Way Too Early 2025 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings

By Hunter CondrillJanuary 12, 2025
Way Too Early 2025 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings

Hello everyone! It’s time for another edition of my fantasy baseball 2025 season rankings. Today, we’re going to look at second base. Second base is an interesting position. There are a lot of players with multiple position eligibility, although it’s mostly with shortstop. This year it feels like there could be a changing of the guard in terms of some top players. With a lot of mid-round options that have upside to force their way into the top five, and the current “top five” have aging players who have had down years. So, let’s dive in! I use Fantasy Pros to analyze the average draft position(ADP). Image credits go to Baseball Savant

 

 

Top 5 Second Basemen for 2025 Fantasy Baseball

 

Honorable Mention

 

Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

2024 Stats:

.264/.312/.481 18HR, 63 RBI

 

Jordan Westburg is a part of the young Orioles group. More importantly, he’s becoming a key member of the unit. He had a great first half of the season; Westburg hit 15 home runs and drove in 50 RBIs in the first half. An injury took him out for most of the second half of the season, and he was shaking off rust when he returned. For the season, Westburg slashed a very impressive 129 OPS+. In simple terms, the man hits the ball well.

 

 

Westburg is also in the 91st percentile in sprint speed. The walk percentage isn’t great, and he needs to chase fewer pitches, but overall, Westburg does a great job at the plate. Outside of Westburg himself, there’s plenty to like for his 2025 outlook. He’s on an Orioles team that was a top five offense last season. They didn’t do much in free agency to improve, but the growth of the young core should be enough to keep them competitive. The Orioles also shortened the left field wall, which will give all of their hitters a boost going forward. I think Westburg will improve this year. But even if he doesn't, he’s still a top second baseman for fantasy baseball.

 

 

5. Matt McLain

(Cincinnati Reds)

 

Did not play in 2024 - 2023 stats: 

.290/.357/.507, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 14 SB

 

Matt McLain is not a top-five second baseman in terms of ADP. He has an average ADP of 111, which is closer to the 10th best than the top five. So why is he so far up on my list? Maybe I’m smoking crack, but I’m really not that high on Ozzie Albies(which I will get into later), and I have to admit, I love McLain. Maybe too much. But it’s for a good reason. McLain made his debut on May 15th and didn’t turn back. Putting up an impressive OPS of .864 and an OPS+ of 127. Unfortunately, with the late start and a right oblique strain, McLain only played 89 games.

 

His 162-game average would’ve been 29 home runs, 42 doubles, and 25 stolen bases. While there’s no guarantee that McLain will produce those stats, he’s only 25 and has shown that he can maintain the production. McLain also ranks in the 90th percentile in sprint speed and 94th percentile in sweet spot percentage. He also knows how to utilize the field, which highlights how well-rounded of a hitter he is.



 

McLain was third in points per game for Fantrax and Yahoo, scoring in 2023. While ESPNs scoring wasn’t nearly as good(he was 10th in points per game, 9th if you take out Alejo Lopez and his one game), he’s a great bet if you’re in the prior two leagues. 

 

 

4. Marcus Semien

(Texas Rangers)

 

2024 stats:

237/.308/.391 23 HR, 74 RBI

 

Last year was a down year for Marcus Semien. After leading the league in games played, plate appearances, at-bats, hits, runs, and WAR in 2023, Semien didn’t lead in anything for 2024. His OPS dropped by .127 points, and every single counting stat went down. There are still some positives from last year. Semien had a 4.1 WAR, largely due to his defensive prowess. He was also top five in every single fantasy scoring system. Semien’s strengths come from his availability(four missed games over the past four seasons) and his approach to the plate. 

 

 

Semien uses his great plate discipline to make the most out of every at bat. His availability is also a very impressive skill he has. He bats leadoff in a large majority of games, which naturally gives him a lot of at bats(he lead the league every year from 2022-2024). Semien is likely closer to his average seasons(2024) than his extraordinary ones(2023), but average is already a top-five finish for him. Last year, Semien was still second in home runs and RBI for all second baseman(I use MLB.com for these types of points). A good season puts him into the top three and a real threat for the best overall. 

 

 

3. Jose Altuve

(Houston Astros)

 

2024 Stats: 

.295/.350/.439 20 HR, 65 RBI, 22 SB

 

Jose Altuve has been the most reliable second baseman for the past decade. His stat line is impressive for any player, much less a guy in his age 34 season. Altuve was top four in every fantasy scoring type. He’s a textbook example of reliability. Father Time is catching up to him; his top-tier speed isn’t what it used to be. The baserunning aggressiveness is still there, but he got caught stealing in 24% of his attempts last season. While it’s still a good percentage, it’s not even close to his 8.5% from the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

 

Altuve’s significant drop in slugging is also a concern, dropping .083 points from last season. Overall, Altuve is still a top-tier second baseman. A great fantasy asset, he will work for another 20/20 season and a top-three finish. 

 

2. Ketel Marte

(Arizona Diamondbacks)

 

2024 Stats:

.292/.372/.560 36 HR, 95 RBI

 

Ketel Marte had a phenomenal season last year. He placed third in MVP voting and won the silver slugger for his position. He was also first in his position for fantasy scoring last year. Among second baseman, Marte led baseball by a wide margin in home runs(13 more than 2nd), OPS(.143 higher), RBI(21 more), and SLG(.116 higher). The man raked in 2024.

 

 

Marte has been a very good hitter in his prime, with a 129 OPS+ over his last five seasons. I expect Marte to continue to dominate this season and be one of the best second basemen in fantasy and real life. 

 

 

1. Mookie Betts

(Los Angeles Dodgers)

 

2024 Stats:

.289/.372/.491 19 HR, 75 RBI

 

I mean, who else would it be? As impressive as Ketel Marte was last season, Mookie Betts has consistently had better seasons than Marte. In terms of fantasy, Betts has top 5 overall potential. He has an OPS+ of 138 for his career, along with an impressive slash line of .284/.372/.530 and a 145 OPS + over his last five seasons. This output should continue, especially due to his elite plate discipline.

 

 

While his barrel and hard-hit % are surprisingly low, they’re usually above league average. He also hasn’t needed either of those to be high to produce a hall of fame worthy career. With his skills and playing in the heart of a loaded Dodgers lineup, I expect another great season from Mookie Betts.

 

 

Breakouts to Target

 

Jackson Holliday

(Baltimore Orioles)

 

Here’s the obligatory Jackson Holliday breakout. His time in the majors in 2024 was rough, but let’s remember that he was 20 years old. His profile gives him a 70-hit grade, 55-power grade, and 55-run grade. Holliday had an OPS over .900 for every season in the minors(technically, he only had a .796 OPS in his first 18 games at AAA in 2023, but for the season, it was over .900), along with nine triples and 24 stolen bases last year. He went from A ball to handling AAA in a single year. I mean, how can you not expect the breakout to come?

 

There’s definitely more risk taking Holliday over other top prospects like Dylan Crews. The Orioles are trying to win now, and a slow start by Holliday could send him back to the minors. The talent is there; he just needs to bring it all together at the big league level. 

 

Xavier Edwards

(Miami Marlins)

 

We already saw a mini breakout by Xavier Edwards last year. In 70 games, Edwards posted an OPS of .820, with a .397 OBP. He was ranked third in points per game for second baseman, largely due to his 31 stolen bases. He would’ve had 70 over the course of a full season last year. With a career batting average of .313 in the minors, Edwards has shown to be a reliable top of the lineup player. With his ability to get on base and his threat on the basepaths, I think it will be very easy for Edwards to be a breakout player this year. 

 

 

Kristian Campbell,

(Boston Red Sox)

 

Matt Shaw

(Chicago Cubs)

 

Kristian Campbell and Matt Shaw are two of the best prospects in baseball. I’ve put them together because they’re in very similar situations. Both have been crushing minor-league pitching, have above-average hit, power, and run grades, and are either late-round picks or undrafted in terms of ADP. Campbell has a higher ceiling in terms of potential, but both of them have the physical tools to become all-stars in the league.

 

Campbell and Shaw have also never played in the majors before. Both of them will get an invitation to spring training and should be given every opportunity to make the opening day lineup for their respective teams. They’re both solid late picks, or waiver adds for those with NA spots. 

 

Hye-seong Kim

(Los Angeles Dodgers)

 

It’s not like the Dodgers need another solid player, but they went out and got Hye-seong Kim after he was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. Kim had some solid numbers in the KBO, averaging a .304 average, 21 doubles, and 30 stolen bases over his eight-year career. Kim is relatively off the fantasy radar, with an average ADP of 440. While that will likely go up, it still shouldn’t be very high considering the cheap(three-year, $12.5 million) contract. Being part of a loaded lineup, Kim is likely to play a super-utility role. The speed will translate easily, so as long as Kim can get on base, I believe he will be a solid fantasy asset with a relatively low cost.

 

 

Players to Avoid

 

Ozzie Albies

(Atlanta Braves)

 

I’m not a fan of Albies at his current ADP. Over the last five years, Albies has failed to play 100 or more games 60% of the time. Admittedly, his per 162 stats are impressive. 28 home runs, 105 RBI, 15 stolen bases, with a .782 OPS. But how good are those if he struggles to play most of the season? Altogether, Albies has a career OPS+ of 108. As the second 2B off the board, I’m just not a fan of the risk/reward with him. 

 

Gleyber Torres

(Detroit Tigers)

 

Gleyber Torres isn’t a huge target for anyone, as shown by his 163 ADP. He is, however, being drafted too high. He doesn’t hit for average; he doesn’t steal a ton, and the only saving grace is hitting for power. But even then, he was 10th among second basemen in home runs last year(although he was fifth in 2023 and third in 2022). Can we expect Torres to bounce back to his 25-home run season? Maybe, but it’ll be harder on his new team. Yankee Stadium is the second-best ballpark for right-handers to hit home runs, with a ballpark score of 120. Comerica Park is the seventh worst, with a ballpark score of 88.

 

Being the 15th second baseman off the board, Torres doesn’t have the consistency to be a backup, and he doesn’t have the potential like similarly ranked players. I’d prefer Xavier Edwards, or Jackson Holliday for potential, or Luis Arraez, or even Bryson Stott and Andres Gimenez for consistency. I understand Gimenez and Stott aren’t great hitters, but they’re solid base stealers who should get at least 30 this year.