2014 Dynasty Leagues: Second Base Keepers

Today I'll be taking a look at the top 2^nd base keepers for the 2014 season. Like with my last article about first base keepers, I'll be assuming a 10-team league for simplicity's sake, in which keeping a player requires the owner to forfeit a pick in the upcoming draft in the round in which the keeper was originally drafted the previous year. For example, if Mike Trout was drafted in the 1^st round in 2013, keeping him would require a owner to forfeit their first round draft pick in the 2014 draft.

Second Base (2B) Keepers – Dynasty Leagues

1) Robinson Cano

2013 ESPN ADP: 4 (1^st round)

2013 Stat-line: .314/.383/.516, 27 HR, 81 Runs, 107 RBIs, 7 SB

2014 (Predicted) ADP: 4-5 (1^st round)

A good fantasy owner looks to keep a player for one of two reasons: either the player presents a good 'value' in terms of his draft cost or because the player is such a stud that not keeping him will mean not owning him the next year. Robinson Cano falls into the latter category. The kind of steady, reliable, elite production Cano offers every week is a huge luxury in the daily grind of fantasy baseball. Unlike some I'm not worried that his production will suffer playing in Seattle instead of New York. Safeco Field does have a reputation for being a place where offense goes to die, however it's notable that the Mariners had the outfield fences taken in prior to the start of the 2013 season. In that season they hit the second most home runs as a team of any team in MLB. Good hitters can still hit at SAFECO, even if it isn’t exactly Coors Field. Cano will be fine.

2) Matt Carpenter

2013 ESPN ADP: 250 (undrafted)

2013 Stat-line: .318/.392/.481, 11 HR, 126 Runs, 78 RBI, 3 SB

2014 (Predicted) ADP: 63-68 (7^th round)

Keeping Matt Carpenter will cost you a 25^th round pick. Let me just say that again as slowly as I can so it can really sink in. Matt Carpenter, the 2^nd baseman with 3^rd base eligibility, the man who led the NL in hits, doubles, and runs, the player who's only 28 years old and is hitting at the top of one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, will only cost you a 25^th round pick. Sure he's unlikely to repeat the heights of his 2013 breakout season and will probably regress somewhat this coming season. That's fine with you; he only costs you a 25^th round pick. Do a little dance and be happy. You're the proud owner of one of the biggest steals of the season.

3) Jason Kipnis

2013 ESPN ADP: 68 (7^th round)

2013 stat-line: .284/.366/.452, 17 HR, 86 Runs, 84 RBI, 30 SB

2014 (Predicted) ADP: 23-26 (3^rd round)

The first number your eye is probably drawn to when looking at Kipnis' stats is that 30 SB benchmark. Stolen bases are a premium commodity in fantasy circles and Kipnis looks to be establishing himself as a consistent supplier of them, having stolen at least 30 bases in each of the previous two seasons. Speed isn’t the only aspect of his game however. He's no Chris Davis, but 15 home runs from a 2^nd baseman is nothing to scoff at, especially when it comes with an above-average batting average. And that’s what Kipnis is, solidly above-average across the board. It makes him a safer play than some, because if he starts slumping in one area, he has other skills to provide fantasy owners value with. He's a top 3 2^nd baseman who will cost you a 7^th round pick. That's the definition of a must-keep player.

4) Dustin Pedroia

2013 ESPN ADP: 27 (3^rd round)

2013 Stat-line: .301/.372 /.415, 9 HR, 91 Runs, 84 RBI, 17 SB

2014 (Predicted) ADP: 28-32 (3^rd-4^th round)

Having dropped a couple spots in ADP, you might be tempted to discount Dustin Pedroia as a good keeper, but that would be a mistake. It's important to remember that due to players being kept out of the draft in keeper leagues, the draft itself is much more shallow. A 5^th round talent in a standard league (which is what ADP values are based off of), might well be a 3^rd round talent in a keeper league. As a top 3 2^nd baseman, I don't think there's any way Pedroia makes it into the 3^rd round. He's too good a player. He offers an above-average batting average along with good speed and a little bit of power, all at one of the thinnest positions in the majors. Not only is he a second base stud, he is in fact a value pick in keeper leagues, and that is why he makes this list.

5) Jedd Gyorko

2013 ESPN ADP: 250 (undrafted)

2013 stat-line: .249/.301/.444, 23 HR, 62 Runs, 63 RBI, 1 SB

2014 (Predicted) ADP: 160-165 (17^th round)

There are a lot of question marks still surrounding Jedd Gyorko, I won't lie about that. He's still very young, very raw, and he does hit in the most pitcher friendly park in MLB. But you can't deny the power. In only 125 games last year, he hit 23 home runs, the second most home runs hit by any 2^nd baseman in MLB. His batting average isn't anything flashy, but he showed glimpses last year of the plus hitter tools he exhibited in the minors and I think you can reasonably expect to see some improvement next year. He won't hit .300, but .260 with the potential for .275 is reasonable for him. That's a player definitely worth the 25^th round cost.