World Series is over and the election has come and gone, meaning we are fully into the baseball offseason, and we are also knee-deep into the Top Dynasty Keepers for 2025. This week’s rankings focus turns to the second basemen.
Overall, these rankings feature a young group of players. Of my top 50 players, 40 of them are 29 years old or younger, leaving only 10 players who are 30+ to be ranked below. And of those players older than 30, four of them are ranked in Tier 1 as they show no signs of slowing down.
With so many young players, if you don’t have one of the older Tier 1 players, then this is a position in which I would target the younger players with the high ceilings.
Now let’s get to the rankings…
Just Missing the Cut
Luisangel Acuña did not play enough games at second base to qualify there at the start of the fantasy season. But with Francisco Lindor entrenched at short, Acuña will slide over to second base in 2025, and assuming he breaks camp with the Mets, it won’t take long for him to gain eligibility at second base. Acuña’s main asset is his speed as he has 198 career steals in 505 minor league games. He also has some power, but his ability to steal bases is why you should target him.
Whit Merrifield, Jose Iglesias and Adam Frazier are players who have some value, but at this point are just injury replacements. Whitfield will be 36 next season, and when he was hitting .280 and stealing lots of bases, he was good to have around. He is coming off a .222/.311/.314 slash line in 2024 and is no longer worth rostering. Iglesias will be 35 next year and really only offers a decent slash line but not much in the way of power and steals.
Frazier, who turns 33 in December, hasn’t hit above .240 or slugged better than .396 the last three seasons. He can play multiple positions, but again, he is an injury replacement player.
Top Prospects
- Kristian Campbell, Boston
- James Triantos, Chicago
- Ronny Mauricio, New York Mets
- Cole Young, Seattle
Tier 5
| RANK | PLAYER | 2024 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Richie Palacios | TB | 27 |
| 49 | Brandon Drury | LAA | 32 |
| 48 | Curtis Mead | TB | 24 |
| 47 | Otto Lopez | MIA | 26 |
| 46 | Will Wagner | TOR | 26 |
| 45 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 32 |
| 44 | Jorge Polanco | SEA | 31 |
| 43 | Vaughn Grissom | BOS | 24 |
| 42 | Jorge Mateo | BAL | 29 |
| 41 | Nick Gonzales | PIT | 25 |
Everyone needs infield depth, and that is what most of these players provide. However, a few of them still have some upside.
The Pure Depth Players
Brandon Drury, Jeff McNeil and Jorge Polanco should not be starters on your team unless you are in a 30-team league and you have injured second baseman. That said, they still have some value.
Drury hit 28 homers in 2022 and 26 in 2023 but in 97 games and 325 at-bats this past season he hit only four homers. Injuries played a part in that massive drop in production and if he can regain the power then he is a serviceable player, especially since he can play first, second and third base. Polanco and McNeil both have some pop in their bats, but that is really all they offer at this stage of their careers.
The Intriguing Players
Curtis Mead is a former top 100 prospect who has yet to live up to expectations in the majors. In 62 games over two seasons, he has a .244/.300/.312 slash line with a 23% strikeout rate. But there is hope that he can finally turn things around and he has the added bonus of being able to slot in at third base.
The Blue Jays acquired Will Wagner at the trade deadline from the Astros as part of the Yusei Kikuchi trade. Wagner has never appeared on a top prospect list, but as he climbed the ladder in the minors, he demonstrated the ability to hit and control the strike zone. In 290 minor league games, he has a .297/.402/.441 slash line with 177 walks and 218 strikeouts. In 24 games with Toronto, he slashed .305/.337/.451 with four walks and 16 strikeouts.
What has happened to Vaughn Grissom? He burst onto the scene in 2022 when he slashed .291/.353/.440 in 41 games with the Braves. The Red Sox acquired Grissom ahead of this past season for Chris Sale, but that trade is not looking good right now after Grissom slashed .190/.246/.219 in 31 games. Grissom has shown he can succeed in the majors, but his leash is getting very short.
Tier 4
| RANK | PLAYER | 2024 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Christopher Morel | TB | 25 |
| 39 | Thairo Estrada | SF | 29 |
| 38 | Marco Luciano | SF | 23 |
| 37 | Nick Yorke | PIT | 22 |
| 36 | Orelvis Martinez | TOR | 23 |
| 35 | Edouard Julien | MIN | 25 |
| 34 | David Hamilton | BOS | 27 |
| 33 | Gavin Lux | LAD | 27 |
| 32 | Thomas Saggese | STL | 22 |
| 31 | Michael Massey | KC | 27 |
This tier is the mixed bag tier. There are some one-dimensional players in this tier, players who have talent but have never put together a complete season and youngsters who have great upside but I am not completely sold on them.
The One-Dimensional Player
Christopher Morel can hit the ball a long way. But that is really all he can do. He has a career home run rate of 4.3%, which is way above the 3% average. But he also has a .223 career batting average and a 29% strikeout rate. If you care only about power who can play third base and left field as well, Morel is great to have. But that is basically all he will provide.
What is Their Future?
Marco Luciano, Nick Yorke, Orelvis Martinez and Thomas Saggese were all, or still are, top 100 prospects. But their initial taste of the majors has either not gone very well or it is too soon to know exactly what we need to know about their future.
Luciano can play both middle infield spots and doesn’t exactly have great talent blocking his path to more playing time. But his audition with the Giants hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. In 41 career games he has a .217/.286/.304 slash line with a 35.7% strikeout rate. His career minor league numbers don’t exactly scream that he will be anything other than a backup, but he has displayed some power, so he can’t be ignored.
Yorke is a former first round draft choice of Boston in 2020 before being shipped to Pittsburgh for Quinn Priester prior to the trade deadline this season. Yorke has decent speed and power, hitting 12 homers with 21 steals in the minors this year. Right now he will battle Nick Gonzales for the starting job at second base, so there is a clear chance for him to play. But I am not completely on board with Yorke and his future development, so he lands in this tier.
Martinez appeared in only one game for Toronto this season, going 1-for-3. But he has above average power and can play third base as well. Of the players in this little grouping, I may be ranking him too low if you are going for upside and not worried about immediate playing time. Saggese appeared in 18 games for the Cardinals and slashed .204/.250/.306 with a 27% strikeout rate and 4% walk rate.
While he has talent, his path to a lot of playing time at second base is blocked by Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. His power potential may allow him to get some time at second, third and DH, but he is going to have to cut down on his strikeouts if he is going to realize his potential.
Tier 3
| RANK | PLAYER | 2024 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Jose Caballero | TB | 28 |
| 29 | Brendan Donovan | STL | 28 |
| 28 | Xander Bogaerts | SD | 32 |
| 27 | Brendan Rodgers | COL | 28 |
| 26 | Willi Castro | MIN | 27 |
| 25 | Connor Norby | MIA | 24 |
| 24 | Andres Gimenez | CLE | 26 |
| 23 | Brandon Lowe | TB | 30 |
| 22 | Maikel Garcia | KC | 25 |
| 21 | Nico Hoerner | CHC | 27 |
Low-Cost Speed and Versatility
If you are looking for steals after the top players are not available, this is a good group of players to choose from. Six players – Jose Caballero, Xander Bogaerts, Willi Castro, Andres Gimenez, Maikel Garcia and Nico Hoerner – all reached double-digits steals this season, while Hoerner, Garcia, Gimenez and Caballero all reaching 30 or more steals.
But out of those six players, only Bogaerts reached double digits in homers with 11, but all of these players posted decent slash lines, thus not hurting you in the average and OBP categories.
If you want players who can play anywhere, then Castro is a player to target as he qualifies at second and third base, shortstop, left field and center field. Caballero can play second, short and third and Garcia can play at second and third while Bogaerts and Hoerner are multi-positional candidates depending on your league’s rules.
More Power, Less Speed
If you are looking for power over speed at second base, then Brandon Lowe is a good target after hitting 21 homers each of the past two seasons and slugging 39 in 2021. He is not going to help your average or OBP and certainly not add a lot of steals. He is a little too one-dimensional for me, so that is why he is in this tier. Brendan Rodgers and Brendan Donovan are good for 15 homers and 65 to 75 RBI, which is solid production. But both will be 28 next year and are likely at their ceilings.
Connor Norby is who I like the most in this tier and I may be ranking him too low. He has great power potential with a career SLG of .494 in the minors. In his 45 games in the majors with Baltimore and Miami, he has nine homers and a .438 SLG. But with the power there is a lot of swing and miss as his career strikeout rate in the minors was 23% and so far in the majors it is 33%. And while he doesn’t have blazing speed, he will be able to steal some bases. But his future may be at third base with the Marlins, so ranking him higher in these rankings would be a stretch.
Tier 2
| RANK | PLAYER | 2024 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Luis Arraez | SD | 27 |
| 19 | Luis Rengifo | LAA | 28 |
| 18 | Gleyber Torres | NYY | 28 |
| 17 | Jake Cronenworth | SD | 31 |
| 16 | Nolan Gorman | STL | 24 |
| 15 | Adael Amador | COL | 21 |
| 14 | Jonathan India | CIN | 28 |
| 13 | Bryson Stott | PHI | 29 |
| 12 | Zack Gelof | OAK | 25 |
| 11 | Brice Turang | MIL | 25 |
Rengifo at No. 19?
Yes, I have Luis Rengifo ranked 12th. In only 78 games this past season he slashed .300/.347/.417 with six homers, 30 RBI and 24 steals. The speed was a new addition to his game as his previous career high was six. But Rengifo hit 17 homers in 2022 and 16 in 2023 with a combined slash line of .264/.315/.436. I believe he will be good for 17 homers and 20 steals per season for the next three years as I think he will continue to steal bases.
Love the Power
Nolan Gorman strikes out a lot (34% career rate) and doesn’t hit for a high average (.222 career average), but what he does do well is hit homers. His 162-game average is 31 homers and 83 RBI. His power potential is what has me ranking him in Tier 2 as I can search elsewhere for players who have a better slash line or speed.
Zack Gelof is similar to Gorman in that he can hit for power and struggles in the average and OBP departments. He has hit 31 homers in 207 career games but has a .231/.294/.412 slash line. Where Gelof is different from Gorman is that Gelof can also steal bases. He swiped 25 in 138 games this year and has 39 for his career (162-game average of 31 steals). The power/speed combo in a 25-year-old player is nice.
Best Power-Speed Combo
Adael Amador was one of the top international players during the 2019-20 signing period and has shown a nice power/speed combo in the minors while walking nearly as many times as he has struck out. This past season at the age of 21 he hit 14 homers and stole 35 bases at Double A while walking 62 times compared to 88 strikeouts. During his minor league career he has 215 walks and 221 strikeouts.
As he grows and gets stronger, he should consistently drive the ball, leading to lots of double and triples in Coors Field with 15 to 20 homers to boot. Add in his speed and I really like his upside.
Pure Speed
Brice Turang is not going to deliver a lot of home runs. But that is not why you want a player like him. You want Turang because he is going to steal a lot of bases. Turang stole 50 bases for the Brewers this past season after swiping 26 in 2023. Sometimes a one-dimensional player is good to have, and while there are more and more steals in the majors now, having a player who can reach 50 or more steals is a valuable player to have.
Tier 1
| RANK | PLAYER | 2024 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Marcus Semien | TEX | 34 |
| 9 | Matt McLain | CIN | 25 |
| 8 | Colt Keith | DET | 23 |
| 7 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 34 |
| 6 | Ketel Marte | ARI | 31 |
| 5 | Jordan Westburg | BAL | 26 |
| 4 | Ozzie Albies | ATL | 28 |
| 3 | Luis Garcia | WAS | 24 |
| 2 | Mookie Betts | LAD | 32 |
| 1 | Jackson Holliday | BAL | 21 |
Old Fogies
As you can see, this tier has four players who will be 31 or older next season. If I was looking five years down the road, then Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve would be ranked in Tier 2 and Ketel Marte be on the fringe between Tier 1 and 2. Mookie Betts would remain where he is ranked because I don’t think there is anything Betts can’t do and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon.
Semien had a solid season with 22 homers and 73 RBI. But those two numbers are his lowest output since 2018 (not counting 2020) and in two of his last three years his OBP has been at .308 or lower and his average has been at .248 or lower. His OPS+ was 100 this year and 106 in 2022 as he has had a trend of having a really good year, then an average year, then a really good year, etc.
Jose Altuve is also going to be 34 next season, but I don’t see him slowing down as much as Semien. The Astros second baseman slashed .295/.350/.439 this past season with 20 homers, 65 RBI and 22 steals. Since 2021 his 162-game average is 29 homers, 78 RBI and 18 steals with a .294/.367/.491 slash line.
Ketel Marte is coming off a great 2024 campaign with 36 homers and 95 RBI to go with a .292/.372/.560 slash line. That is the production level of the best second baseman in baseball. And it’s not like it was a fluke season as he hit 25 homers with 82 RBI in 2023 with a .276/.358/.485 slash line. Over the last three years his batting average, SLG and OBP have all increased each season, but at the age of 31 next year, I am not going to place him in the top 5.
Future Top 5 Second Baseman?
Matt McLain missed all of the 2024 season thanks to a shoulder injury that required surgery. But in 2023 he slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers, 50 RBI and 14 steals in 89 games. That translates to a 162-game average of 29 homers, 91 RBI and 25 steals. Give that production every year and I am a happy man. He should slide back into the starting slot at second base with Jonathan India getting more time at DH.
Before the start of the season the Detroit Tigers inked Colt Keith to a six-year deal with three team options. They did this before Keith ever played a major league game. In his rookie year Keith slashed .260/.309/.380 with 13 homers and 61 RBI. After a slow April, Keith slashed .282/.328/.426 with 13 homers and 56 RBI over his final 122 games. The power will increase and he should get close to his minor league career average and OBP of .300/.382 soon.
The Top 5
Jordan Westburg may not last at second base with the Orioles as it depends on where Jackson Holliday and Gunner Henderson play on the field. Right now Westburg is a second baseman and third baseman, and at second base he is a great player as he is a 20 homer, 80 RBI player with a solid slash line. Even if Westburg settles in at third base, he will likely get time at second to keep him qualified there for several more years.
The 2024 season was not kind to Ozzie Albies. Injuries limited him to 99 games and hurt his production as he slashed .251/.303/.404. But when Albies is healthy, he is a great second baseman. In 2021 he slugged 30 homers and drove in 106 runs in 156 games and in 2023 those numbers were 33 and 109 in 148 games. His 162-game average is 26 homers, 94 RBI and 16 steals with a .270/.322/.470 slash line.
Luis Garcia is a former top 100 prospect who broke in with the Nationals as a 20-year-old and then took some time to reach his potential. But that potential was on full display in 2024 as Garcia hit 18 homers, drove in 70 runs and stole 22 bases while slashing .282/.318/.444. I don’t think Garcia has reached his ceiling as I expect him to develop more power while maintaining his speed.
Betts vs. Holliday
I mentioned Betts above as being one of the Old Fogies in this group. And while he will be 32 next season, his production at the plate is not going to diminish over the next three years and likely not the next five years. Betts hits for average and power, drives in runs, steals bases and can play anywhere on the field. The only reason Betts isn’t my top second baseman is because he is not 21 years old.
Technically, Jackson Holliday is not 21 years old. He won’t reach that age until December 4. And Holliday did not have a great rookie season with the Orioles as he slashed .189/.255/.311 with five homers, 23 RBI and sour steals in 60 games. But the top pick in the 2022 draft has way too much talent not to grab if you have the chance. In 2023, his first full season as a pro at the age of 19, he played at four different levels and slashed .323/.442/.499 with 12 homers, 75 RBI and 24 steals in 125 games. He also walked 101 times with 118 strikeouts.
He has split most of his time between second base and shortstop. But second base is likely his future, with Henderson at short and Westburg at third. It would be a surprise if Jackson doesn’t start to reach his potential soon and be a top second baseman for year
Come Back Next Week
Thanks for reading and come back next week for the top 50 shortstops.
Previous Rankings
Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Relievers
Top 100 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Starting Pitchers
Top 40 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Catchers
Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – First Basemen
Assuming Jazz gets 2b eligibility next year, where would you rank him? Thanks
With his age, power and speed and a group that is not deep, I’d have in the top 10, likely ahead of Altuve.
Gotta pass on Holiday as the #1 second baseman after that rookie season.
That ranking is based on hype and prospect pedigree. Seems to make more sense to actually rank a 2B with MLB experience at #1 like, I dunno, Mookie Betts or Ozzie Albies or Ketel Marte.
I’m all for believing in prospects but ignoring the MLB’ers who’ve already been there and proven it is short-sighted. I think a top 10 ranking is more in line with where he is right now, perhaps even as high as #5 but #1 is silly.
I’m ranking for a dynasty league, not one-year redraft leagues. With pitchers, I go with older players with experience more often than the young up-and-coming pitcher. For position players I balance age, upside, et. But when a position player comes along with the talent of Holliday, who tore up the minor leagues at a very young age, then yes, I am going to take him over Betts or anyone else at second base.
I love Betts. He’s one of my favorite players. But he is 11 years older than Holliday. Marte is 10 years older and Albies is seven years older. You don’t want to buy into the hype, great. But do you remember Mike Trout’s first 40 games with the Angels? He was not good. How has he been since?
But as always, thanks for reading the back and forth. Have a great day and weekend.
First off, I know these are dynasty rankings. It says so in the headline, top 50 dynasty rankings for second base. I’m not illiterate nor am I an idiot. Next, I have 28+ years experience as a sports writer. I have been to more professional and college venues than you’ll ever go. So don’t question my ability to think, analyze and form a completely different opinion.
I’ve played in a dynasty league for 16 years and deep keeper leagues for 10 and 12 years. I’ve played rotisserie baseball since Rickey Henderson played for Oakland, Juan Gonzalez was on the Rangers, Mickey Tettleton was behind the plate in Baltimore, Kenny Lofton was roaming the outfield in Cleveland and Jim Abbott took the mound once a week with the Angels. And I’m telling you your rankings are wrong. Not just wrong but absurdly wrong to put it mildly.
There is no way in the world I would want Jackson Holliday over six or seven of these guys. He’s shown nothing at the MLB level at this point and I’m not sure his power will ever be what some think it’s going to be. Can he hit 20 to 25, sure, but 30+ seems to be a stretch. I said he probably belonged ranked in the top 10 simply because of his pedigree and prospect status alone. But to rank him #1 over the others is short-sighted and sophomoric like a lot of your stuff.
Interesting that you choose to make Mike Trout your comparison. So, I’ll pose you a similar question. How many Mike Trout’s have come along in your lifetime? Or better yet, how many top prospects come along like Jarred Kelenic and flame out? The odds are not on Holliday’s side that he’s the next Trout.
You sure are testy today. But since we are comparing resumes, I too have 28+ years of experience as a sportswriter and was the sports editor at three different newspapers. Our experience is about the same as I first started in 1993. So you should be careful about claims concerning the amount of professional and college sports venues you have been to. Oh, and I have also written 18 books on various topics and people in the sports world. Should we go on about how awesome and smart we are?
The first Rotisserie league I joined was in about 1985 or so, then came the re-draft leagues and I’ve been doing dynasty leagues for at least the past 20 years, with one league I run now entering its 16th season.
So I guess we are both geniuses when it comes to making a list of players we prefer. My opinion is I want Holliday. You’re opinion is not. Some people like Coke, others like Pepsi. Others reading these rankings will agree with me or not.
Did Harper flame out? How about Witt, Machado, Cole, Bryant, Lindor, Correa, Seager. The point is there are also a number of top prospects who have succeeded. Holliday will be one of those.
Have a great weekend.
It’s hilarious reading how negative he can be. It’s been a while since I’ve read these dynasty articles and came across this tonight. While I agree Harley has a fair knowledge of baseball when we rank dynasty age plays a big part. I have had Albies since he was in double A. If someone offers me J Holliday for him I’m taking that trade all day…as long as I’m not in competition mode. If I’m trying to win or close, no way I take that trade. Kelenic is an extreme example and still might make it who knows. For some reason Jon Singleton and Polanco come to mind. Either way, keep doing what you’re doing, everyone’s a critic.
Great stuff! I had to go back and read your other rankings as I’m prepping for the off-season in dynasty leagues. Having the rankings has been beneficial and I really appreciate your time and effort put into these!
Second base was such a drag this year for redraft. Which made it that way for dynasty as well! Looking at the list, it feels like we could be a in a swing headed to a new era of second base. Young guys could really change this landscape. I was definitely surprised to see Keith and McClain as top 10 guys. Feels like they might be the best options to buy right now, especially McClain coming off injury.
Do you have any targets (all positions) that are your biggest focus for buying low in your leagues?
Thanks. Buying low at other positions – shortstop is loaded with tons of young talent. You will get a very good shortstop in deeper rounds or cheap if it is an auction league. Someone like Masyn Winn will be very good and be around for a while. And I don’t think people appreciate Zach Neto enough.
I still think Torkleson is going to rebound at first. Mark Vientos may not be getting a lot of love at third and I think Joey Ortiz has a lot of upside.
I have not quite gone through all of my outfielders yet, but if Colton Cowser in LF is hanging around and your gut is saying it is time to take him, do so. A CF sleeper is JJ Bleday, I think. And Brenton Doyle does not get the attention he deserves. If he slips, grab him. Over in right I’d look at Lawrence Butler.
Forget about catchers. Just take whoever is best!
Thanks for the kind words.
Thoughts on Cesar Prieto? Wasn’t too long ago the consensus was that Cesar was better than Altuve, but I really haven’t heard much about him since he was traded to the Cardinals.
I always find it funny when short players who flash talent are the next Altuve. There are very few Jose Altuves in the world. Prieto is now 25, which is old for a prospect. He’s shown average power in the minors and not a lot of speed. I think he is, at best, a utility infielder.
Yeah, I bought in on the Vidal Brujan hype train when everyone was comparing him to Altuve. What a disaster. And you’re exactly right, there are very few Altuves but everyone wants to say they found the next one.
Thoughts on Christian Moore…hoping The Angels are as aggressive with him as they were Neto….love your work! Thsnk you!
The Angels have nothing to lose in pushing Moore. He proved that he can just flat out hit. slashing .347/.400/.584 across A and AA ball this season. I had him fifth on my second basemen prospects because while he can hit, I’m not sure how quickly the home run power will develop, which is what will separate him from the middle of the pack. But good call on Moore.