Maximize those at-bats. We are greedy, though. Not only are my AL-only second base rankings an exercise in finding at-bats, but we also want them to be productive at-bats.
On an overall level, second base is one of the weaker positions this season. While things do drop off quickly, finding options with regular playing time shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s helpful that some players will be manning other positions, but it’s all about the eligibility here.
After the top seven, the rankings begin to blend together, and it’s really a case of personal preference. The good news is that it allows you to manage your draft board, and you don’t necessarily have to reach as we get deeper into the pool. With that being said, let’s jump into our 2026 AL-Only Second Base Rankings.
American League Only Second Base Notes
Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
Players who have a legitimate chance at going 20/20 shouldn’t be taken lightly. When that comes at second base, now you’re really beginning to catch my attention. In this situation, the fact that Ceddanne Rafaela is likely not even going to be playing second base makes things even better.
Last season, Rafaela performed well in his first full season. He hit .249 with 16 home runs, 63 RBI, 84 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. While we’d like Rafaela’s 4.8% walk rate to be higher, he took a lot of positive steps in 2025. Now, if he could just focus on earning a few more walks, there’s a legitimate chance at 30 stolen bases for Rafaela. And if his batted ball metrics follow a similar trajectory, Rafaela will make a lot of fantasy baseball managers happy this season.
In 2025, we saw his ISO increase from .143 to .165 while his barrel rate jumped from 7.5% to 9.2%. There’s still a way for Rafaela to go, and he likely won’t be a true power threat, but things certainly are progressing in the right direction. Rafaela also improved his hard contact rate from 25.4% to 30.4%.
As Rafaela continues to develop, I might have buried the lead with the most impressive part of his profile. Rafaela saw his strikeout rate decrease from 26.4% to 19.9% last season. That played a large role in his success.
Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays
With Bo Bichette now calling New York home, everything is lining up for Ernie Clement to be an everyday player to begin the season. In standard leagues, Clement is likely not going to make much of an impact. But as we get deeper into roster construction in AL-Only leagues, that begins to change. There’s a clear value in what Clement does and also in his acquisition cost.
Clement showed last season that he can handle regular playing time as he hit .277. Power and speed aren’t exactly Clement’s calling cards, nine home runs and six stolen bases, but every little bit helps. More notably, Clement scored 83 runs last season to go along with 50 RBI.
The good news is that Clement only struck out 10.4% of the time last season. However, with just a 2.4% barrel rate, what we see is what we get. You can do worse in your middle infield spot or to augment your bench in a deeper league.
Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers
The move to Detroit has helped Gleyber Torres, as the veteran has settled into a solid cadence of being a reliable option. He’s a top-10 option at the position, and what you see is what you get here.
Torres will continue to bat at the top of Detroit’s lineup, where he consistently receives large quantities of at-bats. In his last three seasons, Torres has finished with between 628 and 672 plate appearances.
In 2025, Torres hit a solid .256, but with a .272 xBA, that’s at the bottom end of his skill set. Nothing else that Torres does is truly distinguishable, as he hit 16 home runs with 74 RBI and 79 runs scored. His .132 ISO and 8.2% barrel rate aren’t going to generate optimism. While there is a significant gap between his .387 SLG and .453 xSLG, I’m not sure I would read too heavily into that.
Speed isn’t a factor here as Torres stole just four bases last year. Depending on your roster construction, that might be a problem if you are looking to rely on your middle infield for stolen bases.
2026 AL-Only Second Base Rankings
| Rnk | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | NYY |
| 2 | Maikel Garcia | KC |
| 3 | Jose Altuve | HOU |
| 4 | Jordan Westburg | BAL |
| 5 | Ceddanne Rafaela | BOS |
| 6 | Jackson Holliday | BAL |
| 7 | Luke Keaschall | MIN |
| 8 | Gleyber Torres | DET |
| 9 | Jose Caballero | NYY |
| 10 | Lenyn Sosa | CWS |
| 11 | Gavin Lux | TB |
| 12 | Marcelo Mayer | BOS |
| 13 | Luis Arraez | FA |
| 14 | Colt Keith | DET |
| 15 | Romy Gonzalez | BOS |
| 16 | Jonathan India | KC |
| 17 | Chase Meidroth | CWS |
| 18 | Luisangel Acuna | CWS |
| 19 | Ernie Clement | TOR |
| 20 | Jeff McNeil | ATH |
| 21 | Andres Gimenez | TOR |
| 22 | Brooks Lee | MIN |
| 23 | Christian Moore | LAA |
| 24 | Kody Clemens | MIN |
| 25 | Gabriel Arias | CLE |
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