One thing that the second base tiers reveal is that the position is actually quite deep. There are solid middle infield options through tier three. There are also plenty of options to fill out your middle infield slot and round out your bench all the way into tier five. This is a position where fantasy managers could wait a little to draft, since not much separates the top tiers of second basemen.
Second Base Tiers for 2025 Fantasy Baseball
The top tier at second base has two players above the rest, though there are a number of players in the second tier that I would be happy to roster. The major decline with second base comes between tiers three and four, with another major drop in quality after tier four.
Tier 1: Superstars
- Ketel Marte
- Jose Altuve
Ketel Marte launched 36 home runs last season in 136 games, a career-high for him, and the second time in six seasons he surpassed 30 dingers. What changed for Marte last year after hitting just 14 in 2021, and 12 in 2022?
Marte featured a career-best 12% barrel rate and 53% Hard Hit rate, the latter of which bested all qualified second basemen and ranked eighth among all qualified hitters. He was also extremely fortunate in his HR/FB rate, nearly doubling his career norm. He did that while hitting fly balls at a lesser rate than in 2023, but he pulled the ball at a higher rate than ever before.
The question is whether or not he can do this again, and while a 36-homer repeat is unlikely, he could very well lead second basemen in home runs again. Marte also provides other counting stats, scoring over 90 runs in back-to-back seasons and reaching 95 RBI last season. He is also a career .280 hitter.
Jose Altuve is a close second here, especially if he can continue to outrun Father Time. The veteran posted his third career 20/20 season in 2024, and his seventh season of swiping at least 20 bags. Altuve has hit 30 home runs twice before but those came in seasons where the ball was flying for everyone. So while he may not have the power potential of Marte, he should be able to tally more steals while also hitting for a high average.
Tier 2: Stars
- Ozzie Albies
- Marcus Semien
- Matt McLain
- Luis Garcia Jr.
- Xander Bogaerts
- Jordan Westburg
- Luis Rengifo
- Luis Arraez
Since 2019, Ozzie Albies has played in 148 games or more three times, but only in odd-numbered years. In the even-numbered years since then, he has maxed out at 99 games. Does that mean anything? Probably not… Either way, Albies is a great target if you miss out on Altuve or Marte. In four seasons of at least 148 games, he has never had fewer than 24 home runs, 96 runs, 72 RBI, 14 steals, or a .261 AVG. He pulls and drives the ball well, and makes above-average contact. Albies should hit early in what should be a very talented Atlanta lineup. A healthy Albies is borderline elite.
Matt McLain lost out on his 2024 season due to injury after an excellent debut in 2023. That season, in 89 games, he hit 16 home runs, with 65 runs, 50 RBI, and 14 steals, while batting .290. Some projections have him as a 20/20 player in 2025. He likely will not hit .290 again, with a high propensity for strikeouts, but the youngster has a ton of value in most fantasy formats. He also might be adding outfield eligibility.
Luis Garcia is another somewhat off-the-radar name that quietly had a near-20/20 season last year. The Nationals started him at second base in all but 22 games last season, and he ran away with his opportunity. He hit 18 homers and stole 16 bases during that span, and could post a 20/20/.280 line this season. The Nats may be getting a little better, so he has a chance at racking up some other counting stats as well and could be a borderline five-category player in fantasy.
Tier 3: Last Starters I’m Comfortable With
- Gleyber Torres
- Bryson Stott
- Nico Hoerner
- Zack Gelof
- Brandon Lowe
- Jonathan India
- Willi Castro
- Andres Gimenez
- Jeff McNeil
- Brendan Donovan
- Colt Keith
- Jake Cronenworth
- Brice Turang
- Maikel Garcia
Tier three is a great spot to find steals at the middle infield position. Bryson Stott has stolen 30 bases two seasons in a row, while also possessing a 16% strikeout rate or better in both seasons. He also improved his walk rate in 2024, getting it up to 9%. If he can get closer to the 164 hits he had in 2023, as opposed to the 124 he had last season, he could see his OBP climb and be extra valuable in both roto and points leagues.
Andres Gimenez also swiped 30 bags the last two seasons, while Brice Turang had 26 in 2023 and 50 last year. Since 2022, Nico Hoerner’s stolen base totals have been 20, 43, and 31. Maikel Garcia reached 37 stolen bases last season, swiping 23 the year before. All of these players, though lack pop in their bats and possess varying degrees of contact ability, with Hoerner the most likely to lead the pack in AVG.
Tier 4: Solid Depth
- Jackson Holliday
- Michael Massey
- Christopher Morel
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- Thairo Estrada
- Spencer Horwitz
- Nick Gonzales
- Gavin Lux
- Dylan Moore
- Nolan Gorman
- Brendan Rodgers
The Orioles are deep at middle infield, which may pose some challenges for Jackson Holliday to get consistent at-bats. After moving through four levels of the minors in 2023, Holliday totaled 12 homers, 113 runs, 75 RBI, 24 steals, and a .323 AVG. Clearly, the skills are there, but he struggled in his 60-game debut season last year, and will likely have to earn his way into a starting position. He has double-digit homer/steal potential, but projections suggest he might not get there.
It will be interesting to see what Thairo Estrada does playing half of his games in Coors Field after playing the last four years in the fourth-most pitcher-friendly park in baseball. He hit into some bad luck last season and dealt with injuries – a problem for him over the last few seasons – so a healthy Estrada in Colorado has a chance to far outperform his ADP.
Michael Massey, Christopher Morel, Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales, Nolan Gorman, Gavin Lux, and Brenan Rodgers all possess double-digit home run potential with some flaws, and all could be productive if they get an opportunity on their respective teams. Dylan Moore and Isiah Kiner-Falefa offer an opportunity for fantasy managers to draft some cheap steals here, but that might be all you get out of them.
Tier 5: Deep League Depth Pieces
- Jose Caballero
- Otto Lopez
- Jorge Polanco
- Whit Merrifield
- Amed Rosario
- Ronny Mauricio
- Davis Schneider
- Brooks Baldwin
- Lenyn Sosa
Most of the players in this tier have a chance to be productive but are liabilities when it comes to AVG. Jose Caballero and Otto Lopez could be a great source of steals late in the draft. Since 2016, Whit Merrifield has only had three seasons without either double-digit home runs or steals but stole 17 in 95 games last year. Ronny Mauricio went 20/20 in the minors in 2022 and 2023, and if healthy, could be a steal late in drafts. Davis Schneider, Lenyn Sosa, and Jorge Polanco could all reach double-digit homers if things break their way with playing time.
Tier 6: Dart Throws
- Edouard Julien
- Orelvis Martinez
- Chris Taylor
- Jorge Mateo
- Mauricio Dubon
- David Hamilton
- Ryan Bliss
- Richie Palacios
- Vaughn Grissom
- Edmundo Sosa
Tier 7: Super Deep Dart Throws
- Will Wagner
- Nick Yorke
- Romy Gonzalez
- Santiago Espinal
- Andy Ibanez
- Brett Wisely
- Nick Loftin
- Kyle Farmer
- Kevin Newman
- Nicky Lopez
- Garrett Hampson
- Curtis Mead
- Vidal Brujan
- Casey Schmitt
- Jared Triolo
- Jose Iglesias
- Adam Frazier
- Andruw Monasterio
- Kyren Paris
- James Triantos
- Termarr Johnson
- Travis Bazzana
- Brandon Drury
- Ildemaro Vargas
- Leo Jimenez
- Luis Guillorme
- Cavan Biggio
- Emmanuel Valdez
- Nick Sogard
- Alika Williams
- Michael Stefanic
- Jamie Westbrook
- Jack Lopez
The players in tiers six and seven are mostly bench players or minor league players who should only be rostered in the deepest of leagues. Orelvis Martinez is probably my favorite out of this bunch. The Blue Jays do not have a clear third baseman, and Martinez could get a serious chunk of playing time.
Think Taylor got the tiers wrong? Share your thoughts in the comments below. For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
