RADIO
RotoBaller's second base fantasy baseball draft sleepers for the later rounds of 2025 drafts. These are sneaky fantasy baseball second base value picks with upside.
In this article below you'll find some of our 2025 staff picks for second base fantasy baseball draft sleepers and later-round value picks for 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. At RotoBaller, we are always looking to identify fantasy baseball draft sleepers to help fantasy managers crush their upcoming drafts. We continue our late-round series by reviewing the second base position.
Below are some late-round picks who could be a bargain come draft day -- players for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority late-round draft target? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2025 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2025 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more – available exclusively in our 2025 Draft Kit.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:- Fantasy baseball draft kit
- Fantasy baseball rankings
- Team Sync platform and Draft Assistant
- Fantasy baseball mock draft simulator
- Fantasy baseball draft cheat sheets
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
- Fantasy baseball prospects
Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
Even after a terrible rookie season, there's still plenty of hype surrounding 21-year-old Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday. Yes, his rookie season was a letdown, but we can't forget that he's still only 21 years old and was playing high school baseball just three years ago.
Spring Training Notables 2/28:
- Isaac Paredes goes 2-3 w/a HR.
- Hunter Brown went 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K.
- Curtis Mead went 2-3, again.
- Joe Boyle went 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K's w/NO walks.
- Jackson Holliday went 2-3 w/a 378 ft HR w/EV 107 MPH.Mini-thread 👇 pic.twitter.com/639TrN90Kx
— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) March 1, 2025
With that said, there are some concerns with his profile moving forward, as Holliday struck out 33.2% of the time with Baltimore last season with a 75% zone contact rate and 66% overall contact rate. Holliday was supposed to be a high-average hitter with modest power and speed, but the profile has shifted a bit, and Holliday hasn't lived up to expectations in the contact department throughout his professional career.
But even if he's more of a .260 type of hitter, Holliday could flirt with 20 home runs and 20 steals annually and produce a 45.1% hard-hit rate and 95th-percentile sprint speed in 2024. He should get the first crack at second base for Baltimore this year, but he's going to need to hit to keep that spot.
-- Eric Cross - RotoBaller
Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers first baseman Colt Keith had a rollercoaster of a rookie season last year, starting with an atrocious first month where he slashed .154/.222/.165 with zero home runs. His slashline spiked all the way to .322/.404/.644 with seven home runs in July, before leveling off over the final two months. In the end, the former fifth-round draft pick put together a .260-13-61-54-7 line with a .301 wOBA and 97 wRC+.
With a power profile such as his, he underwhelmed in the home run department, but look for that to improve in 2025 with a full season in the big leagues under his belt, especially given that the 23-year-old struck out at less than the league average rate (19.8 percent vs. 22.6 percent), indicating he was not overmatched.
While he could underperform relative to other first basemen, he'll begin the season eligible at second base only on Yahoo, and if he can regain the power stroke he displayed in the minors, the left-handed hitter could be a valuable fantasy asset relative to others at the keystone. RotoBaller likes Keith at 219 overall, well ahead of his NFBC ADP of 238.
-- Jarod Rupp - RotoBaller
Connor Norby, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby is locked into everyday playing time in 2025 after getting a brief 45-game sample in his rookie year. He was traded to Miami at the trade deadline, where he ended up slashing .247/.315/.445 with seven home runs, 17 RBI, 29 runs, and three stolen bases in 36 games for his new team down the stretch.
He showed off an exciting combo of power and speed, sporting an impressive 14.8% barrel rate and 47% sweet-spot rate while flashing a 94th-percentile sprint speed. Between the majors and minors in 2024, he combined for 26 home runs and 16 steals in 139 games.
Connor Norby with Marlins:
.329 BA
5 HR
11 RBI
17 Runs— Underdog MLB (@Underdog__MLB) September 8, 2024
However, he struck out at a 33% clip, which is an unsustainable rate for success. Even in the minors, his strikeout rate was 28%, which suggests this is a flaw in his game and not just being overwhelmed with his first taste of major league pitching.
ATC is projecting him to slash .241/.304/.405 with 17 home runs, 60 runs, 68 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 546 plate appearances in 2025, but he can outperform those numbers if he can put the ball into play more often. He's worth a late-round flier at his current ADP of 269.
-- Jeremy Heist - RotoBaller
Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is an intriguing power target as a middle infielder late in drafts. Last season, the 30-year-old hit at least 20 long balls with at least 58 RBI and 56 runs for the second-straight campaign.
In 2024, Lowe held a .244/.311/.473 slash line, which was nearly identical to the .231/.328/.443 slash line he posted in 2023. Lowe generated a 44.7% hard-hit rate and a 12.4% barrel rate, which were both significantly above the average marks.
In addition, he generated a stellar 39.6% LA sweet-spot rate and a .485 xSLG, which placed him in the 94th and 91st percentiles, respectively, among qualified hitters. Lowe also raised his fly-ball rate to 31.6%, which was his highest mark since his 2021 breakout, which is a promising sign for his power output heading into 2025.
More importantly, Lowe will call George M. Steinbrenner Field home in 2025, which has the exact dimensions as Yankee Stadium. Their typical home park, Tropicana Field, was damaged during Hurricane Milton. Over the past three seasons, left-handed bats have hit the third-most home runs at Yankee Stadium, another positive sign for Lowe's 2025 projection.
Being drafted as the No. 22 second baseman on NFBC drafts with an ADP of 239 makes Lowe a great upside pick as a middle infield with high power upside.
-- Andy Smith - RotoBaller
Kristian Campbell, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell is one of baseball's most highly anticipated youngsters. Last year's Minor League Hitter of the Year, he slashed .330/.439/.558 (180 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 20 home runs, and 24 stolen bases.
. @RedSox infielder Kristian Campbell was the biggest scouting/development success story in baseball in 2024.
What change did he make to his swing to become one of baseball's top prospects? https://t.co/2nOXJOVyxc pic.twitter.com/qBrlVYoiMc
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 21, 2025
Equipped with a refined plate approach, an impressive bat, and excellent speed, Campbell is projected to succeed at the big-league level. The only question is when he will debut. Heading into the 2025 season, Campbell is fighting for a place in Boston's starting lineup, with David Hamilton currently projected to start the year at second base (Campbell's primary position).
But even if he doesn't earn the job right out of spring training, the Red Sox probably won't keep Campbell in Triple-A for very long. All things considered, he has the talent to run away with the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
-- Wade Smith - RotoBaller
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
