Second Base 2022 Fantasy Baseball Review

As we discussed in our first base review article, drafters nailed the top of the second base market. The top three finishers at the position were all among the top seven second basemen drafted. Trea Turner finished at the top of the Razzball Player Rater for the position, but he will not be eligible at second base in 2023. You can check out how the second base position was drafted in 2022 versus how they finished on the Razzball Player Rater in the image below.

While most of the value came from the top of the draft, most of the second base value was drafted within the top-150 picks. It is worth keeping in mind when thinking about drafting in 2023. With the position going to be even more shallow in 2023, how should you approach second base in drafts? Let’s take a look.

2023 Draft Strategy

When looking at the second base position for 2023, you’ll want to consider it earlier than you may think. Ozzie Albies and Marcus Semien are the first second basemen off the board, both having an ADP of 41. Once the first second baseman goes off the board, others begin to fall. Jose Altuve and Jazz Chisholm Jr. have an ADP of 49 and 51, respectively.

After those four, only five-second basemen are going with an ADP above 150. It seems like you should take an early second baseman or wait until after pick 150, where there are some potential value picks. Players such as Javier Baez(maybe…), Jonathan India, Max Muncy, and Ketel Marte. It is riskier to wait until this range, so addressing the second base position early is a smart move. Yes, it feels like I have said this about many positions so far!

Player Thoughts

Ozzie Albies, ATL

Outside of Trea Turner, Albies was the highest-drafted second baseman in 2022 and could be the top again in 2023. Despite a horrific season that saw him slash just .247/.294/.409 in 269 plate appearances, people are still buying Albies. Maybe you are out, and that is okay, but I would like to remind you that Albies hit 30 home runs and stole 20 bases in 2021. That has only been done 15 times in history by a second baseman. Yes, Albies swings and misses a lot and chases often, but he still had an 86.3 percent zone-contact rate in 2022. At the depressed price, buy in 2023.

Marcus Semien, TEX

Through the end of May, Marcus Semien was hitting below the Mendoza line and had just one home run in 207 plate appearances. To be exact, he had a .199/.266/.275 slash with one home run and six stolen bases. After June 1, Semien hit 25 home runs, 19 stolen bases, and a .268/.319/.490 slash line. Only six hitters had more home runs over that period than Semien. Kyle Tucker was the only other hitter who had at least 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases over that time(22/16). Semien, in his second year in Texas in an improved lineup, should be equally as good in 2023.

Jose Altuve, HOU

Age did not keep Jose Altuve from having another elite season in 2022. Altuve hit 28 home runs and stole 18 bases. It was his highest stolen base total since 2017, when he stole 32. Some may see it as a fluke, but he was only caught stealing once. In next year’s stolen base environment, there’s no reason Altuve won’t steal 10-15 bases. Not to mention he hit .300. Altuve is my top 2B for redraft in 2023.

Tommy Edman, STL

Everyone seemed to doubt Tommy Edman coming into 2022, and he got the job done despite only hitting 13 home runs. He finished fourth among 2B on the Razzball player rater thanks to his 32 stolen bases and 95 runs scores. Edman won’t turn 28 until next May and will likely be undervalued again in drafts for 2023.

Whit Merrifield, TOR

Whit Merrifield was among the more disappointing players in 2022, as he managed 11 home runs and 16 stolen bases between Kansas City and Toronto. He also saw his batting average drop to .250, and his OBP was below .300. Merrifield played sporadically in Toronto until mid-September, and he finished his final 51 plate appearances with a .417 batting average and four home runs. Merrifield’s value takes a hit due to likely hitting in the bottom of the Jays’ lineup, but if he were to be traded to a non-contender, his value likely moves back up.

Stat Leaders

HR:

Jose Altuve – 28

Brandon Drury – 28

Marcus Semien – 26

Gleyber Torres – 24

Max Muncy – 21

Isaac Paredes – 20

SB:

Jon Berti – 41

Tommy Edman – 32

Marcus Semien – 25

Josh Rojas – 23

Thairo Estrada – 21

Andres Gimenez – 20

AVG:

Jeff McNeil – .326

Luiz Arraez – .316

Jose Altuve – .300

Andres Gimenez – .297

Brendan Donovan – .281

Runs:

Jose Altuve – 103

Marcus Semien – 101

Tommy Edman – 95

Luis Arraez – 88

Jake Cronenworth – 88

Brandon Drury – 87

RBI:

Jake Cronenworth – 88

Brandon Drury – 87

Marcus Semien – 83

Gleyber Torres – 76

Wilmer Flores – 71

Andres Gimenez – 69

Max Muncy – 69

2nd Half Stat Leaders

HR:

Marcus Semien – 13

Max Muncy – 12

Luis Rengifo – 12

Jose Altuve – 11

Rodolfo Castro – 10

Brandon Drury – 10

Gleyber Torres – 10

Kolten Wong – 9

Jake Cronenworth – 8

SB:

Josh Rojas – 15

Jon Berti – 13

Andres Gimenez – 13

Tommy Edman – 12

Jose Altuve – 10

Bryson Stott – 9

Thairo Estrada – 8

Adam Frazier – 8

Marcus Semien – 8

AVG:

Jeff McNeil – .356

Christian Arroyo – .329

Jose Altuve – .328

Andres Gimenez – .298

Vaughn Grissom – .291

Luis Arraez – .289

Josh Harrison – .285

Kolten Wong – .281

Runs:

Jose Altuve – 54

Marcus Semien – 51

Luis Arraez – 36

Brendan Donovan – 35

Jeff McNeil – 35

Max Muncy – 34

Andres Gimenez – 33

RBI:

Marcus Semien – 40

Jake Cronenworth – 39

Max Muncy – 39

Nick Gordon – 37

Luis Rengifo – 37

Brandon Drury – 35

Gleyber Torres – 35