Top 25 Fantasy Second Basemen for 2021 – Week 12

Before the season starts, we devour all the statistics we can about a player in order to determine where we should rank them ahead of our fantasy draft or auction.

We look at home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage. What was a player’s ISO, average exit velocity, and BABIP? How did a player hit over the final month, two months, and/or three months of the previous season? We need to know who was on the decline and who showed improvement.

Then there is a number I always look at – a player’s age, especially when it comes to dynasty leagues. In my preseason rankings, I valued a younger player more than an older player, especially for a redraft/dynasty league. But maybe it is time to put that bias aside and just go with the numbers and my gut.

Why, you may ask? Well, when it comes to the top second basemen this year, youth is being pushed aside by the veterans. Four of my top five ranked second basemen are 30 or older. Out of my top 10 players, seven of them are now in their 30s. So while I love the younger players, perhaps it is not wise to write off those aging players just yet.

So, just who are these veterans showing they can still play the game. Let’s find out.

Tier 1

Thanks to an injury and the red-hot play of Jose Altuve, Tier 1 has a little different look this week. Marcus Semien still sits atop the rankings, but Altuve has moved into the second spot. All the Houston second basemen has done the last two weeks is blast the ball all over the field, hitting eight home runs while driving in 12, scoring 12 runs, and slugging .717. But this isn’t just a two-week hot streak. For the past month, Altuve is slashing .275-.357-.578 with 27 runs scored, 11 home runs, and 20 RBI.

Altuve is doing all this despite turning 31 in May. His average exit velocity of 88.7 ranks 11 in Major League Baseball and his 17 barrels ranks 6th in MLB. Not only is Altuve hitting the ball hard, but he is also being more selective at the plate. Always a free swinger, Altuve took it to the next level last year, swinging at the first pitch in 43.8 percent of his at-bats and chasing out of the zone 35.3 percent of the time. This season those numbers are down to 35.6 and 28.4.

Taking advantage of Max Muncey’s injury, Ryan McMahon slides into the top tier this week. McMahon hit only .238 over the past two weeks, but he slugged .548 with three home runs and 11 RBI. For the season, McMahon is now slashing .254-.308-.512 with 44 runs scored, 16 home runs, and 43 RBI. The 16 dingers tie him with Altuve for second among second basemen while his 43 RBI rank second.

Tier 2

Why is Max Muncy now ranked in Tier 2? Well, someone had to drop down with Ryan McMahon moving into Tier 1, and that person is Muncy due to the fact that he is on the IL. Muncy is expected back this week for the Dodgers unless he suffers a setback, which is also possible when it comes to oblique injuries. If he comes back swinging the bat the way he was before getting injured, he’ll jump right back into Tier 1.

Speaking of players making a move in the stands, Jonathan Schoop continues his resurgence by moving up to No. 10 overall. Entering the weekend, Schoop ranked eighth among second basemen with 33 RBI while his 12 homers ranked sixth. Nearly all of Schoop’s damage has occurred in the last month as he is slashing .346-.410-.663 with 17 runs scored, nine home runs, and 19 RBI.

Tier 3

Jorge Polanco is another player making a huge leap up the standings. Like Schoop, Polanco has been hot the past 30 days, slashing .272-.327-.533 with six homers and 12 RBI to go along with 19 runs scored and two steals. He now has 9 homers this season and his 30 RBI ranks 12th among second basemen.

Also making a big move is Cesar Hernandez of the Indians. Hernandez was tough to rank, as his season slash line (.224-310-.406) is nothing to cheer about when it comes to his average and on-base percentage. But his 11 homers rank eighth among second basemen and his 43 runs scored ranks sixth. In the last two weeks, he is slugging .523 with 13 runs scored, three homers, and 11 RBI. With injuries always a killing fantasy owners, Hernandez is an excellent add right now and should be available considering he’s owned in only 34 percent of ESPN leagues and 18 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Tier 4

Brandon Lowe is the Cesar Hernandez of this tier. I’ve kept Lowe down in the rankings all season due to his horrid slash line of .197-.298-.381. But when Lowe does get a hit, he does damage. His 12 home runs rank sixth at this position and his 31 RBI ranks 10th. He’s even added 35 runs scored and four steals. But his strikeout rate of 32 percent is horrible and his ISO of .184 is not much better than the league average. However, I can’t continue to overlook the homers and RBI he brings to this position, so I’ve moved him to the top of Tier 4. But if his power goes on hiatus, he won’t be ranked here long.

Tier 5

New to the rankings is Freddy Galvis of the Orioles. Owned in only 21 percent of Yahoo leagues and 34 percent of ESPN leagues, Galvis would be a solid add at second base/middle infield. For the year he has nine homers and 26 RBI while scoring 35 runs. Over the past two weeks he is hitting .313. Considering the number of streaky players at this position this year, Galvis has been relatively consistent and worth adding if you need depth at second base or a new starting middle infielder.

Also crashing the rankings is Luis Urias of Milwaukee. Urias is up to 30 RBI this season to go along with eight homers and a .417 slugging percentage. Helping him make the move into the rankings is 10 runs scored over the past two weeks while also getting on base at a .400 clip and slugging .444.

Urias, along with the rest of the players in this tier, may be holding a spot for Brendan Rodgers, Ty France, Odubel Herrera, Cavan Biggio, and DJ LeMahieu. Rodgers struggled during his time with the Rockies in 2019 and 2020. But the former No. 3 overall pick in 2015 draft may finally be living up to his draft status, slashing .264-.349-.431 with three homers and 14 RBI in the last month. Over the last two weeks, his slash numbers are even better at .333-.425-.667. However, he has cooled off a bit in the last week, slashing .222-.333-.333 with zero homers and three RBIs.

Ty France dropped from the rankings weeks ago after a horrid stretch at the plate. But over the last two weeks, he’s slashing .319-.421-.532 with two dingers and six RBI. I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon yet, but perhaps he has finally made some needed adjustments at the plate that will produce more consistent numbers. Cavan Biggio was also once highly ranked in these rankings before plummeting out thanks to a horrid start to the season. But since returning from the IL, he is slashing .360-448-.800 with three homers.

After missing all of last season and the start of this season, Herrera is playing well for the Phillies, slashing .275.337-.443 this season. Over the past two weeks that slash line is .306-.346-.469 with 13 runs scored and five RBI. Meanwhile, LeMahieu has hit two homers and driven in nine over the last two weeks, and slugged .426. Those nine RBI account for 43 percent of his season total and the two homers are 40 percent of his overall total this year. Either that is proof of just how bad his season has been or a sign that he is finally turning things around at the plate. If you are a LeMehieu owner, I’m sure you hope it is a sign of things to come.

Dropped Out

I really like Tommy Edman. But I just couldn’t justify keeping him in the top 25. Edman has one strength – his speed. His 12 steals this year rank second among second basemen. But his numbers are average at best as he has only four homes and 18 RBI while slashing .260-.305-.333. And I had high hopes for Gleyber Torres, but his power is not showing up (three homers this season, two in the last month) and over the last two weeks his slash line is .213-.269-.319.