Fantasy Baseball: Second Base Positional Preview for 2025

The 2025 MLB season is right around the corner, and for fantasy baseball managers, this is peak draft season.

Ahead of drafts, we're previewing every fantasy baseball position, and this is the breakdown for second base.

Top Fantasy Baseball Second Basemen for 2025

Here are the top 12 second basemen and their current average draft position (ADP), according to FantasyPros' ADP. Note that Mookie Betts played just 16 games at second base in 2024, so whether or not he qualifies at the position will depend on your league's settings.

By just glancing at the ADPs above, it's abundantly clear that this isn't a very deep position, and that's even more the case if Betts isn't eligible. If we include Betts, just he and Ketel Marte are going inside the top 30, and beyond them, Jose Altuve,Ozzie Albies, Jordan Westburg, Marcus Semien, and Matt McLain are the only top-100 picks.

Mookie needs little explanation as a longtime fantasy baseball star who's eligible at multiple positions, and a flukey HBP injury that cost him a couple of months is the only reason he didn't produce better counting stats in 2024. Marte is coming off one of the best campaigns of his career, and while there's risk in buying high, he feels like one of the safest 2B options.

Those next five second basemen all come with a degree of uncertainty, though, so if you don't land Betts or Marte, it might be best to wait and see if you can snag one past their ADP.

Altuve and Semien are in their mid-30s and have shown hints of decline. Albies continues to alternate between good and bad seasons due to injuries, though he's still just 28 years old. Westburg and McLain are young players who have flashed potential but have yet to show what they can do over a full campaign.

Considering the last two tend to get drafted behind the veterans, you could argue they're the ideal targets of this grouping. Westburg posted strong Statcast metrics in 2024 and slugged 18 home runs over just 107 games. He also was in the 91st percentile for sprint speed, so he could have untapped stolen base potential. McLain missed all of last season due to shoulder surgery, but he posted 16 dingers and 14 swiped bags over a mere 89 games in 2023. While there's added risk following a lost year, the power/speed ceiling is very tempting.

Undervalued Second Basemen for Fantasy Baseball

We see a fairly big drop in ADP following the aforementioned seven players. If you miss out on the top options -- or simply decide to take the value route at a weak position -- there are still solid choices outside the top 100.

Luis Garcia Jr. (WAS) | ADP: 131.5 (2B9)

It's telling that Luis Garcia has an ADP outside the top 130 but is still inside the top 10 at the position, which goes to show that we can really sit back and wait to draft a starting 2B if needed. The real question, though, is whether Garcia should be going earlier as he's coming off a breakout campaign where he hit .282 with 58 runs, 18 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. Despite a below-average sprint speed, the Washington Nationals led MLB in stolen bases last season, so he should have the green light more often than not, and the batting average was backed by a .278 xBA (89th percentile). Playing time versus lefties could be limited, but he logged a career-high 528 plate appearances in 2024, which is still a pretty encouraging baseline.

Luis Rengifo (LAA) | ADP: 186.3 (2B16)

A hamstring injury has held Luis Rengifo to just one game in spring training, and Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington has indicated the team is being cautious, which has left Rengifo's Opening Day status up in the air. While none of that sounds great, Rengifo is still someone to consider in drafts, particularly if he shows signs of improvement as we get closer to the season. Wrist surgery ended his 2024 campaign after 78 games, but he looked to be on his way to a dynamite stat line after racking up 24 stolen bases in half a season. ATC projects him for a .260 BA, 14 HR, and 21 SB, and he has room for so much more if last year's stolen base pace is repeatable.

Late-Round Second Basemen for Fantasy Baseball

Finally, these are two players outside the top 250 picks who stand out.

Willi Castro (MIN) | ADP: 247.5 (2B25)

• We're cheating a little because Willi Castro is technically just inside the top 250, but he's worth highlighting as versatile fantasy asset. Castro has stolen 14 and 33 bases over the past two seasons, and he has just enough power to flirt with double-digit home runs. Best of all, he's eligible as 2B, 3B, SS, and OF, giving your roster a Swiss Army knife to move around. Playing time can often fluctuate for utility players like Castro, but it sounds like he's expected to get regular playing time again this year.

Christopher Morel (TB) | ADP: 279.3 (2B27)

• Christopher Morel hit a measly .196 and saw his power metrics drop across the board in 2024, which is why he's being drafted so late. But the 2023 version kept his batting average out of the cellar (.247) and slugged 26 homers in 429 plate appearances while showing strong marks in barrel rate (95th percentile), hard-hit rate (92nd percentile), and average exit velocity (91st percentile). Morel is projected start in left field for the Tampa Bay Rays and could pay off if he bounces back.

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