The Re-Evaluation: Second Base
A fresh look at the second base position for 2026 fantasy leagues
I think I will have a better time with this if I just go in order of preseason ADP and then make my way along that way.
ADP 1-100
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Ketel Marte
Brice Turang
Somewhat disappointing seasons so far for Jazz and Ketel.
CHISHOLM
.239/.316/.375 with five homers and 12 steals. He’s striking out more than usual at a 29% K%, and the walks haven’t been enough to boost the OBP to a tolerable level.
The biggest problem has been the 5.6% Brl%. The EVs are low as well with just a 105 EV90 on fly balls. The xwOBAs are below .280 against both lefties and righties.
But we hold onto those preseason projections still. Jazz went for 24 homers and 40 steals in 2024, and then the big 31-31 season last year. His batting average was always going to be around .240, so really, the only thing missing here is those long balls.
The bat speed is down from 2025, but up from 2024. I think it’s right to believe he’ll find the home run swing. He’s alwasy been susceptible to slumps, so maybe we’ve just seen an extended one of those at the beginning of the year. Decent buy-low target if you’re looking for speed and some big weekly upside.
KETEL MARTE
He’s lighting it up in the last couple of weeks. And the Savant page has looked elite all year long. He’s the #1 guy for points leagues and OBP/OPS leagues. Maybe he’s a step or two below the top spot when you consider that he’s not going to steal bags.
BRICE TURANG
He turned on the power in the second part of last year, and he’s got seven dingers already to begin the year. Going back to last August:
→ 429 PA, .308/.407/.538, 19 HR, 14 SB
He has the sixth-most fantasy points scored since then (Judge, Ohtani, Soto, Carroll, Schwarber). So maybe he’s the top guy! Probably is for roto leagues.
I will just build my ranks as I go through these names.
Brice Turang
Ketel Marte
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
ADP 100-150
Nico Hoerner
Ceddanne Rafaela
Luke Keaschall
Matt McLain
Jose Altuve
NICO HOERNER
His home run rate is half of a point better than what we’ve seen in the past. But that means 1.7% HR/PA, for four homers. Maybe he’ll clear his career-best (10 in 2021), but he’s not coming anywhere close to twenty homers.
And the steals aren’t elite. He swiped 29 last year, but just ten this year. That’s mostly about this .256 batting average he has going. The .261 BABIP is low, so he’ll get back up to .270+ before long, you’d think.
Very strong option for average, runs, and steals. More walks than strikeouts this year as well, giving him a solid .345 OBP. He’s very, very valuable on roto league teams where you have enough power elsewhere.
CEDDANNE RAFAELA
I kinda forgot this guy exists. He’s hitting .274/.346/.427 this year with four homers and three steals. So not much action in HR/SB, but that’s a career best OBP by 50+ points! He’s walking 6.6% of the time! And that’s because he’s really calmed down at the plate. Just a 48% Swing%, which is a huge drop from previous. This is a completely different approach.
But we’re getting just a 7.3% Brl% and a .303 xwOBA. So he’s not very good at anything you’re wanting him to be good at in fantasy leagues, and the Red Sox being terrible along with him typically hitting in the bottom half of the lineup has really nuked the counting stats.
LUKE KEASCHALL
Anybody telling you that Keaschall had home run upside was doing it wrong. I mostly say that because I specifically told people that he didn’t. Launch angle stuff is nice, and some guys can outperform their bat speed. But at the end of the day, you’ve gotta hit the ball hard to be relied on for a decent home run projection.
Keaschall has one bomb this year in 49 games. It’s a 3.4% Brl% and his bat speed is below the league average line. He’s also just not getting on base all that much (.323 OBP with a 9.5 BB%), and you don’t have much left to make fantasy value with.
There’s some good news in the moving wOBA averages plot:
He’s hitting .268/.414/.375 in May with with three steals. He has ten of those this year with a high attempt rate. So maybe he can be a Nico Hoerner lite for the rest of the season, but he’s not someone I’m liking on fantasy teams right now.