Nick Mariano's 2023 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings

2023 fantasy baseball tiered second base rankings and analysis for 5x5 roto mixed leagues, featuring ranks from RotoBaller's rankings expert Nick Mariano.

Howdy, RotoBallers! Today, we push on with my fantasy baseball rankings series and head to the keystone position after touching on catcher and first base so far. Whether you're ponying up for a superstar or comfortable waiting on later value, there is much to discuss!

Some of you play with middle-infield slots, or maybe just an overall infielder, on top of the usual "2B" position. We've got you covered no matter the format! And in case you missed any, you can see the rest of the positional rankings articles here:

• Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings
• Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings
• Fantasy Baseball Third Base Rankings
• Fantasy Baseball Saves+Holds Relief Pitcher Rankings

While the power potential has risen at second over recent times, this is still a position defined more by speed and batting average. There are also many hitters who will be eligible at more than just the keystone on many platforms. Let's hop to it and hit the tiered table and analysis below.

Second Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Roto Leagues

Tier One - Second Base Rankings

Unless you’ve got Mookie Betts eligible off the rip, Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve are your top options. I have Semien ahead by a decent chunk after yet another season of playing every day. Last year, he played in 161. He played all 162 in both 2021 and ‘19. Over 700 plate appearances in all four of the last “real” seasons (stupid 2020) is incredible. We don’t pay for the past but at age-32 he should have that still within his range.

Juxtapose that with Altuve, who hasn’t topped 150 games played since 2017. But that 140-145 count from the last two seasons has still provided 600-plus PAs of strong production. After failing to run much between 2019-21 (13-of-24 on attempts), he went 18-for-19 on the basepaths in ‘22. He also hit .300 for the first time since ‘18. Altuve turns 33 in May but his power-speed-average skill set is worth the pop. Both of them get leadoff volume in strong offenses, but RBI won’t be a strength.

Tier Two - Second Base Rankings

Jazz Chisholm Jr. will head into the outfield for dual eligibility in 2023. The exciting 25-year-old was out with a stress fracture in his back last year after battling hamstring and shoulder issues in ‘21. The injury discount lands him around the third or fourth round but we must remember his 162-game rate through his first 205 career games is nearly 30/30 production. Miami’s R+RBI potential isn’t inspiring but the tools, which are more projectable, are captivating. He’s a great target for those who went power or pitching early.

If Bobby Witt Jr was available in the third round, would you smash it every time?

Jazz Chisholm is Bobby Witt Jr in the third round.

— Matt Modica (@ctmbaseball) March 5, 2023

I don’t have lots of Ozzie Albies in ‘23 as he looks to rebound from an injury-marred 2022 campaign. It isn’t that I’m worried about him getting hurt again. It’s the losses in plate discipline that I can’t 100% attribute to being hurt and uncertainty regarding his slot in the batting order. Batting second is great! Batting sixth, not so much at this ADP!

Tier Three - Second Base Rankings

Tommy Edman, Andres Gimenez, and Gleyber Torres offer different mixtures of power and speed depending on your build. Edman has back-to-back seasons with ~10 HR and ~30 SB. Gimenez can provide a more balanced mix, with aspirations for a 20/20 or 20/25 campaign. Torres probably won’t resuscitate 2019’s 38-homer swing but has the 25-30 homer ceiling with ~10 steals behind him. Of course, some may shy away with Oswald Peraza/Anthony Volpe pushing for middle-infield reps.

Tier Four - Second Base Rankings

Max Muncy is enjoying some helium as many look past his year-long line and focus on the final two months when he was swinging with a healthy elbow. He would hit .247 with 12 home runs in those 53 games, making for a ~36-homer pace in a full 162. That’s how many he hit in 2021! Between the renewed health enthusiasm, the versatile eligibility, and the shift ban, Muncy is a fun power target.

Max Muncy hit his 1st homerun of ST yesterday, and it was a no-doubter. #maxmuncy hit .264/OPS .906 in August of last year, then hit .259 in September with an OPS of .884. So far in ST he's hitting .292 OPS .893. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/0jGZjA68QI

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) March 14, 2023

Jorge Polanco has yet to play in Spring Training, same with Byron Buxton, but Minnesota says he’s on track for Opening Day. Polanco’s age-29 fantasy season will be determined by his knee’s health and whether he’s comfortable running in ‘23. Patellar tendinitis can crop up again but we’re hoping for 30 HR+SB with an average of around .260 in a full year. I’ve usually waited past his ADP to hit the keystone if I miss on Muncy.

Tier Five - Second Base Rankings

This is a thick tier with upside aplenty, but those seeking a higher veteran floor can lean on Brandon Lowe, Jake Cronenworth, Ketel Marte, Jeff McNeil, Whit Merrifield, and Jean Segura. If you’re okay juggling Coors splits then Ryan McMahon should snag 2B/3B in all formats soon.

How about 2021’s NL Rookie of the Year, Jonathan India? He dealt with hamstring woes early on that limited him before being hit in the leg by a pitch during the Field of Dreams game, which led to a compartment syndrome risk. Luckily, he made it out okay. I’m willing to toss out much of ‘22 and bank on India hitting first or second in the Great American Ballpark-fueled offense. Let’s hope the speed shown in ‘21 (12 steals) returns with sustained leg health.

You can aim high for some power-speed juice with Thairo Estrada, Vaughn Grissom, and Josh Rojas. You’ll likely deploy Rojas at third base, but 2B/3B flexibility is always valuable. Both Estrada and Grissom should have 2B/SS in short order as well, with Estrada also possibly gaining OF if Brandon Crawford gets healthy.

Tier Six - Second Base Rankings

Here’s a tier where everyone except Kolten Wong is eligible at more than one position on most sites. The versatility helps you utilize the back of your bench on dart throws elsewhere rather than padding depth. Luis Arraez kicks us off and you’ll know rather quickly whether you need his batting average in your build or not. I try to avoid that route but sometimes it happens!

Bryson Stott scuffled early in ‘22 before finding his rhythm down the stretch. If I told you on July 9 that Stott would wind up hitting .234 with 10 home runs and 12 steals on the year then you’d slap me. With 57 games in hand, the rookie was hitting just .173 with four homers and three swipes.

Then the last 70 games saw him hit .278, though he struggled in the playoffs, batting 6-for-44 in October. He attributed much of the woes to elevated fastballs, but he’s studied Kyle Schwarber’s swing to improve against them. If he can get the new wrist flick through the zone to work then we could see another gear from the 25-year-old.

Bryson Stott said his No. 1 priority this offseason was to figure out which high fastballs to hit, and how to better hit them.

Stott studied Kyle Schwarber’s approach on high fastballs, which he says is “second to none.” That work started to show today: https://t.co/pwA7cloyQ3

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) March 9, 2023

Speaking of another gear, CJ Abrams almost certainly has one, or two, that we haven’t seen yet. The .604 OPS didn’t light any fires, but he was a 21-year-old rookie with barely 100 professional games under his belt before debuting against major-league pitching. He and his 80-grade speed define a “post-hype sleeper” on a lackluster Washington squad that doesn’t draw the spotlight.

Tier Seven and Below - Second Base Rankings

Once again, this is where the choices get rather one-dimensional. Maybe someone does a little bit of everything but standout in nothing. Perhaps the playing time is a Jenga tower of question marks, but most simply won’t carry you to victory. And that’s okay, because if you’re still reading this low then mediocre-yet-consistent PAs are probably useful!

The guys who I feel can most reasonably make a jump are Luis Garcia (2B), Michael Massey, and Rodolfo Castro. If there was a 6B tier then they’d comprise it. Otherwise, maybe you're stashing Trevor Story or waiting on a prospect or two. Take your shots and see what pans out.

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