Second base has proven to be the trickiest position to tackle in drafts. There is a bit of a larger first tier without a whole lot of gap between them. The problem? There really aren’t any truly elite options that can contribute across the board. While DJ LaMahieu and Ozzie Albies can provide solid bankable production, I’m not likely to spend a pick on a second sacker in the first two round of the draft.
Unfortunately, the secret is out on Brandon Lowe, who has been my favorite second base target over the past couple of seasons. Lowe’s 2020 power surge has made him a top-70 pick on draft day. Love the power stroke, hate the strikeouts. Lowe likely wont end up on any of my teams in 2021, and thats disappointing.
ADP Targets
I’m confident in a bounce back from Ketel Marte and his power/speed upside makes sense around pick 75. If Max Muncy keeps his second base eligibility in your format, he’s always a nice power option that can provide some versatility. I am willing to take a chance on a Jose Altuve bounce back inside the top-100 and veteran slugger Mike Moustakas remains a fine value in the Dan Uggla mold.
Beyond that the real value at the position comes at the back end and even outside the top 200 draft picks on average. Jonathan Villar (175) is just a year removed from a 24 homer, 40 steal season. Jean Segura (186) give you a little bit of everything, Cesar Hernandez (330) has a very nice average and runs floor witha touch of speed and Jonathan Schoop (347) continues to be an underrated power option with 20+ homer upside coming off a very strong .278/.324/.475 season in 2020.
Top 40-ish Second Base Rankings for 2021
| Rank | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | ||
| 1 | DJ LeMahieu | NYY |
| 2 | Ozzie Albies | ATL |
| 3 | Whit Merrifield | KC |
| 4 | Gleyber Torres | NYY |
| 5 | Max Muncy | LAD |
| 6 | Ketel Marte | ARI |
| 7 | Jose Altuve | HOU |
| Tier 2 | ||
| 8 | Keston Hiura | MIL |
| 9 | Cavan Biggio | TOR |
| 10 | Jeff McNeil | NYM |
| 11 | Brandon Lowe | TB |
| Tier 3 | ||
| 12 | Mike Moustakas | CIN |
| 13 | Lourdes Gurriel Jr. | TOR |
| 14 | Jonathan Villar | NYM |
| 15 | Cesar Hernandez | CLE |
| 16 | Jonathan Schoop | DET |
| 17 | Jean Segura | PHI |
| 18 | Dylan Moore | SEA |
| 19 | Jake Cronenworth | SD |
| 20 | Austin Nola | SD |
| 21 | Ian Happ | CHC |
| 22 | Gavin Lux | LAD |
| Tier 4 | ||
| 23 | Nick Madrigal | CWS |
| 24 | Tommy Edman | STL |
| 25 | Ha-seong Kim | SD |
| 26 | Nick Solak | TEX |
| 27 | Eduardo Escobar | ARI |
| 28 | Hanser Alberto | KC |
| 29 | Ty France | SEA |
| 30 | Jurickson Profar | SD |
| 31 | Starlin Castro | WSH |
| 32 | David Fletcher | LAA |
| 33 | Niko Goodrum | DET |
| 34 | Chris Taylor | LAD |
| 35 | Andres Gimenez | CLE |
| 36 | Kike Hernandez | BOS |
| 37 | Garrett Hampson | COL |
| 38 | Jon Berti | MIA |
| 39 | Kolten Wong | MIL |
| 40 | Tommy La Stella | SF |
| 41 | Ryan McMahon | COL |
| 42 | Luis Arraez | MIN |
| 43 | Scott Kingery | PHI |
| 44 | Donovan Solano | SF |