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The second base position has always been one of the weaker positions for fantasy purposes, but not so much in the prospect world right now. All 10 names below are inside my Top 100 overall and there are a few others like Joey Loperfido and Michael Busch that could play some second base in the Majors as well.
For 2024, we have a few exciting names that appear to be transitioning to this position, headlined by Colt Keith, and plenty of names on the rise as well. Keep in mind that these rankings are for dynasty leagues and long-term projection, not for 2024 redraft leagues
If you want to see my entire Top 50 and additional writeups, check out my Patreon. And make sure to continue checking RotoBaller as I'm going to be going through all positions in the coming weeks!
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Second Base Prospect Rankings for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball
You can also see our 2024 redraft fantasy baseball prospects rankings for all positions. Age and highest level in parentheses.
1. Colt Keith, DET (22/AAA)
Over the last two seasons, Colt Keith has blossomed into one of the best prospects in the minor leagues and is coming off a .306/.380/.522 line with 38 doubles and 27 home runs in 126 games last season. This coming after a .301/.370/.544 line in 48 games back in 2022.
This profile already had him pushing Top 10 status for me in my overall Top 500 prospect rankings. However, now that he's transitioning from the hot corner to the keystone, Keith's above-average hit/power blend and .270+/25+ upside becomes even more appealing and gives him Top 10 upside at this position. Keith should be up on opening day after signing a contract extension in late-January.
2. Adael Amador, COL (20/AA)
In my opinion, Adael Amador is criminally underrated especially when it comes to fantasy focused prospect rankings. He was one of only two players to receive a 70-grade hit tool this year by Baseball America (Jackson Holliday was the other) and projects as a potential .300 hitter with a high OBP as well thanks to his elite contact skills and swing decisions.
In his minor league career, Amador has walked more than he's struck out by a decent margin (153 to 133) and currently sits with a career .292 AVG and .401 OBP. But the reason why he gets undervalued is the lack of big power or speed. Sure, he's not a plus power/speed guy, but he's around average in both departments. Amador's offensive skillset gives him the upside to hit above .280 regularly with a high OBP while flirting with 20/20 seasons at Coors Field.
3. Matt Shaw, CHC (22/AA)
Every time I adjust my rankings, I feel like I'm bumping Shaw up a few spots. In fact, he cracked my Top 20 overall in my recent prospect rankings update. While Shaw doesn't stand out in any one area, he's above-average across the board offensively and could easily exceed 20 home runs and 20 steals annually along with a strong AVG and OBP as well.
Shaw was one of the most advanced bats from the 2023 draft class and already reached Double-A near the end of 2023. Overall, Shaw slashed a robust .357/.400/.618 with 21 extra-base hits, eight home runs, and 15 steals in just 38 games. We should see Shaw at some point this summer, however, due to the presence of Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson, Shaw might have to move over to the hot corner which is where he was working this offseason.
4. Luisangel Acuna, NYM (21/AAA)
Surprisingly, given his last name, people still don't seem to value or rank Luisangel Acuña as highly as I believe they should. He's not his brother. Who is? But once you look past the fact that his brother is a superstar, you'll see that this particular Acuña brother has the skills to make a fantasy impact in his own way.
Acuña is a double-plus runner with 40-steal upside, at least average contact skills (74% in 2023), and sneaky pull-side pop. While he'll probably never be a fantasy stud like his brother, Acuña possesses the upside to hit above .260 with more than 30 steals annually and double digit home runs from the second base position, which is still plenty valuable in fantasy leagues.
5. Ronny Mauricio, NYM (22/MLB)
Unfortunately, we're not going to see Ronny Mauricio in game action until 2025, but now isn't a bad time to buy low in dynasty leagues due to the injury. While he's overly aggressive and chases too often, which I've seen first hand, Mauricio has an above-average power/speed blend and could wind up in the 20/20 range annually. Just remember that the AVG and OBP will likely be on the lower side due to Mauricio's below-average contact skills and lower walk rate. He only walked at a 5.3% clip in the minors.
6. Termarr Johnson, PIT (19/A+)
This ranking probably won't be popular, but I'm just not quite as high on Termarr Johnson as most are. But that doesn't mean I don't believe he can be a good player and solid fantasy contributor. Johnson has shown advanced pitch recognition at the plate and elite on-base abilities. However, he sacrificed some contact to tap into his power more last season and I'd like to see him find that happy medium. His ranking here is mostly due to the fact that I don't believe there's going to be a big power/speed blend. But again, he's still a top-100 overall prospect for me.
7. Thomas Saggese, STL (21/AAA)
Saggese was one of the biggest risers in prospect rankings last season and is now well inside my Top-100 overall prospects. In 139 games between the St. Louis and Texas organizations, Saggese racked up 34 doubles, 26 home runs, and a dozen steals with a .306/.374/.530 slash line. Over half of that came from the second base position, but Saggese also played 40 games at the hot corner and 13 at shortstop. That defensive versatility could wind up serving him well in 2024 and beyond.
No single tool in his profile stands out, but Saggese is more of a sum of the parts prospect that can do everything well across the board with .270/20/10 upside long-term. But the real question is, where does he fit into the Cardinals' long-term picture?
8. Colt Emerson, SEA (18/A)
Without question, the prospect that has improved his stock the most since the draft is Seattle middle infielder Colt Emerson. In 114 plate appearances between the Complex Level and Lo-A, Emerson slashed a stellar .374/.496/.550 with 12 extra-base hits, eight steals, and nearly as many walks (17) as strikeouts (20).
Emerson was considered one of the best prep hitters in the 2023 class and he quickly showed why after the draft. This is a potential plus hitter long-term with above-average or better power depending if he adds bulk to his frame, and he's at least an average runner as well. Emerson's stock is quickly on the rise and could have him inside my Top 25 overall as soon as mid-season.
9. Connor Norby, BAL (23/AAA)
Through his first 40 games in 2023, Connor Norby was hitting a respectable .263 but with a .377 SLG, .114 ISO, and a trio of home runs. Then, from May 20th through the end of the season, Norby slashed .305/.379/.537 with a .232 ISO and 19 home runs in 101 games. While Norby doesn't project as a major power source, he could certainly settle in as a 20-homer bat annually.
Outside of the power, Norby has shown above-average contact skills and around average speed. In 2023, Norby's contact rate was just over 75% in Triple-A and he also kept his strikeout rate in check at 21.3%. Long-term, Norby might not be a starting second baseman for fantasy, but he could be a nice middle infield option with .270/20/10+ upside.
10. James Triantos, CHC (21/AA)
I'll fully admit that James Triantos is a player I under ranked throughout the 2023 season. My ranking of him was lower mostly due to questions surrounding how much power Triantos was going to provide moving forward. There's no doubting that the contact skills and approach are elite, and Triantos did improve his quality of contact throughout the 2023 season, which is part of the reason why he's made a significant jump up my rankings. Triantos also dominated out in the Arizona Fall League and was one of the frontrunners for AFL MVP.
In 2023, Triantos hit .287 with a .364 OBP but only had four home runs in 83 games with a .391 SLG and .104 ISO. And while I still don't believe he'll be an impact player in the power department, Triantos could be a 12-15 homer guy to pair with a good AVG/OBP and 20+ steals annually. He also mentioned on the live CBS Fantasy Baseball Today podcast out at BaseballHQ's FIrst Pitch Arizona event that he wanted to steal 30 bases in 2024.
If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.
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