Fantasy baseball managers are already shifting their focus to next season. Even though 2025 just ended, it is never too early to look ahead toward next season. The earlier you start prepping, the more prepared you will be for your drafts. This article looks at the top players at second base, as well as an overview of sleepers, busts, prospects, and off-season headlines for fantasy baseball managers to follow.
For those looking back on 2025, you can check out the 10 takeaways from 2025 here.
For those interested in dynasty, you can head over to Pitcher List to look at the 10 dynasty takeaways from 2025 as well.
The Elite Fantasy Baseball Picks
Ketel Marte – Arizona Diamondbacks
Each season, Ketel Marte proves that the struggles he experienced in 2022 were more of an anomaly than what fantasy baseball managers should expect. Marte was excellent once again in 2025. In 126 games, Marte hit 28 home runs while batting .283. He posted a 145 wRC+, which was the third-highest of his career (trailing only 2024 and 2019).
Age and durability seem like they are starting to catch up to him (126 games was his fewest played since 2021), but when healthy, there are no second base options that produce like Marte does. Last season, Marte ranked in the 95th percentile in expected batting average and the 94th percentile in expected slugging percentage.
Fantasy baseball managers should not expect many stolen bases, but Marte is an excellent contributor for the other four categories. He remains toward the top of the second base rankings for fantasy baseball managers entering 2026.
Brice Turang – Milwaukee Brewers
Brice Turang transformed himself from a speed guy with platoon concerns into one of the elite fantasy baseball options at the second base position. Turang’s glove was always going to keep him in the lineup, but his offensive profile took off in 2025.
The biggest transformation was in the power department. After hitting only seven home runs in 2024, Turang broke out for 18 homers in 2025. By increasing his bat speed, Turang significantly increased his exit velocities. The added power did not come at the expense of his hit tool either, as Turang still hit .288 with impressive contact rates.
Moving forward, Turang profiles as a player who can contribute in all five categories. At a thin position for fantasy managers, this alone turns him into one of the elite picks.
Second Base Sleeper Candidates
Lenyn Sosa – Chicago White Sox
Poor team context is the reason that more people are not talking about how impressive Lenyn Sosa’s 2025 season was. With the team rebuilding, Sosa was given an extended leash to prove he belonged.
Although things started a little bit slow, the team stuck with him, and Sosa came on strong as the season moved along. From June 25 forward, Sosa slashed .261/.294/.474. His power came on in a major way as Sosa crushed 18 homers during that stretch. His 600 PA pace was 36 home runs. He posted a 13% barrel rate during that period and finished the season with a 10.4% rate.
His plate discipline numbers are concerning, but Sosa improved his chase and contact rates as the season moved along and is still just 25 years old. Any second baseman with 25+ home run potential carries intrigue, and Sosa could be a popular sleeper candidate in 2026.
Jackson Holliday – Baltimore Orioles
Jackson Holliday’s name value could prevent him from slipping too far down draft boards. However, the shine wearing off of his name could present fantasy baseball managers with an opportunity to snag Holliday later than he should go. Through his first 209 Major League games, Holliday is batting just .229 with a 96 wRC+.
Holliday showed major improvements in 2025 from where things were in 2024. He finished the season with 17 home runs and 17 stolen bases. He clearly has the power and speed to be a 20/20 fantasy player, but just needs to put it all together. August forward was a struggle for Holliday, but he posted an impressive 17.9% strikeout rate with a 15.1% walk rate during that stretch.
Progression is not linear, and Holliday will still only be 22 years old in 2026. He should be a popular post-hype sleeper pick in 2026 drafts with significant upside for fantasy baseball managers.
2025 Seasons to be Wary Of
Jose Altuve – Houston Astros
Jose Altuve feels like one of those players who has an “age-cliff” season predicted every off-season. So far, Altuve has avoided that cliff. While it is easy to say that 2026 will be the season Altuve finally regresses, there is real evidence that his 2025 season was not all rainbows and unicorns.
Although he finished with 26 home runs and a 113 wRC+, Altuve really struggled the final two months of the season. From August forward, Altuve slashed .226/.296/.392. His batted ball data, which was already underwhelming, took another step back in 2025. Just about every important metric, except for his whiff rate, took a step backward in 2025.
Already 35, and turning 36 next May, the end is drawing near for Altuve. Fantasy baseball managers should be hesitant to buy in again in 2026.
Brandon Lowe – Tampa Bay Rays
Admittedly, finding another player who found success in 2025 that we need to be wary of for 2026 was difficult for the simple reason that there were not that many second basemen who actually had good 2025 seasons.
Lowe was one of them after .256 with 31 home runs. Lowe has been one of those players who has been a pain for fantasy baseball managers to figure out. The community buys in, Lowe regresses. Right when the community backs out, Lowe goes on a tear.
The reason Lowe lands in this section is simply his projected draft price. 30 homers at the second base position should drive up his cost. Be cautious. Lowe is coming off his highest batting average since 2019 and the second-most home runs in his career. He still whiffs 33.4% of the time and chases 32.1%. He also projects to continue platooning, which is always difficult.
Lowe is a solid option, but fantasy managers should make sure they do not pay too much in 2026.
Prospects Set to Make a Fantasy Baseball Impact
JJ Wetherholt – St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt’s first full season of professional baseball could not have gone much better. Wetherholt split his 109 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He is knocking on the door of the Major Leagues after slashing 306/.421/.510.
He showed off power (17 home runs and a 91.4 mph average exit velocity) and speed (23/26 in stolen base attempts). His contact skills were excellent, and his plate discipline is years beyond his age.
Wetherholt seems like the real deal and could be the Cardinals’ Opening Day second baseman in 2026. Nolan Gorman has not proved himself; the team is likely to try and move on from Nolan Arenado again, and Brendan Donovan can play anywhere.
Wetherholt could be an elite fantasy asset as early as 2026.
Travis Bazzana – Cleveland Guardians
Although he was picked ahead of JJ Wetherholt, Travis Bazzana has taken a back seat in terms of fantasy excitement. Although the excitement is down, Bazzana was spectacular in his own way.
The home runs and stolen bases do not jump off the page (9 and 12), but he still posted a 136 wRC+ in 84 games split between Double and Triple-A. He showed off excellent contact skills, great plate discipline, and a knack for hitting line drives. He still profiles as a plus runner, and there is room for at least average power, if not more.
The Guardians could use an everyday second baseman, and Bazzana could fill that hole in the team’s lineup for 2026. He has significant fantasy potential and will be a highly sought-after asset whenever he makes his Major League debut.
Pay Attention to the Off-Season
Gleyber Torres would be much more relevant in a new ballpark
Gleyber Torres was a solid player for Detroit this season. He hit .256 with 16 home runs and brought a sense of veteran leadership and consistency to their roster. However, getting out of Detroit would be great for Torres’ fantasy value.
Detroit is not a great hitters’ park, especially for a player like Torres who does not have earth-shattering power. Despite his highest barrel rate since 2022, Torres saw his HR/FB% remain below 10%. His slugging percentage was nearly 100 points below his expected slugging percentage.
Set to hit the open market again, a more favorable landing spot (like maybe a return to New York) would be a great for his 2026 outlook.
The Red Sox Spring Training battle will be intriguing
Fantasy baseball managers need to pay close attention to how the Red Sox infield shakes out this offseason.
Alex Bregman has opted out of his contract, but could still return to Boston. That would push Marcelo Mayer to second base and create a Spring Training battle between himself and Kristian Campbell. The team could also not sign Bregman, but Campbell would still need to prove himself this Spring Training.
The big three of Campbell, Mayer, and Roman Anthony could all be in the starting lineup for Boston on Opening Day. Campbell will enter Spring Training with the most to prove.
Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites in the fantasy sports industry, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
