Top-75 Dynasty Second Base Rankings for 2022

Over the years, the second base position has worked its way up the offensive positional totem pole. Gone are the days when this position was mocked for its lack of elite talent and depth. Now, the second base position is loaded with countless offensive-minded bats, many of which also qualify at other positions as well, starting right at the top with Trea Turner who will lead these dynasty second base rankings for at least one season while he has eligibility.

Lastly, in case you’re wondering what’s going on with the tier names below, I named every tier after a Foo Fighters song to honor the late Taylor Hawkins. The Foo Fighters have been my favorite band for over 20 years and Hawkins was one of the greatest rock drummers ever. Rest in Peace, Taylor. Also, the tier names don’t reflect any players in the tier, I simply chose song titles.

Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Second Base Rankings

Tier 1 (Everlong)

1. Trea Turner, LAD: I’m not sure if Turner will retain 2nd base eligibility longterm, but he will for 2022 at least. Turner is coming off a ridiculous .328/107/28/77/32 season and was on pace to go 30/30 in the shortened 2020 season as well. For 2022 leagues, Turner is the near-consensus #1 overall pick due to his AVG/power/speed blend and dual eligibility, and is firmly inside my top-10 overall as he’s still only 28 and will be in the top third of a loaded Dodgers lineup this season and possibly longer if they extend him.

2. Ozzie Albies, ATL: If you’re looking for a dash of consistency on your upside, then Albies is your man. On top of being one of the most talented middle infielders in the game offensively, Albies has been remarkably consistent as well. His 30/20 performance in 2021 was Albies’ third consecutive full season going 24/14 or better and was on pace to do the same in the shortened 2020 season. Albies’ AVG has fluctuated a bit, but you’ll get something in the .260-.290 range to go along with 25+ homers, 15-20 steals, and plenty of counting stats. It’s also worth noting that Albies recorded his best barrel and hard-hit rate in 2021.

Tier 2 (My Hero)

3. Marcus Semien, TEX: While it’s highly unlikely that Semien will repeat his career-year from 2021, especially in the power department, he’s still solidly in this third spot for me as a 30+/10+ threat moving forward. Semien recorded above-average quality of contact metrics with a chase rate and sprint speed in the top-13% of hitters last season. A .260/30/15 season in 2022 is certainly within reach.

4. Ketel Marte, ARI: If Marte could stay healthy and run a bit more, he’d likely be third on this list. However, Marte has recorded only three steals in his last 135 games and has played in just 60.8% of Arizona’s games over the last two seasons. At this point, expecting him to run more is risky, but the offensive profile is rock solid. Marte has hit .287 or higher in each of the last three seasons and recorded his best hard-hit rate and AVG EV last season along with his second-best barrel rate. He’ll likely pace at around .300/25 and is a top-50 player if he can play 140+ games.

5. Javier Baez, DET: Out of the nine players in this tier, Baez’s range of outcomes is easily the highest. While he posted a career-best hard-hit rate in 2021 with a barrel rate above 12% for the third time in four seasons, Baez’s approach remains incredibly aggressive and now he’ll be in a ballpark that has been known to suppress right-handed power. However, even with a K-BB% above 28% in each of the last two seasons, Baez has made it work for the most part with 2020’s .203 AVG serving as the only season since his rookie season in 2014 that he’s been under .265. Knock off a few home runs and this is still a valuable fantasy profile with 25/15 upside this season if you can stomach the inconsistencies.

6. Brandon Lowe, TBR: Lowe is an interesting player to value right now. Overall, his 97/39/99/7 line would warrant a higher ranking here, but Lowe hit only .247 last season largely due to a .198/.261/.401 slash line against southpaws. The power is legit and evident by Lowe’s barrel rate above 14% in the last three years and a hard-hit rate above 43% in all four seasons. If you can deal with the lower average, Lowe can be highly valuable in three categories while adding a handful of steals as well.

7. Jazz Chisholm Jr: The upside with Jazz Chisholm is the top of tier two or even the back-end of tier one. Chisholm has shown 25/25 upside, but has been limited by an overly-aggressive approach which included a 28.6% strikeout rate, 29.7% whiff rate, and a 30.8% chase rate to go with below-average contact metrics as well. If he can take a step forward in those areas, we might see 25/25 happen this season. Chisholm is one of the biggest risk/reward players at this position and in baseball in general.

8. Jonathan India, CIN: I’m tempted to put India higher, but this group is all close in my overall. Both India and Chisholm could easily be a few spots higher by the all-star break. Nothing about India wows you but he’s an annual 20/10 threat in a great ballpark with exceptional OBP skills that will keep him locked into a leadoff role for the foreseeable future. The Reds lineup has taken a hit since last season but India is definitely a name on the rise in dynasty.

9. Whit Merrifield, KCR: The elder statesman of this top-10 at 33 years old, Merrifield still brings high-end value to the table thanks to his speed, AVG, and durability. He’s the only player in baseball to play in every game over the last three seasons and has exceeded 30 steals in three of his last four full seasons with double-digit home runs in each of his last four seasons. This is the type of player that contending teams need and should be looking to acquire.

10. Jose Altuve, HOU: It’s a bummer that he doesn’t run anymore, but Altuve showed in 2021 that his bat is still incredibly potent and that we can ignore his lackluster 2020 performance. Altuve has now exceeded 30 homers in each of his last two full seasons and should accrue plenty of counting stats in the middle of Houston’s loaded lineup. With that said, I do wonder how well he ages as he gets closer to his mid-30s so now isn’t a bad time to consider selling high.

11. Jorge Polanco, MIN: Year after year, Jorge Polanco continues to be underrated in fantasy drafts. That’s finally coming to an end in 2022 as he’s been a top-100 pick on average, but Polanco still feels like a solid value buy for dynasty leagues. Polanco is coming off a career-best season in 2021 where he slashed .269/.323/.503 with 33 homers, 98 RBI, 97 runs, and 11 steals, and he’s still only 28 with dual 2B/SS eligibility for the 2022 season.

Tier 3 (Times Like These)

12. Jake Cronenworth, SDP: Cronenworth doesn’t stand out in any one area, but his multi-positional eligibility is valuable and he can contribute solidly across the board without hurting you in any one area. In 2021, Cronenworth finished with 94 runs, 21 homers, 71 RBI, and four steals with a .266/.340/.460 slash line. His OBP skills should keep him high in San Diego’s lineup where more 90/20/70 seasons are certainly possible. (Blurb From my First Base Article)

13. Max Muncy, LAD: The only reason for Muncy being at the bottom of this low is the concern surrounding his left elbow. Muncy has proven to be incredibly consistent with 35 or 36 homers in each of his last three full seasons while providing eligibility at both first base and second base. If his elbow issue proves to be behind him, Muncy will rise several spots in these rankings throughout the season. (Blurb From my First Base Article)

14. Nick Gonzales, PIT: The 2020 7th overall pick got off to a slow start to his professional career but dominated in August, posting a .365/.419/.757 slash line with 10 doubles and 10 homers in 117 PA. Overall, Gonzales profiles as a plus hitter with 20+ homer power and enough speed to settle into the 10-15 SB range early in his career. Expect him up early next season, but late 2022 wouldn’t surprise me either if he excels in the upper minors this season.

15. Gleyber Torres, NYY: Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of Gleyber Torres anymore. The 38-homer 2019 season was obviously a fluke, and his quality of contact metrics don’t exactly scream 20-homers either. Torres is around league average or slightly below with his QoC metrics and is a career .268 hitter that needed a late-season SB surge to reach double-digits for the first time.

16. Tommy Edman, STL: When looking at Tommy Edman’s savant page, it’s you’ll see metrics on both ends of the spectrum. Edman is in the blue with anything to do with quality of contact, but ranks highly in speed, contact, and approach metrics with the exception of his walk rate. You’ll get solid speed and dual eligibility, just don’t expect his to suddenly improve offensively into more than a .270/10 type. That .304 AVG from 2019 might go down as his career-best by a decent margin.

17. Ty France, SEA: The profile isn’t exactly sexy, but France finished 2021 hitting .291 with 18 homers and improved as the season progressed. He’s an above-average that doesn’t whiff or strikeout much and might even have more power in the tank. There’s zero speed to speak of, but France could settle in as a good four-category player. (Blurb from my First Base Article)

18. DJ LeMahieu, NYY:  The arrow is certainly pointing down here, but I’m not sure we’re done seeing LeMahieu as a viable CI or MI for fantasy purposes. he’ll once again have 1B/2B eligibility and could see a nice bounceback this season as he was dealing with a core injury for most of last season which really affected him. (From my First Base Article)

19. Nick Yorke, BOS: Boston’s surprising first-round selection in 2020 excelled in a big way in 2021. Between Lo-A and Hi-A, Yorke combined to slash .325/.412/.516 with 39 extra-base hits, 14 home runs, and 13 steals in 442 PA along with an 11.8% walk rate and 15.6% strikeout rate. Yorke’s upside reminds me of a young Dustin Pedroia with the ability to hit for a high AVG with a high OBP and flirt with 20/20 annually.

20. Gavin Lux, LAD: At this point, it’s approaching make or break time for Gavin Lux. Do the Dodgers just not think as highly of him as most of us do? They’ve yet to give Lux a prolonged shot to start in the Majors and who knows if that even happens following the AJ Pollock trade. Lux has flashed top-10 upside at this position, but I’m starting to wonder if that ever happens.

21. Luis Urias, MIL: Urias showed some real growth last season. In addition to improving his walk and strikeout rates, Urias posted career-best marks by a mile in barrel and hard-hit rates while slugging 23 homers with five steals in 549 PA. You gotta wonder if the high MiLB averages will ever return, but even if they don’t, a .260/25/5 infielder with multi-positional eligibity is highly valuable.

22. Vidal Brujan, TBR: The elite speed has consistently been there, but where is the power? Outside of a seven-homer month in May 2021, Brujan’s game power has never really materialized and he’s blocked at both 2B and in the outfield at the moment. Brujan remains a .280+/35+ threat, but I’m starting to wonder if his power ever reaches the 15-homer range and is more in the 8-12 range annually.

23. Ryan McMahon, COL: If you ignore 2020, McMahon has put together back-to-back seasons of nearly identical results. He’s been right around 23 homers, 85 RBI, 70-80 runs. five steals, and a .250 AVG. He also trimmed his strikeout rate to 24.7% after three straight seasons above 29% while maintaining a hard-hit north of 40% for the fourth straight season.

Tier 4 (The Pretender)

24. Jose Miranda, MIN: At this point, all Jose Miranda needs is a spot to play. Will that come at first base, second base, or third base, who knows. But the bat is 100% legit. Think Ryan McMahon with more AVG upside. In 2021, Miranda slashed .344/.401/.572 with 32 doubles and 30 homers in 591 PA between Double-A and Triple-A. (Blurb from my first base rankings)

25. Brendan Rodgers, COL: I’m likely the low man on Rodgers, and that’s totally fine with me. Rodgers is a decent, but unspectacular fantasy asset that doesn’t run and posts middle-of-the-road contact and power metrics that are slightly aided by Coors Field. In a neutral park, he’s likely a .270/15-18 HR bat that could flirt with .280/20-22 HR in Coors, but with zero speed.

26. Chris Taylor, LAD: Admittedly, this might be a little low for the Dodger’s swiss army knife, but he’s proven what he is at this point. Taylor is an annual 20/10 threat that will hit around .250-.260 with multi-positional elibility. However, he’ll be 32 soon and I wonder how long the speed stays in double digits.

27. Eduardo Escobar, NYM: I’m admittedly not the biggest Escobar guy around, but he’s exceeded 20 homers in each of his last four seasons and has averaged 31.5 homers and 99 RBI over his last two full seasons. You could do worse with your CI spot at the moment. (Blurb from my first base article)

28. Enrique Hernandez, BOS: After six seasons with the Dodgers, Hernandez switched coasts and posted a career year with Boston, finishing with 20 homers, 60 RBI, 84 runs, and a .250/.337/.449 slash line. He’s likely never going to hit much higher than .250, but Hernandez has walked at a solid clip in his career and will once again see plenty of time in the leadoff spot for Boston ahead of several potent bats. His dual 2B/OF eligibility is an added bonus.

29. Nick Madrigal, CHC: Finding value in Madrigal boils down to understanding what you’re getting in the profile. Dating back to his collegiate days at Oregon State, Madrigal has exhibited elite contact skills and is one of the hardest people on the planet to strikeout. He’s capable of hitting north of .300 annually while flirting with 20 steals and maybe adding 5-10 homers.

30. Kolten Wong, MIL: Wong seemingly flies under the radar every season. There’s nothing flashy in his profile, especially with his quality of contact metrics, but Wong put up 14 homers and 12 steals last season from this position and could flirt with 80+ runs as Milwaukee’s primary leadoff hitter if he can remain healthy all season.

31. Jonathan Schoop, DET: Schoop continues to get undervalued despite five straight full seasons over 20 homers. The profile doesn’t offer more upside than what we’ve seen, but a dual-eligible 20-homer bat in an up-and-coming Detroit lineup still provides solid fantasy value. Schoop is still only 30 as well. (Blurb from my first base article)

Remainder of the Top-75 (Learn to Fly & Monkey Wrench)

Media Credit: Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire

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