Similar to catcher, second base is another position I would consider punting. I do not like the options at all going into this season. I even have major question marks on the top second baseman, Robinson Cano. Accordingly, it may be the thinnest position in fantasy baseball this year. As far as I am concerned, I will be drafting a second baseman late in the draft or not at all if I do not get a hold of Jason Kipnis in the second round.
1. Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners (2013: .314/ 81 R/ 27 HR/ 107 RBIs/ 7 SB)
Cano is the best second basemen in baseball and cashed in with a monster contract signing with the Seattle Mariners. He is consistently great. He is a career .309 hitter. Since 2009, he has hit over .300 and hit at least 25 homeruns each season. However, the move to Seattle will hurt his stats. He will hit in a pitcher’s ballpark instead of Yankee Stadium which is a haven for left handed hitters. It will decrease his homerun total. Moreover, he will play in a very poor lineup instead of the great lineups during his time in New York. His runs and RBIs will go down. Without protection, opposing pitchers will probably pitch around him all the time. With the pressure to produce because of the big contract, I could also see him becoming impatient and chasing balls out of the zone which could hurt his batting average.
2. Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians (2013: .284 AVG/ 86 R/ 17 HR/ 84 RBIs/ 30 SB)
Kipnis is the best combination of speed and power at second base. He hit 14 homeruns and stole 31 bases in his first full season and put up another 17/30 last season. He is my top fantasy baseball second basemen going into the season.
3. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox (2013: .301 AVG/ 91 R/ 9 HR/ 84 RBI/ 17 SB)
Pedroia is a gamer and consistent with a .302 career batting average. Moreover, he is usually a 20/20 threat. However, he was held to 9/17 last season due to injury. He had thumb surgery in the offseason. Of course, his fantasy value depends on how well you believe he recovers. Nevertheless, it is comforting that he can still be a good player while hurt.
4. Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers (2013: .277 AVG/ 85 R/ 13 HR/ 72 RBIs/ 15 SBs)
Kinsler was my top second basemen for years with a couple of 30/30 seasons at the position. While his 30/30 days are gone, he is still a solid player. He was great at the beginning of last season before being slowed by injury. While he is at least 15/15 with potential to go 20/20, switching from playing in a hitter’s park in Texas to playing in a large stadium in Detroit will hurt his power numbers. Although I am not as high on him as I was in prior years, he is still an excellent pick if he falls to round 4 or 5.
5. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays (2013: .275 AVG/ 77 R/ 12 HR/ 71 RBIs/ 11 SB)
Zobrist is usually a 20/20 threat. As a result, the 12/11 finish of 2013 is disappointing. In addition, he dropped .100 in OPS from 2012. It is not a good sign. If you believe last year is an aberration and that he will get close to 20/20 again, he should maintain his fantasy value for you. However, I am not as high on him as I have been in the past.
6. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies (2013: .284 AVG/ 73 R/ 18 HR/ 69 RBIs/ 8 SB)
Utley is still an elite fantasy option at second base when he is on the field. He played his most games (131) last season since he played 156 games in 2009. He is definitely an injury risk and I would not expect him to play many more games than he did last year as the Phillies will limit his games to keep him healthy and fresh. He is still a good option later in the draft.
7. Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks (2013: .291 AVG/ 45 R/ 11 HR/ 41 RBIs/ 1 SB)
Hill is very talented yet very inconsistent. He has put up monster fantasy seasons in the past. He is two years removed from a .302, 26 homerun, and 14 stolen base season. In only 87 games last season, he hit 11 HR. However, his 1 SB is a big drop that cuts into his value. However, a second basemen that can hit .300 and 20 homeruns when healthy is still an excellent commodity. Moreover, you can get him later in the draft than most of the other players due to his inconsistency. He is a very good gamble in the later rounds.
8. Jedd Gyorko, San Diego Padres (2013: .249 AVG/ 62 R/ 23 HR/ 63 RBIs/ 1 SB)
Gyorko had a solid rookie season. The power is legitimate as he hit 24 homeruns in the minor leagues in 2012. More importantly, he can improve as his batting average and on base percentage were much better in the minor leagues.
9. Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds (2013: .261 AVG/ 80 R/ 18 HR/ 103 RBIs/ 5 SB)
Although Phillips set a new career high in RBIs last season, he continues to show significant signs of decline. His average, on base percentage, and OPS declined a lot again for the third consecutive year. Moreover, his stolen bases have also decreased. He is no longer the 15/15 player that provides good fantasy value for a second basemen. I would highly warn against drafting him.
10. Matt Carpenter, St. Louis (2013: .318 AVG/ 126 R/ 11 HR/ 78 RBIs/ 3 SB)
Carpenter is a fine player in real life. However, he is the type of player I stay away from in fantasy baseball. He has limited power and minimal stolen bases. His value lies in batting average and scoring a lot of runs. Those stats are usually very variable from year to year and highly dependent on the play of one’s teammates. I would not touch him.
Other Options
* José Altuve, Houston Astros (2013: .283/ 64 R/ 5 HR/ 52 RBIs/ 35 SB)
Altuve is a good player on a terrible team. On a better offense, he would have much more value as he could score more runs. As it stands, he is a one trick pony that can steal 30+ bases at second base. He is not someone to reach on. If you have no choice at the end of the draft, you could do worse than Altuve.
* Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks; Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels; Jed Lowrie, Oakland As
These players will get you .290+ batting average and approximately 14 homeruns and 70+ RBIs. It is nothing spectacular. You can get this production in the final rounds of the draft or off the waiver wire.
* Daniel Murphy, New York Mets (2013: .286 AVG/ 92 R/ 13 HR/ 78 RBIs/ 23 SB)
He is nothing special but 13/23 at a thin position was good production last year. He has increased his homeruns and stolen bases over the last 3 seasons. However, he may have already reached his very limited ceiling. He is nothing more than a late pick in the draft if you need a second basemen.
Young Guns
* Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers; Brad Miller, Seattle Mariners; Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins; Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals
Profar might be great in time. While the Rangers traded Kinsler to open up a spot for Profar to start, he is very raw and I expect growing pains instead of fantasy brilliance. Miller had a high batting average and on base percentage in the minor leagues. He will compete for the starting shortstop position with the signing of Cano. However, he did not show great power or speed in the minors so his fantasy value is limited even if he is a very effective player for the Mariners. Dozier put up a respectable 18 homeruns and 14 stolen bases in his rookie season. However, he batted only .244. Before AAA, he had a decent batting average but his struggles since may be an indicator that he will never have a good batting average at the Major League level. The Cardinals are moving Matt Carpenter to third base in order to give Wong the starting second base position. I think he peaks as a .300, 10 homerun, and 20 stolen base player. While it is a good player to have in real life, he will never be a great fantasy option.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.