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Zach's undervalued fantasy baseball sleepers and breakout candidates at second base for 2026 drafts. These emerging hitters are 2B value picks with upside.
Second base can be a challenging fantasy position since it lacks depth. The top couple of options at the position are superstars who can contribute in multiple categories and are typically drafted early, but after the first few reliable selections are gone, there is a sharp dropoff to the rest of the group. However, if you miss out on the big names, there are still a few options who are lower in the rankings and make great fantasy baseball sleepers, with the potential to break out in 2026.
Every year in fantasy baseball, exciting new talents emerge who become key contributors to their managers' winning seasons. Sometimes, the breakout candidates are young players getting their first chance in the majors, while other times, they are players who have been around a while but take their game to the next level due to improved health, increased opportunity, a change in their swing, or a new team.
Due to the lack of depth at the position, second base is also a place to swing for the fences and pivot quickly if things don't work out. With spring training ongoing, this article will highlight five of my top second base breakout candidates to target in fantasy baseball drafts this season. All positional eligibility referenced is taken from Yahoo! leagues.
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JJ Wetherholt, 2B/3B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals
After the normal starting options have been drafted, Wetherholt is a great option with an extremely high ceiling. He's currently around the No. 15 2B off the board in Yahoo! leagues, but he's having a great spring, which is causing his stock to rise. You may have to be aggressive to land the breakout candidate, but if he realizes his potential, he has top-10 potential at the position this season.
MLB Pipeline ranked Wetherholt as the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, and although he has the versatility to play multiple infield spots, his best fantasy value may be at 2B due to the scarcity at the position.
The Cardinals traded away multiple veterans this offseason, opening up playing time for younger players like Wetherholt. Nolan Arenado was sent to Arizona, opening up 3B, and Brendan Donovan was traded to Seattle, opening up 2B. Wetherholt came into spring with a shot at claiming an everyday role, and he impressed in the early going.
A look at JJ Wetherholt's 422 foot home run vs. the Mets. Wetherholt continues to impress at spring training & is trending towards being the #STLCards opening day second baseman.
📹: Hotshots pic.twitter.com/bOjgDi28wn
— Jacob Cersosimo (@JacobCersosimo) February 27, 2026
After the Cardinals drafted him No. 7 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt climbed through Double-A and Triple-A in his first full year as a pro. He hit 17 homers and stole 23 bases in his 109 games with a 14.5% walk rate and just a 14.7% strikeout rate. His strikeout rate this spring has been even lower early in spring training, and his plate approach continues to be exceptional.
He hit .314 in his 47 games in Triple-A last year with a .428 wOBA and a 48.1% hard-hit rate. His early spring numbers back up his high contact rate and hard-hit rate, and it looks like his bat is ready to make a splash when he arrives in the majors.
Wetherholt should make a significant impact this year as he appears poised to begin the season as the everyday second baseman in St. Louis. His hot spring training means you'll need to target him in the middle rounds of most drafts, shortly after the top 10 options are off the board. On the positive side, though, his versatility makes him a great fit at multiple spots and should provide great depth and upside if he has a breakthrough season.
While he possesses second base, third base, and shortstop eligibility on Yahoo! leagues, for the time being, he is only a shortstop in NFBC leagues. However, given that he is penciled in as the everyday second baseman, he should gain that eligibility fairly quickly into the season, making him a great selection just outside the top-200 in standard drafts.
Brett Baty, 2B/3B, New York Mets
Baty had a bit of a breakout last season, but the Mets infielder showed the potential for even more and could develop into a regular starting option at the position if he can find his way to regular playing time in a crowded Mets infield.
The 26-year-old has been a top prospect in the Mets system for a few years, and he finally stuck in the majors last year with 18 homers, 50 RBI, and a .324 wOBA in his 130 games in the majors. His bat speed ranked in the 86th percentile, and his barrel rate in the 80th percentile last season. His .254 batting average was a huge improvement over his .212 average in the majors in 2023 and .229 average in 2024.
Things got a little messy for Baty this offseason, though, with the Mets bringing in Bo Bichette to play every day at third base, Marcus Semien to cover second base, and Jorge Polanco to play first base and designated hitter. Baty doesn't seem to have a regular everyday spot, so he is preparing for the season as a super-utility option.
He's playing at first base and in the outfield in the spring and can still fill in at second and third base. Since Bichette can slide to shortstop if needed, Baty's versatility could be the key to his getting in the lineup on a regular basis.
Each of those veterans has had some availability issues in recent seasons, and an injury could open the door for Baty to get regular playing time as well. Baty will need to find regular playing time, but if he does, he has enough power potential to be a nice late-round breakout that has 2B eligibility along with 3B in most formats.
Brett Baty had a solid second half of the season.
190 PA, .291/.353/.477, 135 wRC+
31 R, 9 HR, 4 SB20+/10 upside is there if he gets enough PT in 2026.#FantasyBaseball #LGMpic.twitter.com/Nq2mkHdypf
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) January 29, 2026
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
Keith is entering post-hype sleeper territory coming into his third season in the majors. He came up as a top prospect at 2B in 2024, but he was moved to 1B and 3B last year after the Tigers added Gleyber Torres. Torres took the qualifying offer to return to Detroit this season, and Keith is expected to play mainly at the corner spots this year, although his 26 games at 2B last year should keep him eligible at the keystone in most formats.
Keith is being drafted after the top-20 at the position, but he brings very solid upside and breakout potential if he continues his steady improvement from last year. Keith struggled in his first year in the majors in 2024, starting out hitting only .152 in his first 30 games of the season without a home run. He finished the year hitting .260 with 13 homers, seven stolen bases, and a .301 wOBA.
In 2025, he matched his total of 13 homers, and his batting average was similar at .256 in 137 games. The surface numbers don't show major improvement, but a deeper dive shows some very positive signs.
Colt Keith's 8.4% uptick in Hard-Hit% was the 10th highest increase among qualified hitters from '24 to '25. His Chase% was 3.2% below the MLB average of 28.4%, he makes plenty of IZ contact, & he showed a more lofty batted ball profile. Looking forward to his '26 + some changes: pic.twitter.com/UZeiptlXln
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) February 16, 2026
His hard-hit rate jumped from 35.0% to 43.7%, and his barrel rate improved from 5.6% to 9.2%. He consistently made better contact and didn't chase as much, increasing both his walk and strikeout rates.
Keith will likely hit in the middle third of the lineup and get plenty of RBI chances, although if he hits closer to the top, he could get more run-scoring opportunities. Either way, he's expected to be an everyday regular in a very productive Detroit lineup, and his improved metrics could pay off in a breakout season. While he's entering his third full season in the majors, he's still just 24 years old, so he still has plenty of potential to improve.
Caleb Durbin, 2B/3B, Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox lost free agent Alex Bregman this offseason after trading Rafael Devers last season, creating a huge hole at the hot corner. While the Red Sox have several prospects who could develop into breakout contributors of their own, they added Durbin in a trade from the Brewers just before spring training, and the 26-year-old righty is lined up to play every day at either 2B or 3B.
Durbin finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting with the Brew Crew last season, but his ADP is still quite favorable, as he is going outside the top 200 picks in both Yahoo! and NFBC drafts. He will be in a more hitter-friendly environment in Fenway Park as part of a strong and growing lineup.
Last season, Durbin was traded away from the AL East when the Yankees sent him to Milwaukee as part of the package for relief pitcher Devin Williams. He played 13 in Triple-A before his promotion and then locked down 3B for the Brewers most of the season, hitting .256 with 11 homers, 18 stolen bases, and a .319 wOBA in 136 games.
His pull-side power should play well with the Green Monster at Fenway Park, which should open the door for a high total of extra-base hits. He's started spring training strong and should lock in his everyday role.
New acquisition Caleb Durbin was also on fire this afternoon:
2-for-2, double, BB, 2 R, RBI
He's turned in an OPS of 1.083 during camp thus far. Really loving the ability to cash in with RISP.pic.twitter.com/LCPWa7Nzjd https://t.co/kku3crHdjt
— G.G. (@ggeiss_mlb) March 1, 2026
Durbin has the potential for 15 homers and 20 stolen bases, and if he can raise his batting average a little bit, he can be a starting option at 2B or 3B in standard leagues in his new home. Durbin is a nice late-round value with versatility and upside.
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians drafted Bazzana with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He is set to start the season at Triple-A, but if you need a deep-league stash at 2B, or you want to have a mid-season boost at the position ready and waiting on your roster, he's worth a look at the end of your draft. He's a good option to stash in deeper keeper leagues as well.
Bazzana was the No. 10 prospect in all of baseball last year but slid to No. 20 this year, according to MLB Pipeline. He battled oblique issues last year and was limited to 84 games in the Arizona Complex League, Double-A, and Triple-A. He hit .245 with nine homers, 12 stolen bases, and a solid .379 wOBA.
Before heading to the World Baseball Classic, where he'll play for Australia, Bazzana made a splash with this blast in spring training:
Travis Bazzana, hello.#GuardsSpring pic.twitter.com/KB8KqOc6A5
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) February 24, 2026
Before last season, the Guardians traded Andres Gimenez to Toronto, opening the 2B spot for Bazzana. He could have potentially made his debut last year if it weren't for his oblique injuries.
For now, Brayan Rocchio will likely be the Opening Day second baseman with Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann mixing in as well. They're just keeping the spot warm for Bazzana, though, who has a very solid plate approach, great power potential, and the skill set to be a regular fantasy baseball contributor at 2B for many years to come.
He's a late-round deep-league target coming into the season, and a breakout candidate to monitor closely and get ready to grab if he receives the call at any point this season in standard leagues.
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