As we move into the All Star Break, I thought it would be a good opportunity to give some quick hits on those I perceive as the top middle infielders at this point.
As a quick hitter article in which I give tidbits about my thinking on players, I won’t rely as much on data in my explanations as I usually do in my articles. But when I do use data, the stats will be as of the end of day, Tuesday, July 8th. Though in the blurbs below I won’t be referencing much of the data that informs my decision making, the rankings are based on the same types of underlying stats I’ve been talking about all season long (hard hit metrics, plate discipline, FB / GB / LD, LA, and so on). As always, feel free to drop a line in the comments to ask any questions you have about my player evaluations.
I am using NFBC for position eligibility, so it’s possible that other players may be eligible at 2B or SS on other sites (Hello, Yahoo!).
And one last note: This rankings list is for anyone who qualifies at middle infield (i.e. 2B or SS). But since I usually rank 2B and SS players separately, the number I have included in parentheses references my most recent ranking of that player at either 2B or SS.
Top 20:
1. Bobby Witt Jr. (SS 1)
Bobby Witt Jr. got off to a slow power start, which worried me not even a little bit. This guy’s only real weakness is that the offense he plays on is extremely limited, suppressing his counting stats. If you drafted him above Shohei Ohtani like I did, OK, lesson learned. Shohei is superhuman, and I will not doubt him ,no matter what injury, gambling concern, or anything else that surrounds him. If you picked Witt at #2, you can’t be too upset by that. Great player.
2. Elly De La Cruz (SS 2)
Elly De La Cruz is still the most exciting player in the game. Still has serious holes in his game, but what he offers is awesome. His K% gains this season (dropping last year’s 31.3% down to 25.1%) are extremely promising. At the beginning of the season, I was higher on Gunnar than I was on Elly because the holes in De La Cruz’s game are more prominent – I thought, anyway. It looks like he has worked to correct the opinions of folks like me, and now the question is who is #1, Witt or De La Cruz?
3. Francisco Lindor (SS 4)
Francisco Lindor is an absolute beast. I don’t know when the age decline will hit, but I’m riding with him until it does. He may outdo 30 HR / 30 SB this year. If you picked him at the RD 1-2 turn, or even into the second round, you found value! Lots of it.
4. Ketel Marte (2B 1)
Same old story – when Ketel Marte is healthy, he is awesome. Currently, he’s in the lineup, but a groin issue is making his day-to-day availability less than a sure thing. Same old story.
5. Gunnar Henderson (SS 3)
I would understand if you haven’t noticed that Gunnar Henderson has bounced back just fine after his slow start. If the Henderson manager in your league still views him as the injury-plagued player from the beginning of the season, go see if you can get Henderson on your team for RD 3 or 4 value instead of a RD 1 price.
6. Trea Turner (SS 9)
I’ve obviously been too low on Trea Turner this year. My bad. My biggest concern was whether soft tissue issues would allow Turner to run this year. His 23 SBs in his first 405 PAs have demonstrated that my concerns were apparently unfounded.
7. CJ Abrams (SS 7)
As wrong as I was on Turner, I think I’ve been that right about CJ Abrams. Most impressive to me is that he has maintained his HH% (last year was 40.4%, this year 40.3%) while dropping his K% 4.5% down to 16.8%. Wow. Abrams offers everything, with his only weakness being that the offense around him doesn’t get on base often enough for him to pad his RBI numbers. Otherwise, he looks like a future RD 1 pick to me.
8. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B 2)
Jazz Chisholm has an inconsistent plate approach that can lead to frustration in rostering him – both his missing all of March and his .247 AVG (which, though low, is quite improved since his return from the IL) show why having him on your team can be a headache. But his 15 HRs and 10 SBs in only 251 PAs show why he can be a league changer. As long as he’s healthy, I’ll put up with the frustration.
9. Jeremy Pena (SS 11)
Well, Mr. Jeremy Pena, I stand corrected: Maybe your .300 AVG is sustainable despite my initial belief.
My current biggest concern with Pena is whatever curse is connected to the Astros’ medical staff. Injuries in that organization turn into adventures that no one wants to go on, but here we are. If Pena gets back to the lineup, healthy and ready to go (and, in Houston, “if” is the correct term, unfortunately), my confidence in him is high. My confidence in the Astros’ medical team, though, is nonexistent.
10. Zach Neto (SS 8)
I struggled with drafting Zach Neto, not because I didn’t believe in his game, but because his injury worried me. Now, the jammed shoulder has me worried. Despite my concerns, Neto continues to show he is a top shelf offensive talent among shortstops. I’m 100% in until he just can’t play.
11. Oneil Cruz (SS 5)
Oneil Cruz has a ceiling so high we can’t even see it. He also has a floor that could keep midwesterners safe in the worst tornado. Rostering Cruz means you get to watch both in a given season. His .203 AVG and 32.8% K-rate show the bottom; his HR, R, and SB numbers show the top. Our main hope is that he gets traded to an organization that can work with him on his plate discipline – the rest of the package is a potential RD 1 player.
12. Corey Seager (SS 10)
Finally healthy, Corey Seager looks amazing. How long will he be healthy, though? My bet is on the under…
13. Maikel Garcia (2B 10)
Maikel Garcia is flying up my ranks. He’s improved almost every single underlying number I care about. His plate discipline, contact skills, hard hit metrics, and GB/FB% all point to Garcia’s start being real. Now, he looks like Nico Hoerner with power.
14. Nico Hoerner (2B 3)
Speaking of Nico Hoerner… I appreciate that he is who he is, and he doesn’t try to be anything else. His HRs tend to be fluky and are certainly not his main intention at the plate. His AVG, R, and SB numbers make him an absolutely valuable player.
15. Jose Altuve (2B 4)
Jose Altuve’s 29.7% HH% would concern me if he were just about anyone else. But Altuve is a smart player who has made a career out of collecting respectable, even good, HR totals without actually hitting the ball hard (Hello, Crawford Boxes!). His SB totals probably aren’t what you hoped for if you drafted him, but his HR, R, RBI, and AVG totals are still right in line with the Altuve we’ve known for years.
16. Jackson Holliday (2B 8)
I am happy to say that I kept the faith with Jackson Holliday, even after his slow start. He still has some work to do, but he’s made tremendous strides and is certainly offering value to those who roster him.
17. Jordan Westburg (2B 5)
The talent is clear for Jordan Westburg, but the injuries just won’t leave him alone. I’m afraid this season may not have the trajectory I expected, not because he isn’t good enough, but because he can’t stay on the field.
18. Mookie Betts (SS 6)
I’ve made my concerns about Mookie Betts clear: his lack of hard hit ability looks like a trait, not a brief state (a progression of my thinking on Mookie, starting with concerns in my May 22nd piece, and then advancing to more certainty the old Betts is gone in my July 3rd article). But let me be clear: Mookie still offers value with his Rs and RBIs. He’s just not a RD 2 player anymore.
19. Dansby Swanson (SS 13)
Dansby Swanson is quietly putting together a tremendously helpful season. If you decided to get your serving of oatmeal during drafting season, I suspect your heart health is looking quite good.
20. Matt McLain (2B 7, SS 12)
We are starting to see good Matt McLain. But don’t get too comfortable – his inconsistent plate approach means bad Matt McLain could be right around the corner, but I’ll enjoy the good one while we have it.
Next 10:
21. Gleyber Torres (2B 9)
22. Brendan Donovan (2B 11)
23. Brice Turang (2B 6)
24. Geraldo Perdomo (SS 14)
25. Bo Bichette (SS 18)
26. Willy Adames (SS 16)
27. Jacob Wilson (SS N/R)
28. Marcus Semien (2B N/R)
Well, once I was finally out on Marcus Semien, he reminded me that he likes to start performing later in the year as opposed to earlier. In the past, I’ve been patient enough to take advantage of Semien’s slow starts – after someone would drop him amid an early-season slump, I would swoop in and grab him, getting all of his statistical goodness to come. Oops, this year, I’m the overreactor, and someone else is benefiting from my own impatience. My bad, Mr. Semien.
29. Otto Lopez (2B 18)
30. Luis Garcia Jr. (2B 12)
Notable names who continue to slip down my rankings:
Tommy Edman (2B 13)
Ozzie Albies (2B 14)
Bryson Stott (2B 15)
Anthony Volpe (SS 15)
Masyn Winn (SS 19)
Ezequiel Tovar (SS 20)
That is my list for this week. If you are one who enjoys the All-Star Week festivities, I hope it’s all you expect. For those of us who take a well-deserved break from the grind, enjoy your rest.
Until next week. – ADHamley
Uhhh…Brandon Lowe?
Top 2B on Player Rater currentlyTop 2B for Roto on Yahoo right now.
Copied and pasted my answer to the same question from below:
“If I had taken the list out to 40, B Lowe would be at 31. I love him, but the platoon splits and lower AVG keep him out of the top 30. AVG is more important in roto than we give it credit for because it’s at the base of the ability to create other counting stats. In a points league, I’d put him much higher, but my lists are generally roto-focused.”
To add a little more info to help explain, my rankings list isn’t a list of who has done what — I could just go to the Player Rater for that. My rankings are based on what I expect the players to do from here. I don’t expect Lowe to be a top 30 MI, especially with his health, AVG concerns, and significantly fewer home games in the launching pad of Steinbrenner.
Fair enough. Not too worried about the 40/60 Home-Away split in 2H.
Am now worried about the oblique injury but IL stint sounds precautionary at this point due to ASB and chance to get some extended time off.
I still think BLowe ends up a top 5 second baseman in 2H and a sure fire shot for top 30 MI!
These lists… my points league, Perdomo is currently 3rd top SS. No love here
Also Wilson!
I love Wilson. But I don’t think he’s going to maintain his power to the level he’s had it so far. If he ends up with 13 HR, 10 SB, .320+ AVG, that’s a great season. But he isn’t going to get enough Rs in that lineup, RBIs aren’t really his thing based on a number of factors (mostly lineup), and 13 HR / 10 SB means, what 5 and 5 for the rest of the season? I’ll roster him wherever I can, but I can’t — at least at this point — get him in my top 20.
You’re right… My love for Perdomo isn’t based on what he did at the beginning of the season; it’s based on what I think he’ll do the rest of the way. Here is an answer I gave to mudhen below — I think it applies here too:
“the underlying stats don’t give me confidence that he’s going to continue at a level that gets him into my top 20 at MI (he’s inside my top 20 SS though). I do like him, but he’s hitting some cold streaks because a lot of this season was good fortune. There are some real improvements under the hood, but not enough to make him what he’s been this year. His June numbers show there’s a real floor there because he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough or well enough to consistently run as hot as he was for the first two months. He’s definitely improved though, so I love having him on my roster.”
Perdomo’s been great. I just don’t think he’s going to keep that level enough to rank him higher. I’ve loved having him on my teams though, but I won’t be afraid to let him go if the bottom falls out. I hope it doesn’t — he seems like a decent dude, and it’s nice to see him being successful.
Didn’t his play fall when Ketel came back and they batted him 9th? Lately his batting top of the lineup and doing exactly what he did when Marte was out. I also waiver wired him so I’m a homer!
JP Crawfords OPS is better than Julio’s. He should be on here
Yep, Crawford’s results have been great so far. But he’s actually hitting the ball less well (significantly, I might add) than previous seasons when he was mediocre at best. He has picked up his LD rate, but he isn’t hitting the ball hard anywhere near the frequency of previous years. His Barrel% is lower than in the past. The big change he’s made is he’s hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat at a MUCH higher rate than in the past. Statcast gives him credit for that — they list his xBA at .277, which is a huge jump from past years. His elevated BABIP is doing a lot of the work.
I roster him in as many 15-team leagues as I can. But in anything smaller, he’s only a fill in for me.
Perdomo has been crushing it in my points league — top 10 batter (based on that scoring).
I’m pretty sure he’s overall 10 MI in roto as well, but the underlying stats don’t give me confidence that he’s going to continue at a level that gets him into my top 20 at MI (he’s inside my top 20 SS though). I do like him, but he’s hitting some cold streaks because a lot of this season was good fortune. There are some real improvements under the hood, but not enough to make him what he’s been this year. His June numbers show there’s a real floor there because he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough or well enough to consistently run as hot as he was for the first two months. He’s definitely improved though, so I love having him on my roster.
Thanks AD.
What do you see going on with Luis Arraez this year? He had always been a super-reliable points guy in past years (and for BA in roto), but just kinda average this year.
McKinsey?
Meant McKinstry
I like McKinstry as a Swiss Army knife, and he’s filled stats so far this year for sure. But in terms of raw skills, McKinstry hasn’t really changed anything except his number of PAs (which is important, but he’s still not quite full time), his willingness to run (which is helpful for sure), and his batted ball luck (which likely isn’t going to last). I like that he’s swinging outside the zone less often, but otherwise, his underlying numbers haven’t changed in any significant way. He has more LDs, but he also has more GBs, and he doesn’t hit the ball consistently hard enough to keep an Elly De La Cruz level BABIP — I definitely don’t think his .353 BABIP is real with it being 70 points higher than anything he’s done in a season with more than 10 PAs.
I’ve loved him on my team, but I’ll be ready to drop him as soon as his playing time collapses (for someone like Vierling or if Meadows really gets going) and/or if his luck goes cold. I just don’t really think the magic of this season is that likely to continue.
No X. Edward’s?
He’d be early 30s. I like him for what he offers — basically Hoerner-lite. But his lineup keeps him from getting the R total to be as helpful as some of the other players.
Comparing Hoerner’s stats to Edwards’s:
Hoerner: 361 PA, .284 AVG, 3 HR, 51 R, 38 RBI, 16 SB
Edwards: 339 PA, .291 AVG, 0 HR, 37 R, 22 RBI, 15 SB.
Very comparable, but the Rs and RBIs matter, and at least Hoerner can put a few balls out. If Edwards were in the Cubs lineup, he’d be closer to 15.
Brandon Lowe?
Has to be an oversight. He’s been killing it this year. To the author – please fix this
Nah, no oversight. In points, though, I’d agree. He needs more PAs and higher AVG to get my top 30 love in roto.
19 bombs and >100 R+RBI in the first half. Health and less home games in the second half are my big concerns.
Agreed. Health is always in the back of my mind with Lowe. And getting out of the Steinbrenner launching pad is probably going to hurt as the season goes.
If I had taken the list out to 40, B Lowe would be at 31. I love him, but the platoon splits and lower AVG keep him out of the top 30. AVG is more important in roto than we give it credit for because it’s at the base of the ability to create other counting stats. In a points league, I’d put him much higher, but my lists are generally roto-focused.
Fair enough