2020 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings Top 40: Keston Hiura is the Real Deal

Second base isn’t that bad this year, especially with a few names being eligible like DJ LeMahieu and Max Muncy. There are also young names like Cavan Biggio and Gavin Lux who are going to get everyday playing time for the most part. As far as drafting second baseman goes, I would won’t be reaching much for the top guys, as there is enough mid-range value to consider. If I am taking any of the top five ranked players, it will be Keston Hiura or Ketel Marte. They are going post 40 picks, and are in line with the rest of the names. Even the young guys like Gavin Lux and Cavan Biggio are going to be solid fantasy options this season.

RankNameTeamADPAUCPAABH2B3BHRRRBISBAVG
1Gleyber TorresYankees29.7$26648.5582.1170.730.52.131.493.794.87.50.293
2Ketel MarteDiamondbacks44.4$24665.3600.9187.636.86.224.995.890.69.60.312
3Jose AltuveAstros34.1$25656.4588.1191.934.73.123.8104.091.710.30.326
4Ozzie AlbiesBraves39.7$28664.3603.9184.439.96.220.995.889.618.20.305
5Keston HiuraBrewers43.4$26628.7571.2156.933.63.123.883.485.511.80.275
6Whit MerrifieldRoyals52.9$23647.5593.0178.138.95.212.485.571.124.60.300
7Yoan MoncadaWhite Sox66.1$23634.6564.3160.131.54.224.791.780.315.00.284
8Max MuncyDodgers74.8$17595.0500.0134.625.22.131.492.793.73.20.269
9DJ LeMahieuYankees64.9$17655.4594.0185.528.43.117.188.674.26.40.312
10Eduardo EscobarDiamondbacks118.6$10651.4592.0168.536.86.225.786.595.84.30.285
11Mike MoustakasReds103.9$15625.7560.3153.729.41.034.284.599.92.10.274
12Jonathan VillarMarlins39.8$26633.6569.3151.625.23.116.284.561.839.60.266
13Jeff McNeilMets87.2$15630.6567.3173.834.74.219.084.578.38.60.306
14Gavin LuxDodgers156.0$8567.3511.8142.028.44.215.277.367.010.70.278
15Cavan BiggioBlue Jays133.5$12570.2482.1117.725.23.118.175.261.810.70.244
16Ryan McMahonRockies185.0$5564.3504.9138.932.63.120.076.277.35.40.275
17Brandon LoweRays195.8$5573.2509.9133.629.43.122.874.275.26.40.262
18Tommy EdmanCardinals135.5$11471.2431.6121.924.25.29.558.747.413.90.282
19Daniel MurphyRockies243.8$1557.4507.9157.937.83.116.272.179.32.10.311
20Rougned OdorRangers227.3$2569.3513.8124.024.23.125.774.272.113.90.241
21Kolten WongCardinals226.6$5593.0520.7144.226.34.211.473.156.718.20.277
22Luis ArraezTwins238.0$4553.4500.0164.332.63.13.871.157.74.30.329
23Cesar HernandezIndians277.1$3565.3505.9149.523.15.29.573.158.79.60.295
24Starlin CastroNationals275.7$2504.9470.3142.025.21.016.262.873.13.20.302
25Michael ChavisRed Sox236.6$2486.1441.5110.222.11.020.062.865.93.20.250
26Niko GoodrumTigers285.0$1605.9544.5138.929.45.216.276.264.913.90.255
27Tommy La StellaAngels280.5$1433.6390.1108.118.91.012.452.551.50.00.277
28Garrett HampsonRockies174.3$5310.9283.180.615.84.25.743.329.913.90.285
29David FletcherAngels324.0$1536.6492.0142.027.32.15.762.850.57.50.289
30Jonathan SchoopTigers374.8$5565.3526.7144.228.41.023.867.078.32.10.274
31Jurickson ProfarPadres357.7$1554.4490.1127.227.33.116.265.964.98.60.260
32Robinson CanoMets377.2$1554.4504.9143.130.51.017.164.972.10.00.283
33Luis UriasBrewers353.3509.9449.5119.824.22.19.559.752.54.30.266
34Hanser AlbertoOrioles405.4$1567.3535.6153.725.22.19.558.755.64.30.287
35Dee GordonMariners288.9$2301.0283.180.610.53.11.035.019.616.10.285
36Howie KendrickNationals359.7$1329.7302.094.317.91.010.544.346.43.20.312
37Mauricio DubonGiants436.3$1492.0458.4125.123.12.18.654.649.413.90.273
38Jose PerazaRed Sox349.0$1274.2254.474.212.62.13.834.026.88.60.292
39Adam FrazierPirates512.5556.4501.9147.330.54.27.665.959.78.60.294
40Shed LongMariners527.8535.6482.1117.724.22.112.457.751.58.60.244

Tier One (1-3)

If you are looking to get plenty of power, Gleyber Torres checks in at number one. He doesn’t have the speed of some of the others at the position, but this is a guy who should blast 30+ home runs again and drive in plenty of runs. It is a great division to hit in, especially with some of the pitching on other teams, but also the ballparks. Torres in the middle of a loaded lineup is also another reason to like him. This young gun is going to be a premium middle infield option for quite some time.

The issue I have with Torres is that if I can get Ketel Marte a round later, I will want to do that instead. Marte had an excellent season with 32 home runs and ten stolen bases. Even if he drops in the power department, 25 HR and 10 SB with an average north of .300, I am all about it. He is also in an underrated fantasy lineup as well.

Jose Altuve missed some time last season, but still had over 30 home runs. I don’t think we will see that stolen base number get back to where it was, but he is still a productive bat. If the stolen base numbers do come back up, then obviously he is going to finish as a top end second base option. At the moment, I still prefer Marte and a few other options at their ADP.

Tier Two (4-8)

Ozzie Albies is another one of Atlanta’s young talented players, and is coming off a season where he had over 100 runs, 15 SB and 24 HR. He hit .295, and is on the cusp of being a tier one option. He is a great source of power and speed for the position, but you will still be paying a higher pick. In shallower leagues, Keston Hiura is a name that might slip another round or two. The same goes for less knowledgable leagues. Hiura is a 23-year-old second baseman, who was taken ninth overall back in 2017. He has shown nothing but strong numbers at the Minor League level. He has a hefty strikeout rate, but the power and speed is there. Playing 84 games last season, he had a .303/.368/.570 slashing line. Hiura also brought 19 home runs and nine stolen bases.

Whit Merrifield is still a reliable option when it comes to speed. He won’t cross the 30-40 mark, but 20-25 is in his range of outcomes yet again. He is a decent contact bat, and will hit double-digit home runs. Merrifield is in a middling spot where you can find the hitting numbers a bit later in comparison to ADP, but not necessarily the stolen bases at the position. Max Muncy I talked about in the 1B rankings as well, but he is just a reliable power option who has multi-position eligibility. He is a bit underrated in my opinion.

Tier Three (9-15)

DJ LeMahieu is still carrying second base eligibility, and while I have him ticked down a bit in comparison to last year’s numbers, he is a strong option. I just don’t find myself taking him at his current ADP. Especially when you look at Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas going over 40 picks later. Escobar is another multi-position eligiblity guy, who is coming off a big season. The power is there, and upper 20s is what he is projected in the home run department. He won’t kill your average, and there will be a ton of runs and RBI coming your way.

Mike Moustakas moved from Milwaukee to Cincinnati, and I love this move for the Reds and Moose. This is going to be a great offense this season, and Moustakas is a power bat that will knock 30+ home runs and have a chance to drive in 100+. Jonathan Villar is going relatively high in drafts, as he does bring a good balance of power, but also 30+ stolen bases. He had 24 home runs last year and 40 SB. It didn’t go unnoticed, and now his draft stock is on the rise. Average and power should take a slight drop, so you are paying for SB here.

We get to some of the younger names now. Gavin Lux is a former first round pick, and is going to be a bright spot in the Dodgers lineup for a long time to come. He will hit in the bottom of the order, which isn’t a knock because this lineup is so strong. Hitting 8th or 9th depending on what Dave Roberts does is not exactly the same within the Dodgers offense. 70+ runs and double-digit home runs will be the strong suit here. One of the few former ballplayer’s sons, Cavan Biggio is going to be a potential 1-2 hitter for Toronto. He has decent power, and also underrated speed. The average won’t quite be there yet, but I love the upside for where he is going in drafts.

Tier Four (16-22)

Ryan McMahon has eligibility at first base as well, so I talk about him a bit more extensive over there. He is a good source of power, and should regularly see at-bats with Colorado. His numbers were far better at Coors, where he struggled on the road. That tends to be the case for quite a few Colorado bats. Daniel Murphy is in the same boat where he also has first base eligibility. I like his upside for where he is being drafted as basically a $1 auction by and near the 250 mark in terms of ADP.

Brandon Lowe broke onto the season last season, playing 82 games with the Rays. He is set for a bigger role this season, and brings some power to the table. His .270 average will take a dip given the high BABIP and strikeout rate from 2019. I do like his ability to drive in runs and produce some runs as well. Tommy Edman is a multi-position guy set to see a tick up in at-bats. He had a .350 OBP last season relying on a higher BABIP. Edman is not a huge power threat, but will reach double-digits. He should also produce some steals. Edman is being drafted higher than I would like, but is a strong fantasy name to consider if he slips past current ADP.

If you are drafting Rougned Odor, you have to take the horrendous OBP that comes with it. He is a big power threat and will get his fair share of steals as well, but much like the rest of the Rangers, getting on base consistently is the issue. An opposite of Odor is Twins second baseman,Luis Arraez. He is a name to keep an eye on, as he has potential to leadoff this season, but is also a name to balance out average issues within your lineup. Arraez is a great contact bat, and does not strikeout. He doesn’t offer a ton of power and speed, but runs and average will be there later in drafts if you need it.

Tier Five (23-27)

Cesar Hernandez is one of the few names moving to a new city. He was playing with Philadelphia last year, and had a .280 average to go with 14 home runs and nine stolen bases. I like the add by Cleveland to replace Kipnis who struggled with consistency over the last few years. He projects for a 10 and 10 guy with a decent source of runs and average for this late in the draft. This is actually a range I feel comfortable in if I miss out on some middle infield options. Starlin Castro is headed to Washington. He had a great season in Miami, and overall his last few seasons have been worthy of a higher ADP than what he is getting.

Niko Goodrum has some pop, hitting 28 home runs over the last two seasons, seeing less than 500 at-bats in each season. He will play shortstop as well, and should get eligibility there too. Nothing sexy about this Tigers team in terms of fantasy, but AL Only and deep leagues you can look here. Tommy La Stella was having an excellent season that got cut short due to injury. He won’t see full-time at-bats, but has enough value to consider drafting this late.

Tier Six (28-32)

Staying healthy and also cracking this lineup full time has been tough for young Colorado prospects to do. Garrett Hampson has excellent speed, and has a chance to grab 15 SB this season. There isn’t a ton of power, but Coors can help with that a bit. If he can make a jump in at-bats, Hampson is worth keeping an eye on, but that isn’t a given. Jurickson Profar was like Rougned Odor lite last season. Some decent power and will get a few stolen bases, but the average won’t be there. He is also in San Diego now.

David Fletcher is a high contact bat with very little power. He had 83 runs last season, although playing time isn’t a given with La Stella expected to see time at second base as well. We will need to monitor this over the next month. Jonathan Schoop is a nice late round power grab. He has hit over 20 home runs in four straight seasons, and projects for more of the same. Schoop is in Detroit which keeps his profile down a bit. Not sure how much 37-year-old has Robinson Cano has left in the tank, as he struggled with injury in 2019. Sure there is some value here, but the upside is somewhat capped.

Tier Seven (33-36)

Luis Urias is actually a decent late round guy to target, as the utility man for Milwaukee. He projects for over a .260 average with around ten home runs and over 50 RBI and runs. However you are likely not looking at these names in standard leagues. Hanser Alberto is in a similar boat, and he actually had a solid 2019 season. He is a low walk and strikeout bat, who doesn’t have a ton of power and speed. Alberto is more of a name to keep an eye on to pick up off the waiver wire during the season.

Howie Kendrick has been excellent, and is sticking around with the Nationals He had a 146 wRC+ in 121 games last season with the Nationals. His at-bats are projected to drop, which is why he has slid down in the rankings. Not a bad option if someone gets injured and he sees consistent playing time. Dee Gordon is bringing you some steals, but nothing more. He is projected to be in the starting lineup, but not enough to have a ton of value.

Tier Eight (37-40)

Adam Frazier is worth a look super late, but projects for similar numbers compared to last season. You can easily find more upside at the position, but like most in this range they are names to keep on the bench or have in mind if a guy goes down with an injury throughout the season. Frazier is a good contact bad with a chance for runs, but nothing more. Shed Long is a younger name who is going to be an everyday guy. He had a 111 wRC+ in 2019 through 168 at-bats. There is some potential here, but a higher strikeout than I would like, and the power has been hit or miss throughout the Minor Leagues. Long is more of an AL only name at this stage.

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Jason Guilbault is the Brand Content Manager for Lineups.com, powered by Catena Media. He has worked 10+ in the sports betting & iGaming space as a writer and content manager. Jason has also written for DailyFantasyCafe, NBAMockDraft, & FantasyPros. He aims to bring the best sports data & insight to the industry for both novice & advanced users.

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