Second Baseman Rankings

A look at the top 30, also broken down into tiers:

Second base is extremely deep, especially when compared to its double-play partner shortstop, but there are a ton of injury risks to be concerned about. To show how hard it is to crack our top 30, there wasn’t room for a high-ceiling option in Eric Young Jr. and a solid veteran option in Orlando Hudson. If the position is decimated by injuries like it has been in the past few years, then the depth here will be tested.

Chase Utley, Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler are elite options who all missed big chunks of 2010 due to injuries. Brian Roberts has been knocked down to the third tier due in large part to the back problems that plagued him last year. Rickie Weeks and Howie Kendrick have a checkered injury past. You might be well served to take advantage of the depth at second to stash a solid option on your bench in case the injury bug bites you.

There are breakout possibilities galore as you move past the top 15, including Neil Walker, Sean Rodriguez, Danny Espinosa, Reid Brignac, Jed Lowrie and Dustin Ackley.

If your starting second baseman is healthy and productive, you could easily develop a surplus to trade by midseason by striking it rich on your bench.

The third in the RotoAce.com series of fantasy baseball position rankings is second basemen, so let’s look at how they all fit together and where you might find some potential bargains or pitfalls in your fantasy baseball draft or auction.

2011 Fantasy Baseball Second Baseman Rankings and Projections

TIER 1 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
1. Robinson Cano, Yankees 28 645 .305 95 25 96 5
2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox 27 676 .297 95 15 83 15
3. Dan Uggla, Braves 31 671 .265 92 34 101 4
TIER 2 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
4. Ian Kinsler, Rangers 29 570 .278 81 19 75 23
5. Brandon Phillips, Reds 30 658 .272 85 20 78 18
6. Rickie Weeks, Brewers 28 620 .261 95 24 77 13
7. Chase Utley, Phillies 32 524 .281 74 20 73 8
8. Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks 29 655 .272 85 20 82 12
TIER 3 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
9. Martin Prado, Braves 27 671 .298 88 12 75 5
10. Ben Zobrist, Rays 29 672 .252 85 17 76 20
11. Gordon Beckham, White Sox 24 618 .269 77 18 75 8
12. Aaron Hill, Blue Jays 29 639 .259 77 26 83 4
13. Brian Roberts, Orioles 33 552 .279 76 9 56 26
TIER 4 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
14. Howie Kendrick, Angels 27 603 .289 69 10 70 15
15. Mike Aviles, Royals 30 573 .288 65 10 63 13
16. Neil Walker, Pirates 25 606 .261 69 15 72 8
17. Jose Lopez, Rockies* 27 557 .274 64 17 71 4
18. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Twins* 26 575 .282 84 6 44 19
19. Juan Uribe, Dodgers 31 649 .251 69 20 75 3
20. Sean Rodriguez, Rays 25 509 .253 63 16 65 12
21. Danny Espinosa, Nationals 23 511 .241 58 17 60 14
TIER 5 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
22. Omar Infante, Marlins 29 630 .290 71 6 65 7
23. Freddy Sanchez, Giants 33 578 .285 64 6 58 3
24. Reid Brignac, Rays 25 510 .261 54 12 65 6
25. Jed Lowrie, Red Sox 26 452 .267 58 12 62 2
26. Bill Hall, Astros 31 578 .234 59 19 63 8
27. Ty Wigginton, Rockies 33 419 .268 51 16 53 1
28. Dustin Ackley, Mariners* 23 350 .265 49 5 41 9
29. Ryan Theriot, Cubs 31 598 .274 61 1 43 20
30. Alexi Casilla, Twins 26 514 .258 58 2 45 21

Overrated

Sean Rodriguez (ADP #17, RotoAce #20) has shown flashes of a power-speed combo that could turn him into a top option at 2B, ala Rays teammate Ben Zobrist. Contact problems (career 29.7% strikeout rate) will keep his batting average down, and there’s no guarantee he locks down everyday ABs all season. There’s definitely upside here, but some owners may be jumping the gun on predicting fantasy stardom, so don’t get carried away.

Alexi Casilla (ADP #21, RotoAce #30) is beginning his sixth season in Minnesota, but possibly his first as a full-time starter. Casilla piled up 437 ABs in 2008 and hit a surprising seven homers to go with a .281 average, but it’s the stolen bases that fantasy owners are after here. Casilla could give you 20+ steals with a decent average, but he has very little power and is ticketed for the bottom of the Twins order, so he’ll hurt you too much in the other categories to make the speed worth it.

Skip Schumaker (ADP #28, RotoAce #37) is only an emergency option at 2B, as the Cardinals’ former lead-off hitter offers virtually nothing. With the arrival of Ryan Theriot to bat at the top of the Cardinals’ potent lineup, Schumaker will likely bat ninth and is a light-hitting platoon player because he can’t hit lefties. The only way he’s anything more than fantasy poison is in an NL-only league that allows daily lineup changes.

Underrated

Brian Roberts (ADP #15, RotoAce #11) was an elite 2B option from 2005-09, but back problems cost him most of the first four months of 2010. With the injury risk fresh in fantasy owners’ memories and his age now 33, Roberts is being unduly penalized. In just a shade over two months in the lineup, Roberts managed four homers and 12 steals. Now with the rust knocked off and a much-improved Orioles lineup, Roberts is a good bet to return to being a premier option at 2B. Just be sure to draft a solid backup in case the back flares up again.

Mike Aviles (ADP #23, RotoAce #15) rediscovered his 2008 form after elbow problems ruined his ’09 season. Aviles started last season in the minors as he was coming off Tommy John surgery, but he finished the season with a bang, hitting .357 with six homers and six steals in the final month. Aviles should be good for double-digit HRs and SBs to go with a .300+ average, so he may provide the most bang for your buck at the position.

Jose Lopez (ADP #22, RotoAce #17) is being freed from the Safeco Field jail, where he hit just three homers last season, and moves into the friendly confines of Coors Field. It was just two years ago that Lopez hit 25 homers, including 17 on the road. One disastrous season in Seattle’s historically bad offense later and Lopez is being forgotten about. Now entering his age-27 season, there’s 30-homer potential here. Lopez should be able to nail down the Rockies’ second base job, so we’re assuming he’ll add to his current third base eligibility. There’s some worry that Lopez’s skills are eroding (that’s how bad he looked last season) when he should be entering his prime, but it’s more likely that an extended slump exasperated by a terrible lineup and ballpark conspired to kill his numbers. Even if the breakout doesn’t happen, his power and position flexibility should make him a useful fantasy asset.

TIER 1 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
1. Robinson Cano, Yankees 28 645 0.31 95 25 96 5
2. Chase Utley, Phillies 32 624 0.28 90 24 87 14
3. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox 27 676 0.3 95 15 83 15
4. Dan Uggla, Braves 31 671 0.27 92 34 101 4
TIER 2 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
5. Ian Kinsler, Rangers 29 570 0.28 81 19 75 23
6. Brandon Phillips, Reds 30 658 0.27 85 20 78 18
7. Rickie Weeks, Brewers 28 620 0.26 95 24 77 13
8. Kelly Johnson, D’backs 29 655 0.27 85 20 82 12
TIER 3 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
9. Martin Prado, Braves 27 671 0.3 88 12 75 5
10. Ben Zobrist, Rays 29 672 0.25 85 17 76 20
11. Brian Roberts, Orioles 33 592 0.28 81 9 59 28
12. Gordon Beckham, White Sox 24 618 0.27 77 18 75 8
13. Aaron Hill, Blue Jays 29 639 0.26 77 26 83 4
TIER 4 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
14. Howie Kendrick, Angels 27 603 0.29 69 10 70 15
15. Mike Aviles, Royals 30 573 0.29 65 10 63 13
16. Neil Walker, Pirates 25 606 0.26 69 15 72 8
17. Jose Lopez, Rockies* 27 557 0.27 64 17 71 4
18. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Twins* 26 575 0.28 84 6 44 19
19. Juan Uribe, Dodgers 31 649 0.25 69 20 75 3
20. Sean Rodriguez, Rays 25 509 0.25 63 16 65 12
21. Danny Espinosa, Nationals 23 511 0.24 58 17 60 14
TIER 5 Age PA BA R HR RBI SB
22. Omar Infante, Marlins 29 630 0.29 71 6 65 7
23. Freddy Sanchez, Giants 33 578 0.29 64 6 58 3
24. Reid Brignac, Rays 25 510 0.26 54 12 65 6
25. Jed Lowrie, Red Sox 26 452 0.27 58 12 62 2
26. Bill Hall, Astros 31 578 0.23 59 19 63 8
27. Ty Wigginton, Rockies 33 419 0.27 51 16 53 1
28. Dustin Ackley, Mariners* 23 350 0.27 49 5 41 9
29. Ryan Theriot, Cubs 31 598 0.27 61 1 43 20
30. Alexi Casilla, Twins 26 514 0.26 58 2 45 21
* Players not yet eligible at the position (minimum 20 games to qualify)