Eric Cross' Top 10 Second Base (2B) Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings for 2026

Eric's top second base (2B) dynasty fantasy baseball rankings, risers, and breakouts heading into 2026. His updated second base rankings for fantasy baseball dynasty leagues.

The second base position isn't the most appealing position in the game, but there are some reinforcements on the way in the prospect ranks, and some potential bounceback and/or breakout candidates could really save this position.

Below, you'll find my top-10 at this position, along with analysis on each player. A few players whom I didn't include may also qualify for this position in your league, depending on your league's games played requirements. Those players have a note indicating where they would slot for me.

For my entire top 75 and additional writeups, check out my Patreon. 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 Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

Age in parentheses

1. Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees (27)

Without question, the most exciting player at this second base position right now is Jazz Chisholm Jr. After playing some outfield and third base, Chisholm has settled in at the keystone for the New York Yankees, although he will have third base eligibility for the 2026 season at least.

After a 24/40 season in 2024, Chisholm joined the 30/30 club in 2025 with 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases to go along with 75 runs, 80 RBI, and a .242/.332/.481 slash line. Ketel Marte might be the safer guy right now, but nobody at this position has more upside for fantasy than Chisholm does.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has hit 20 home runs in back-to-back seasons 🎵 pic.twitter.com/trmBPE6Q2q

— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2025

Some positives for Chisholm in 2025 were a career-best 10.9% walk rate, along with his barrel rate jumping from 9.7% in 2024 to 15% in 2025, to pair with a solid 43.3% hard-hit rate. It also helps that he has an elite 24.5% pull air rate, which, as a left-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium, is a beautiful thing.

On the flip side, Chisholm ran a below-average 75% zone and 67.8% overall contact rate, so despite the fun HR/SB potential, he's probably never going to provide a high AVG. He also shouldn't kill you in AVG and OBP either.

2. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (32)

A 32-year-old being second in these rankings is both a testament to how good Marte is and also how questionable this position is, especially at the top. Marte has been one of the gold standards at this position for the last half-decade or so and is coming off another good season in 2025, where he slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs in 126 games.

Marte has now hit at least .276 in six of his last seven seasons and has amassed at least 87 runs, 25 home runs, 72 RBI, and 64 walks in each of his last three seasons.

None of Marte's metrics is falling off yet, either. While his hard-hit rate and barrel rate dipped after 2024's career-best marks, he actually had the best barrel rate of his career at 13.5% while continuing to post above-average contact metrics and an elite approach, which led to an 11% walk rate, 14.9% strikeout rate, and 24.7% chase rate.

You'll need to bank in some time missed as Marte has missed at least 25 games in four of his last five seasons, but he remains one of the elite, top-tier options at this weak second base position.

3. Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers (26)

Even the biggest Brice Turang supporter couldn't have predicted the season we just saw. After hitting 13 home runs combined in 1,067 plate appearances in 2023 and 2024, Turang broke out with 18 home runs in 2025 to go along with 24 steals, 97 runs scored, 81 RBI, and a .288/.359/.435 slash line last season.

With any breakout of this magnitude, everyone is going to question the legitimacy. And when looking at the profile, I believe Turang's breakout can be sustained moving forward, or close to it. But on one condition...

The quality of contact gains needs to stick.

In both 2023 and 2024, Turang had a barrel rate under 3%, an AVG EV of 87 mph or less, and a hard-hit rate under 30%. But in 2025, those metrics jumped to 7.9%, 91.1 mph, and 47.4% respectively. In turn, Turang's SLG jumped 86 points, and his xSLG jumped 101 points. He also had a .406 xwOBACON in 2025, which was up from .305 in 2023 and .322 in 2024. It also helped that Turang's air rate rose from 46.3% to 53.1%.

Can Turang maintain this quality of contact gains moving forward? That's tough to say, but even if he regresses so that some middle ground between 2024 and 2025, he should at least be able to stay in the 12-15 homer range in 2026. I wouldn't bank on another rise from his 18 homers in 2025, though, as he needed a 10-homer month in August to get to 18 dingers this past season.

While Turang's power metrics increased drastically, he did sacrifice a bit of contact in the process. Turang went from a 90.8% zone and 86.2% overall contact rate in 2024 to 84.5% zone and 79% overall in 2025. Those are still above-average metrics, though, and no reason for concern. Turang also dropped his chase rate from 28.4% to 23.8% which is positive.

All in all, I believe Turang settles in somewhere between his 2024 and 2025 metrics. If that's indeed the case, he would still be a top-5 option for the next few years at this position due to the lack of elite depth at the top of second base rankings, in addition to the speed that Turang also provides.

Rankings Note: Maikel Garcia would slot here if eligible in your league, but he will be ranked/discussed in my Third Base rankings article.

4. Luke Keaschall, Minnesota Twins (23)

While he didn't grab enough Major League at-bats to finish high in the American League Rookie of the Year chase, Luke Keaschall was absolutely one of the most impressive rookies of the 2025 season.

In 207 plate appearances, Keaschall slashed .302/.382/.445 with 25 runs, 28 RBI, 14 doubles, four home runs, and 14 steals. That's a 650 PA pace of 79 runs, 13 home runs, 88 RBI, and 44 steals. Not too shabby for a rookie. In fact, only Nick Kurtz and Roman Anthony had a higher wRC+ than Keaschall for rookies with at least 200 plate appearances in 2025.

When you pop the hood on Keaschall's profile, there's plenty to be excited about as well. Right away, Keaschall demonstrated that he can be one of the better contact/approach bats in baseball. Keaschall posted an 86.7% zone and 81.5% overall contact rate with Minnesota, along with a 20% chase rate, 9.2% walk rate, and 14% strikeout rate.

For rookies with at least 200 plate appearances in 2025, Keaschall had the sixth-lowest strikeout rate, the ninth-best contact rate, and the third-lowest chase rate. This is exactly the type of contact/approach profile that Keaschall projected to have when he was a prospect, so it's encouraging to see these skills translate immediately upon his promotion to the Major Leagues.

While Keaschall isn't what I'd call a burner, he's a plus runner who had an 85th percentile sprint speed with Minnesota while swiping 14 bags in 17 attempts (82.4%). This comes after Keaschall had 11 steals in 28 Triple-A games before his promotion and 23 in 103 games back in 2024. He should be considered an annual threat for 30 or more steals moving forward.

As for his power, Keaschall is more of a fringe-average power bat, but he definitely should provide something constructive in the power department. With Minnesota, Keaschall's quality of contact metrics didn't stand out with an 86.2 mph AVG EV, 5.2% barrel rate, and 31.2% hard-hit rate, but his Sweet-Spot and Squared-Up rates were both above-average. Long-term, he could settle in as a 12-15 homer bat, maybe getting into the upper teens some years.

While he might never reach Tier-1 status at this position, Keaschall's all-around offensive profile is certainly fantasy-friendly and could have him well inside the top-10 second basemen for years to come.

5. Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles (22)

After Jackson Holliday's first full season, is it fair to say he's slightly underwhelmed when compared to expectations? But were expectations set too high due to him being a #1 pick and a second-generation player? Perhaps. At the same time, what he did as a 21-year-old is still pretty solid. We have to remember that Holliday played the entire season at 21 years old and was younger than some of the players who just got drafted in July.

In 649 plate appearances, Holliday slashed .242/.314/.375 with 70 runs, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, and 17 steals, but was also caught 11 times, which was the second highest in all of baseball, trailing only Chandler Simpson, who had 12. For players with at least 20 stolen base attempts, only Jacob Young had a lower success rate stealing bases than Holliday's 60.7% mark.

So while Holliday has an 85th percentile sprint speed, he really needs to improve his efficiency, or he's not going to get the green light to steal as often moving forward.

At the plate, Holliday made some positive gains in 2025, which has me encouraged for 2026. First and foremost, Holliday got his strikeout rate back in check at 21.6% after having a whopping 33.2% strikeout rate in 208 plate appearances as a rookie in 2024. He also improved his walk rate from 7.2% to 8.6%.

Two other big gains from Holliday were his major jumps in zone and overall contact rate. After having a 75.7% zone and 65.9% overall contact rate in 2024, Holliday improved those metrics to 81.6% and 75.5% respectively, both of which are around league-average. Holliday also dropped his chase rate from 27.2% to 22.3%.

Holliday struggled against left-handed pitching in 2025, slashing .200/.263/.309 with a 62 wRC+ and 86 mph AVG EV against them. While this is a concern, Holliday is still very young, and Baltimore seems to be willing to give him opportunities to figure it out instead of platooning him. If the struggles continue, Baltimore's approach could shift, though.

Holliday's overall quality of contact, especially against right-handed pitching, was decent. Holliday had an 89.8 mph AVG EV, 44.6% hard-hit rate, and a 9.3% barrel rate against right-handed pitchers and an 88.8 mph AVG EV, 40.8% hard-hit rate, and 7.8% barrel rate overall. While I don't expect many 25-homer seasons, Holliday should be able to approach or exceed 20 home runs annually.

All in all, I do believe Holliday is going to be a solid fantasy asset, just not a high-impact one. He's a mid to back-end top-10 second baseman for me.

Rankings Note: Jordan Westburg would slot here, but he will be ranked/discussed in my Third Base rankings article.

6. J.J. Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals (23)

While JJ Wetherholt played the most at shortstop in 2025, the most likely scenario is him playing second base or third base long-term for the St. Louis Cardinals, as they're unlikely to move Masyn Winn off of the position. Regardless of what positional eligibility Wetherholt winds up having, his all-around offensive profile will fit just fine.

In 109 games between Double-A and Triple-A this past season, Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs, and 23 steals while only getting caught three times. He also recorded a phenomenal 14.5% walk rate and 14.7% strikeout rate across 496 plate appearances.

Wetherholt blends above-average speed with above-average contact skills, plus or better swing decisions, and above-average power as well. He put up a 49% hard-hit rate, 12.6% barrel rate, and a 91.4 mph AVG EV in Triple-A while having a contact rate around 80% for the entire 2025 season. Wetherholt should debut early in 2026 for St. Louis and could make a strong run at National League Rookie of the Year.

7. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves (28)

It's hard to figure out if we should be in or out on Ozzie Albies right now. After having arguably the best year of his career in 2023, Albies has had maybe the worst two years of his career in 2024 and 2025. Albies slashed .251/.303/.404 in 99 games in 2024 and then .240/.306/.365 with 16 home runs and 14 steals in 157 games last season. Thankfully, Albies ended the season on a positive note, slashing .272/.330/.439 after the All-Star break, after slashing .220/.290/.316 before the All-Star break.

When you look at Albies' quality of contact metrics, he's never stood out, but he did dip from an 8.2% barrel rate, 88.7 mph AVG EV, and 39% hard-hit rate in 2023 down to 4.9%, 87.5 mph AVG EV, and a 30.7% hard-hit rate in 2025.

Albies has always gotten by on elite batted ball angles, headlined by a 27.2% pull air rate. Albies still has above-average zone and overall contact rates, as well as a low 14.1% strikeout rate. I'm not sure Albies returns to his top-5 ways or even gets back to 20 home runs, but he could settle in as a back-end top-10 option until some of these prospects push him out.

8. Luis Pena, Milwaukee Brewers (19)

While Luis Peña played three different infield spots in 2025, starting 45 games at shortstop, 27 games at second base, and 10 at third base. Even though I believe he has the arm to play short or third, I'm projecting him more as a second baseman, given all of Milwaukee's other options on the left side of the infield.

In 2025, Peña had 44 steals in 96 games with a .270/.335/.422 slash line, 33 extra base hits, and nine home runs. There's easy plus or better speed in the profile, along with above-average contact skills. Peña finished 2025 with a 76% contact rate, 8.1% walk rate, and a 16.3% strikeout rate, while being 18 years old for the entire season in Low-A and High-A.

But while the contact skills and speed are exciting, Peña's long-term value and fantasy impact hinge on how much power he ultimately provides. Peña is currently a fringe-average power bat who projects as a 12-15 home run hitter long-term. But if he can add more bulk and power moving forward and tick up to a 15-20 homer bat, Peña could wind up as an impact second baseman for fantasy purposes.

9. Travis Bazzana, Cleveland Guardians (23)

A pair of oblique strains limited the 2024 #1 overall pick to 84 games this past season, but Bazzana was still solid in those 84 games. Sure, he hit only .245, but that came with a .289 OBP, .179 ISO, 31 extra-base hits, nine home runs, and 14 steals. Bazzana still managed to push a .400 OBP despite having a low average, thanks to a lofty 17.6% walk rate, which ticked up to 24.2% in his 26 Triple-A games. Overall, Bazzana still finished 2025 with an impressive 136 wRC+.

Third day in a row for Travis Bazzana! pic.twitter.com/S6n4a2uf1f

— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) September 7, 2025

When you combine contact and approach, there aren't many prospects with a better combination of those two tools than Bazzana. In 2025, Bazzana posted an 80% contact rate, 7.5% SwStr rate, and the aforementioned 17.6% walk rate. There's also an above-average power and speed in Bazzana's profile, and he posted a solid 89.3 mph AVG EV, 41.1% hard-hit rate, and 12.5% barrel rate in Triple-A.

You shouldn't be scared away by the lower average last season. The skills are here for Bazzana to be a five-category fantasy contributor, and one who should debut for Cleveland early in the 2026 season.

10. Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs (28)

At this point, you should know that to expect with Nico Hoerner every year and expecting anything different is rather silly, to be honest. In each of Hoerner's four full Major League seasons, he's been between seven and 10 home runs with under 70 RBI and an AVG north of .270. In each of the last three seasons, Hoerner has scored at least 86 runs with at least 29 stolen bases. Hoerner is a good three-category contributor. Take it to the bank.

Hoerner posted a career-best 7.6% strikeout rate in 2025 with a 94.9% zone contact rate and 88.8% overall contact rate. Those were all near the top of the league in each category. He also had an 82nd percentile sprint speed. You can pencil him in for 80 runs, 25 steals, and a .270 average. That might not be sexy, but Hoerner is stable, steady, and provides solid value for fantasy.

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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