RADIO
Second base is one of the more interesting positions to me personally. It's not the deepest in terms of known commodities, but there are a lot of young guys who could make an immediate impact. The trouble was ranking those who haven't seen any major league action. Below are the results.
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Tier 1 - Dynasty / Keeper Second Base Rankings
1) Jose Altuve, 24, HOU
2) Robinson Cano, 32, SEA
3) Anthony Rendon, 24, WAS
4) Jason Kipnis, 27, CLE
5) Brian Dozier, 27, MIN
Everyone who follows me on twitter knows how much I love Altuve. I got him as a steal in my draft last year, and he rewarded me with a career year. I don't think we will see a repeat of 2014. But we can definitely expect 30 or more steals a year with a few home runs while hitting .300. I'm also excited by what the Astros are doing as an organization. I see Altuve as a mainstay at second base for a long time.
Good luck finding a better source of power at second than Cano. Sure he's getting older, but he still has at least a few more years of elite production ahead. He's also only a year or two removed from being easily the best option at the position.
I actually like Rendon the best of this group. He is a five category contributor who has age on his side. So why is he ranked third? I'm worried about his long term position eligibility at second base because he's now playing third base. If he shifts back to second he is arguably the guy you want to own.
Kipnis was a huge disappointment last year so I understand if you avoid him out of bitterness. However, he was dealing with an oblique injury all year. Don't be surprised to see Kipnis bounce back and have a 20/20 season in the next few years.
It was a tale of two halves with Dozier last season. In the first half, he hit .242/.340/.436 with 18 HR, 69 R, 45 RBI, and 16 SB. He was a revelation in the first half, but his power seemed to dip drastically in the second half . His slugging percentage dropped to .387, and he only hit five HR. His average won't help you, but if you play in an OBP league, you have to like his walk rate. Any player coming off a 20/20 season has to be taken seriously going forward, and Dozier fits the bill.
Tier 2 - Dynasty / Keeper Second Base Rankings
6) Javier Baez,22, CHC
7) Kolten Wong, 24, STL
8) Dustin Pedroia, 31, BOS
9) Ian Kinsler, 32, DET
10) Daniel Murphy, 29, NYM
We all know at this point what Baez did throughout the minor leagues. We also know what he did in his brief major league stint last season. Nine home runs in 229 at-bats is no joke. He also has the speed. This all sounds like a guy that belongs in the top tier except for one simple fact: he strikes out too much. Way too much. In the past three years between the minors and the majors, he struck out 28%, 30%, and 41.5% of the time. If he can get the strikeouts under control he will easily rank among the top at the position, but that's a big "if."
Wong had a pretty good first season in the majors, slashing .249/.292/.388 with 12 HR, 52 R, 42 RBI, and 20 SB in 433 at-bats. Admittedly, I'm pretty high on Wong, but that's because I believe he was pressing last year. He never struck out much in the minors, so I expect to see a drastic drop in his 16% strikeout rate. In time, Wong should develop into a better hitter, and he has the ability to contribute in a few categories.
Let's not kid ourselves. Pedroia is not the mainstay he once was at second base. The past few years have seen his power drastically dip. Last year saw a career low over a full season in steals. He's been dealing with a ton of wrist and hand injuries too. Yet, he is still capable of putting up double digits in both home runs and steals. His batting average and on base percentage are still very high. The combination makes Pedoria a fill-in for a few years while you wait for one of the younger prospects to bloom.
Some of you may think I have Kinsler ranked low. I'd reply that I'm tempted to rank him even lower. Sure .275/.307/.420 with 17 HR, 100 R, 92 RBI, and 15 SB is an amazing season. Most of that production came in the first half of the year. In the second half, Kinsler hit .239/.270/.357 with 6 HR, 36 R, 41 RBI, and 5 SB. I like Kinsler, especially in the Tigers potent lineup. I also just wouldn't be surprised to see him decline pretty quickly.
Murphy has been one of the most consistent performers at second base for the past three years. He's also one of the most under-appreciated players at the position. He's worthy of this spot if you believe he can continue to hit for average while providing some speed and pop. Clearly, I'm a believer.
Tier 3 - Dynasty / Keeper Second Base Rankings
11) Neil Walker, 29, PIT
12) Dee Gordon, 26, MIA
13) Rougned Odor, 20, TEX
14) Jedd Gyorko, 26, SD
15) Howie Kendrick, 31, LAD
Walker is a great option if you're trying to get power from your second baseman. Just realize that he won't give you much of anything in the way of speed, and the middle infield positions are usually the best place to look for steals. Still, if you are a smart owner who can build around Walker, he will be a very useful piece for years to come.
I owe Gordon my apologies. I was down on him all of last season. I thought there was no way he could keep it up. He shut me up by stealing 64 bags and scoring 92 runs. He is the definition of speed at second base. The only reason I have him in this tier instead of higher is I don't expect the average to remain a positive.
Odor flashed a ton of speed in the minor leagues with some pop to go along with it. He's only 20 years old, and it's apparent to most that the Rangers rushed him to the majors. Don't expect 2015 to be a special year for him. As soon as 2016, I could see him hitting over 10 home runs while stealing 20 bags.
Gyorko is the poor man's Walker. He'll provide you with some power but not much of anything else. Last season, he was dealing with a foot injury which can explain the down year. If he can improve his plate discipline, he could be a good source of power at a position that lacks power hitters.
I expect Kendrick to have a few more good years ahead of him hitting in the Dodgers lineup. The alarming stat to me is his huge drop in power in recent seasons. He's still capable of stealing a few bags, hitting a few homers, and hitting for average, but he's on the wrong side of 30. He's an option until one of the prospects shows themselves to be ready to take over your starting role.
Tier 4 - Dynasty / Keeper Second Base Rankings
16) Ben Zobrist, 33, OAK
17) Asdrubal Cabrera, 29, FA
18) Scooter Gennett, 24, MIL
19) Chase Utley, 36, PHI
20) Jose Peraza, 20, ATL
Is Zobrist declining? Absolutely. Is he older? Of course. Is he still one of the only members on this list to hit 10 home runs and steal 10 bags the past five seasons? Yup. He's more of a guy to hold you over until a younger asset arrives for your team, but he can help you win now.
Let me start by saying I'm not a Cabrera fan. His strikeout rate and fly ball percentage have climbed in recent seasons while his power has dipped. This seems like a textbook case of a guy trying to hit too many home runs and hurting his other counting stats in the process. That said, he is only 29 and just a few years removed from a 25 home run, 17 steal season. His value is probably hurt by signing with the Rays.
I may be too high on Gennett, but his manager seems to agree with me that he's developing into a very useful player. With Ron Roenicke recently stating that Gennett will get a chance to be the everyday second baseman, I'm very optimistic about this upcoming year. Gennett won't hit 15 home runs, but he is certainly capable of popping about 10 big flies. He's also capable of stealing 10 bags and hitting around .280. As a young guy with the faith of his manager, look for Gennett to develop into a reliable option at second.
I have all the respect in the world for Utley. In the past decade he has been one of the best second basemen in the game. However, at age 36, he is no spring chicken. He should be able to provide your team with another year or two of good production, but make sure you have a plan for his eventual retirement.
Peraza would be ranked much higher if he had seen any action at Triple-A. Regardless, he stole 64 bags in Single-A in 2013 and swipped 60 across two levels of the minors last year. He has an outside chance to make the opening day roster for the Braves. More likely than not he'll begin the year at Triple-A. Keep an eye on him, as he has the natural ability to be a better version of Dee Gordon.
Tier 5 - Dynasty / Keeper Second Base Rankings
21) Brandon Phillips, 33, CIN
22) Devon Travis, 23, TOR
23) Jurickson Profar,21, TEX
24) Joe Panik, 24, SF
25) Robert Refsnyder, 23, NYY
Phillips is only a year removed from consistently hitting 18 home runs four years in a row. The loss of power could be attributed to his thumb injury, but it could also just be part of aging. If you think Phillips can rebound in the power department, he's a solid win now piece. Just be prepared with a backup plan due to his age.
Speaking of a good backup plan, I love Travis. The Blue Jays are leaning towards having him begin the year at Triple-A which makes sense, but all he has done is hit at every level he's seen in the minors. Based on his minor league stats, I see a trend developing of a patient batter who features both power and speed. Unless Ryan Goins magically transforms himself as a hitter, expect to see Travis in the majors soon.
Panik hit .305 in his first taste of the majors with the Giants last year. I imagine the starting job is his for this upcoming season. The only reason he's ranked so low is he doesn't have a history of doing much else with his bat. He has shown some speed in the minors. If he can translate his base running to big league success, he'll find himself moving up these ranks.
Profar missed all of last season after tearing his shoulder in spring training last year. He was quickly supplanted from Odor. However, it was Profar and not Odor who was considered the number one prospect in the game entering 2013. At 21 years old there is a lot to suggest we haven't seen the best of Profar yet.
Refsnyder was the leading candidate for the starting job in 2015 before the Yankees signed Stephen Drew.The Yankees seem to want Resynder to get more seasoning in the minors before he gets to the show. When Refsnyder arrives on the scene he profiles to be a similar player to Panik with a bit more power.
Tier 6 - Dynasty / Keeper Second Base Rankings
26) Josh Rutledge, 25, LAA
27) Alex Guerrero, 28, LAD
28) Micah Johnson, 24, CWS
29) Jonathan Schoop, 23, BAL
30) Omar Infante, 33, KC
31) Nick Franklin, 23, TB
I thought I'd be higher on Rutledge now that he has what should be a starting job with the Angels. It's hard to feel good about a player moving away from Coors Field though. I'd also like to see him cut down on the strikeout rate from last year. Hitting in the same lineup as the likes of Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton, and Albert Pujols should help his counting stats.
Guerrero destroyed Triple-A pitching last year despite having part of his ear bitten off Mike Tyson style by Miguel Olivio. I was among those convinced that Guerrero would take the starting job at some point from Dee Gordon last season, but due to Gordon's play, it just never happened. After the Dodgers traded Gordon, I thought it might be Guerrero's big chance. The Dodgers then went out and acquired Howie Kendrick. What I'm trying to say is I like what Guerrero has shown in the minors, but he doesn't have a clear path to playing time. Even if he gets playing time it may be at another position.
The White Sox have some young options at second base, but I like Johnson the best. This is a guy who stole 87 total bags in 2013. He also stole 22 last season. It's fair to say he has some speed, and he makes good contact with the ball. Just don't expect power from him.
Schoop showed the ability to hit for power last year. He also has continually been ranked among the Orioles top prospects. So far, all he has been able to provide is power and little else. He is still young, so he has time to develop. He really needs to work on making better contact with the ball.
Infante is the elder statesman of this group. He's only a year removed from hitting 10 home runs with a .318 average, but he is over 30. He dealt with shoulder issues which could explain his lack of power last season, but it's more likely the decline of skills that comes with age. He's not a terrible candidate as a fill-in for the next year or two, but I honestly think you'd be better off drafting a younger guy.
Franklin has youth on his side but I haven't been overly impressed with what I've seen from him the past year.However, at-bats should now be available for Franklin after Zobrist was traded to the Athletics. He could turn into a young Zobrist if things break right, but he has a lot to prove.
That's all for now. As always I reserve the right to change these ranks in the future. At this point in the off-season, I don't foresee changes any time soon.
Until next time RotoBallers,
-Rek
