying a good source of SBs. Two months into the season, we find India has delivered very little of what fantasy players were banking on. Yes, he’s consistently hitting leadoff, but should he? His OBP of .329 is ok, but his surface stat line of a .232 AVG, 1 HR, 19 Rs, 13 RBIs, and 0 SBs is just not what anyone was hoping for. While his low AVG seems partially driven by bad BABIP luck, his lack of Barrels along with his bloated LA (17.5° for someone who has very little power isn’t so much a good thing) have him pushing an xSLG% of .384. That’s, um, bad, which isn’t surprising for someone with mediocre power, but it’s even worse than his not great xSLG% of the previous two seasons. Otherwise, his underlying stats look essentially the same as in previous years though he is showing slightly better plate discipline.

I think his season will get somewhat better – I agree with the Razzball rest of season projection of a .254 AVG, 8 HR, 58 R, 37 RBI, and 7 SB. That makes him a decent contributor in Rs, but still short of what we hoped for. India is hard to roster in anything but deep leagues unless he finds his way into a nice hot streak.

Michael Massey

Take all of the disappointment that I wrote about for India, and repeat for Michael Massey. I had high hopes for Massey coming into the season, as I thought he could be a sneaky contributor in HRs if he could pile up PAs. He is indeed piling up PAs, but he isn’t contributing much of anything. His .212 AVG, 2 HRs, 10 Rs, 14 RBIs, and 1 SB aren’t turning any heads – at least not in a good way. He has apparently lost the ability to hit the ball hard, and like India, he has a bloated LA for someone who isn’t showing power (a 22.5° LA with a HH% of 31.9% will result in lots of lazy fly balls for outs).

The Razzball projections see very little hope for a bounceback in skills, coming in at a .253 AVG with 7 HRs, 32 Rs & RBIs, and 2 SBs. As with India, Massey’s projection makes him basically unrosterable unless he finds a way to change almost everything about his performance so far.

Bobby Witt Jr.

I’ve written about Bobby Witt Jr. several times (see March 20th,  April 3rd, and May 22nd articles). Long story short: I love his game. Witt’s only weakness is the lineup that plays around him, which looks bad enough that it’s affecting his counting stats of Rs and RBIs. Witt is also off to a slow start in HRs, but I’m not the least bit concerned as the start looks very similar to last year. And he’s shown, again, for the first two months that he’s an absolute stud in AVG and SBs. If I were drafting today, I probably wouldn’t draft him #1, but that’s only because of the weakness in the Royals batting order – Witt is doing everything I would want. And the HRs will come.

 

DETROIT TIGERS – plus at 2B, but shaky after that

The Detroit Tigers currently have the best record in baseball, but they aren’t necessarily reaching those heights based on star power in their hitting lineup (with all due respect to Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter). Their middle infield has useful players, but really only one definite contributor.

2B: Gleyber Torres, Colt Keith, Andy Ibanez

SS: Trey Sweeney, Javier Baez, Zach McKinstry

Javier Baez

I wrote about Javier Baez two weeks ago as fantasy players got interested in his hot streak. At that time, I pointed out that I didn’t really see any difference between Javy’s underlying stats this season compared to last season. As a result, I expected his AVG to dip and for his power pace to slow down. In that time, he has gone on a bit of a HR drought and hasn’t really produced any of the magic moments that make him so fun to watch. His AVG has also dropped nearly 30 points. 

But he is still getting PAs. Baez feeds on good vibes, and there are plenty of good vibes with the Detroit Tigers this season. So I don’t think his renaissance season is over by any means, but it necessarily had to slow down. Keep in mind, though, that Javy can have another hot streak anytime – keep an eye on him and put him in your lineup once you see one starting up.

Andy Ibanez

Andy Ibanez plays sparingly, but in part-time PAs, he’s actually produced at a decent clip. If he ever gets full-time PAs, I might be interested in rostering him, but short of an injury to Gleyber Torres, that probably won’t happen anytime soon.

Colt Keith

Colt Keith has been somewhat of a disappointment this season, but I’m not sure that it’s really all that fair to be disappointed by what he’s doing. He has improved his plate discipline metrics, dropping his O-Swing% by 6.1% and doubling his walk rate (last year’s 6.5% has improved to 13% this season). He is hitting the ball slightly harder than last year and has made improvements to his ISO. Otherwise, his numbers are essentially the same as what he did last year with the exception of an unlucky BABIP (down 30 points from last season, leading to a 30 point dip in AVG to go with it). He also ran more last year, but this year’s dip isn’t surprising considering that he hasn’t exactly established himself as a stolen base threat up to this point. Prospect growth isn’t linear, and Keith seems to be reminding us so. Maybe he will eventually be a better player, but right now, he’s a roughly 12-15 HR player who will probably hit around .260 the remainder of the way. That has value in deep leagues, but in most shallow mixed leagues, he’s likely an afterthought.

Zach McKinstry

Zach McKinstry is Detroit’s Swiss army knife, and as such, he is extremely valuable to that team. And for the first month of this season, McKinstry provided plenty of value for anyone rostering him in fantasy. But let’s face it – he is who he is. He is a player who can’t be expected to hit .300+, and over the last month, his AVG has dipped 60+ points to reflect that. He is a player who can’t be expected to hit with power or provide RBIs – his 2 HRs and 5 RBIs in May reflect that. What he can be is someone who scores Rs (13 Rs scored in May), and although he’s in a SB drought, he can usually be expected to provide some decent speed. His rest of season projections have stayed consistent despite McKinstry’s hot start: he is a 10 HR, 15 SB kind of player. As long as you understand that when you roster him, all is well.

Trey Sweeney

Trey Sweeney has been both hot and cold for different stretches this season, and that kind of streakiness is likely what we can expect for the remainder of the season. So far, he has shown some plate discipline improvements, but he’s also hitting the ball significantly less hard this year. Such is the roller coaster ride of a young man with just over 300 PAs in his MLB career. Projection systems predict he’ll have another 250-300 PAs at roughly the same rates of production he has shown for the first 2 months. That works out to a .230 hitter who can reasonably provide a double-double in HRs and SBs, with maybe 60-65 Rs & RBIs. There’s value to be had in deeper leagues, but Sweeney probably isn’t much of a consideration in most mixed leagues.

Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres has benefited mightily from his move out of the Big Apple. Without the pressure of the New York media weighing him down, he’s done nothing but hit. His .277 AVG is supported by an even more impressive xBA of .295. He is barreling the ball at almost double the rate he did last year and appears to be playing within the confines of what Comerica Park gives him by not trying to hit everything over the fence. He is hitting the ball to all fields as another sign that he’s decided to focus on just being a good hitter this year, and it’s working. If you drafted him, you are getting a nice dividend: he looks poised to deliver double digit steals with around 80 Rs & RBIs. I’ll take that player at my middle infield spot and be quite happy with it.

 

MINNESOTA TWINS – there might be something here

A quick glimpse at the names of the Twins’ depth chart might leave you with an empty feeling, but there’s more here than we might initially see. The closer I look at this middle infield, the more I like it.

2B: Brooks Lee, Kody Clemens, Willi Castro

SS: Carlos Correa, Brooks Lee, Willi Castro

Willi Castro

Willi Castro is off to a less than ideal start to the season, but his AVG dip of around 20-30 points is right in line with his BABIP dip of the same. He isn’t hitting the ball quite as hard as he did last season, but HRs aren’t exactly Castro’s carrying skill. And his hard hit metrics are in line with career norms.

His other numbers under the hood all look fine, and he’s even increased his Contact% by a couple of points. As long as the Twins continue to plug him into the lineup, I’m interested in plugging him into mine. His 2B/3B/SS/OF eligibility makes him an essential player for any fantasy team that needs some lineup flexibility, especially in deeper leagues. But, Willi, oh Willi, why aren’t you running more? His 1.5% SBA is his lowest of the last 4 seasons and is nullifying one of the true advantages that Castro can bring.

Kody Clemens

Kody Clemens has found himself on a nice little heater. As his PT has picked up, he’s rewarded the Twins over the last 2 weeks with a .389 AVG, 4 HR, 10 R, and 12 RBI. OK, I’m intrigued.

He is absolutely bludgeoning the ball: a 64.3% HH%, 96.6 EV, 109 maxEV, and 16.7% Barrel%. OK, I’m really intrigued.

He has dropped his O-Swing% by 7.2% and raised his Z-Swing% by 6.4%. He’s also dropped his CSW% (down 2.1%) and CStr% (down 3.7%). OK, I’m in.

With Carlos Correa’s return from the IL, the fear was that Clemens would lose his PT, but the Twins don’t seem to be in a hurry to take his bat out of the lineup. Considering how much Rocco Baldelli loves Swiss army knife type players, I find myself looking closely at waiver wires to see if Clemens is available. If I can get him for cheap, he appears to be worth a flyer just to see how long this upswing lasts.

Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa has been a consistent contributor for years. When he’s been healthy (which can be a rarity), he has provided AVG help with at least noticeable contributions in HRs, Rs, and RBIs. He’s off to a slow start so far this year, but nothing under the hood really jumps out as a warning sign. His O-Swing% is up almost 6%, but I wonder how much that number is affected by him pressing at the plate as he tries to find a way to get back in a groove. His hard hit numbers are down slightly, and his GB% has spiked up by 8%. I suspect Correa just isn’t locked in and that he’ll get things back going in the right direction soon. Since returning from the concussion IL, Correa is 6 of 16, with 2 HR, 5 R, and 3 RBI. That looks more like the Correa we know. I’m really not that worried by his slow start even though it’s been frustrating to roster him.

As usual, my biggest concern with Carlos Correa is just how long he’ll stay on the field. As long as he is healthy, though, I’m probably plugging him into my lineup.

Brooks Lee

Brooks Lee is consistently playing and batting somewhere between the 3-hole and 7-hole for the Twins. I’m not exactly sure why he’s getting such a strong lineup spot as he’s doing little to justify it. But his low BABIP suggests he’s had some bad luck, and he’s certainly hitting the ball harder than his current results reflect. I’m a bit nervous due to his massive uptick in O-Swing% (nearly 20 points), which has negatively impacted his Contact% (down 9+%) and his CSW% (down 12+%). But his consistent playing time and his hitting the ball with authority at least have me interested at the moment. I haven’t been picking him up anywhere, but he’s on my watch list.

 

CHICAGO WHITE SOX – just as bad as you might expect, but some interesting promise

The White Sox are bad, really bad. But the middle infield depth chart, while not exactly impressive, has some promise that I’m at least paying attention to.

2B: Lenyn Sosa, Josh Rojas, Chase Meidroth

SS: Chase Meidroth, Vinny Capra

Vinny Capra

Vinny Capra is a desperation play even in the White Sox lineup. Capra’s just over 100 MLB PAs across 4 MLB seasons give us no reason to think he has a place on your fantasy team.

Chase Meidroth

Chase Meidroth has found an apparent home in the 1-hole in the White Sox order, and anyone batting leadoff on a consistent basis has my attention. His 8 SBs further have my attention – though his 27.1 ft/s sprint speed makes me wonder how sustainable his SBs are. He is currently hitting .292, and while that AVG is largely supported by his .280 xBA, his 96th percentile Chase% and 98th percentile Whiff% leave me with concerns.

As a deep-league flyer, I’m interested in Meidroth, but in shallow mixed leagues, I’m not ready to bet on the promising surface stats until he pulls his GB% out of the high-50% range and gets his LD% up 10 points into the mid-20% range.

Josh Rojas

Josh Rojas has found himself in the White Sox lineup nearly every day in May. And considering the White Sox signed him to a $3.5 million per year deal, he’s probably going to continue to play. His .154 AVG isn’t exactly supporting that decision, but his ability to hit the ball hard suggests there may be something beneath the surface worth watching. But then, a quick look at his .197 xBA corrects that misunderstanding, and we move on about our day.

Rojas is currently striking out 31.7% of the time, yet he has zero HRs. While he’s hitting the ball hard at a rate of 42.4% (with a LD% of 27.3%), he isn’t currently doing much with the ball even when he hits it hard. There are a couple of numbers under the hood that will cause me to keep an eye on Rojas as the season goes along, but I don’t expect to see much of interest.

Lenyn Sosa

If you’re anything like I am, Lenyn Sosa hasn’t exactly been at the top of your watch list. Whenever I’m scrolling through potential FAAB pickups, there’s nothing in particular that interests me when I run across his name. He’s an unexciting player playing for a disaster of a team.

But a closer look reveals that, maybe??, Sosa is potentially helpful in deeper leagues. No, there’s nothing exciting whatsoever about him. But he’s playing consistently and is hitting the ball with some authority: his 41% HH% is consistent with career norms, as are his Barrel% (6.5), EV (90.9), and maxEV (110.3). The Barrel% isn’t exactly notable, but the other numbers tell us that when he hits the ball, it’s going somewhere. His LD% of 30.4% says that nearly a third of the balls he hits are going to challenge for hits, and that’s before considering any of his GBs or FBs. His xBA of .279, which sits in the 77th percentile, suggests that Sosa may be turning himself into a decent hitter. What really impresses me is his seemingly bloated LA of 19.1% actually comes from a 41% LA Sweet-Spot%. In other words, though his LA may look like he’s just hitting lazy fly balls, just under half of those balls are hit in such a way that HRs become possible. He currently has only 4 HRs, so he hasn’t taken advantage of that yet, but I think that might change.

In a 15-team league, Sosa now has my attention, especially considering his 2B/3B eligibility.

 

That’s the list for this week. I hope you were able to find a player or two that can help you when you hit a lineup snag. Until next time. – ADHamley