2026 Position Previews: Second Base
A detailed look at second base for 2026 fantasy baseball leagues
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Overview
Second base was gross last year, and it might have gotten worse this year. That generates a lot of opinions about how one should handle it. Some think it makes a ton of sense to overpay for a guy at the top of the list, and some think you should just punt it away and figure it out later since it’s so rough.
I’m not sure which side I take. But maybe I’ll figure it out when going these tiers.
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Tier One
1 | Jazz Chisholm
2 | Ketel Marte
3 | Brice Turang
4 | Nico Hoerner
It’s a four-man tier, and there’s a lot of inter-tier differences in these players. Ketel Marte is the best hitter of the group. If anybody is clearing 30 bombs with a .280 average and a nice OBP, it’s him. But he doesn’t swipe bags, which stands out in a negative fashion at this position. He’s also in a lineup that doesn’t look all that great, and there’s been plenty of injuries in his past to worry a little bit about.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the super coveted 2B/3B eligibility. That’s very, very nice to have, as it lets you plug him in at a corner or middle infield slot as well. That’s a boost. Chisholm is one of the few 30-30 threats in the league. His flaw is the batting average. You’re potentially taking on a .230 batting average in 600+ PAs with him. So you have to build around that. But overall, he’s my #1 and I didn’t have much trouble with that ranking.
If you don’t want to pay a super-premium, Nico Hoerner and Brice Turang are here, giving you very solid production at what they do. I’m not really buying into the Turang power outburst last year, but I have little doubts about his steals and batting average ability. That’s what you get with Hoerner as well. And that fits nicely into what you’ll typically be getting from this position. It makes sense to target batting average and steals in the middle infield and catch up in power with your first baseman or third baseman. Those are general rules. I’d still rather have Ketel or Jazz, but Hoerner and Turang can do a lot of good for any fantasy team while not costing a ton, and maybe even being a little bit safer, at least in terms of your safety in getting what you think you’re drafting.
Tier Two
5 | Xavier Edwards
6 | Ceddanne Rafaela
7 | Jose Altuve
8 | Luke Keaschall
And already, we have problems. I guess you could say there’s not a true five-category player at the second base position. But these guys are really going to hurt you in at least one spot.
Xavier Edwards probably maxes out around seven homers, but he’s a Nico Hoerner type with a good batting average and steals. And he should lead off for the Marlins, so it could be a nice season. I just think Hoerner has a more certain high batting average and a bit more pop.
Ceddanne Rafaela can give you 20-20, which is always great to have. But his profile makes him susceptible to low batting averages, extremely low OBPs, and very, very cold streaks. I don’t like the guy in fantasy, but I can’t rank him below these other names.
Jose Altuve is returning to second base this year, but he still has the eligibility from getting in there a lot late last season. He’s still hitting bombs, but the batting average and steals have taken a dump these last two years. If the power goes, you’re left with pretty much nothing.
Luke Keaschall had a great year last year on a per-game basis. But he didn’t play enough to really prove it, and I’m pretty sure he’s an 8-12 homer guy on a really bad team. What if he hits .260? What are you left with? Not much other than 25-30 steals.
Tier Three
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