Second base was one of the thinnest positions last year, but due players like Anthony Rendon and Brian Dozier, it’s now extremely deep. There is a group of young second baseman in MLB that have surpassed guys like Chase Utley and Brandon Phillips. The position should be deep for quite some time.

How will Javier Baez and Rougned Odor fare in their first full seasons in the Majors?

My 2nd base fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Robinson Cano – Seattle Mariners – Cano has been the consensus #1 second baseman for quite some time. He proved last season that getting a fat paycheck didn’t affect his on-the-field performance. He’s good for .300+ with double-digit power and the ability to drive in 90 runs.

2. Anthony Rendon – Washington Nationals – I almost put Jose Altuve here, but I love players worth more than one or two categories. Rendon has the skills to be a 20/20 player while hitting near .300.

3. Jose Altuve – Houston Astros – If you draft Altuve, stolen bases won’t be a huge priority at your other positions. He’ll hit for a nice average and should score near 90 runs in Houston’s improved lineup.

4. Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians – Kipnis seemed to lose the power he showed in previous seasons. He may not be a 20/20 guy, but he will get near those numbers in 2015. In fact, I predict he will get closer to 30 stolen bases.

5. Ian Kinsler – Detroit Tigers – Kinsler is nearly automatic year after year. He’s good for 100 runs scored, double digit homers and steals while hitting around .275. I expect the same for Kinsler this season.

6. Brian Dozier – Minnesota Twins – Dozier came out of nowhere last season. He was a 20/20 player and scored a whopping 112 runs. I don’t think he’ll match those numbers, but he should be close.

7. Dustin Pedroia – Boston Red Sox – Pedroia’s wrist was an issue for him all season. He had offseason surgery and I expect his numbers to bounce back closer to his 2012 or 2013 production.

8. Kolten Wong – St. Louis Cardinals – Wong has the skills to be a 20/20 player, but he hasn’t hit those numbers in the Majors yet. His batting average was lower than expected last season. His numbers were much better the last few months of the season, so that’s why he’s ranked this high.

9. Dee Gordon – Miami Marlins – I thought about ranking Gordon higher on the list, but I want to see him do it again for a full season. Remember, last year at this time, the Dodgers weren’t sure if Gordon would even stick on the main roster. They were open to the idea of sending him to the minors before the season began. He should have 50+ steals on the season, but he won’t match last year’s .289 batting average.

10. Daniel Murphy – New York Mets – Murphy had a fantastic 2013 season. He hit .286 with 13 homers and 23 stolen bases. His numbers dipped last season and I expect his production to match near what he did last year, .289 with nine homers and 13 stolen bases.

11. Javier Baez – Chicago Cubs – Baez is one of the mega-prospects the Cubs have coming up to the Majors. He was a beast in the minors leading the Triple-A in home runs in 2013. He did well in limited time in the Majors last season. He strikes out a lot and won’t carry a good average (around .230), but he has a lot of upside.

12. Chase Utley – Philadelphia Phillies – Utley is still a productive player, but I fear his team won’t do him any favors. The Phillies will be bad and he probably won’t score as many runs or drive in as many as he did last season. He isn’t the same elite fantasy second baseman that he was a few years ago.

13. Howie Kendrick – Los Angeles Dodgers – Kendrick moved across town in a trade this offseason. He’s a consistent batting average player and should have low double-digit homers and steals. He won’t put a huge dent in any specific category, but he’s a solid 2B/SS flex starter.

14. Neil Walker – Pittsburgh Pirates – I always seem to have Walker on at least one of my fantasy teams. I never target him, but he just falls in my lap. I don’t think he’ll match last season’s 23 homers, but he will be close. I would rank him higher, but I like to have more steals from my middle infield positions. Walker only manages a couple steals a season.

15. Ben Zobrist – Oakland A’s – The best way to describe Zobrist is Howie Kendrick with a lower batting average. His position flexibility is nice, but he’s a better shortstop play than at second base.

16. Rougned Odor – Texas Rangers – Jurickson Profar’s endless parade of injuries led the way for Odor’s Major League debut last season. Odor has more power than expected and should hit around 15 homers while stealing low-double digit bases. He has a lot of upside, but he hasn’t done it for an entire season yet.

17. Jedd Gyorko – San Diego Padres – Gyorko had an off-year in 2014. He didn’t match his rookie season’s numbers. His batting average dipped down to .210. He will be protected in the lineup more with all the offseason additions the Padres made. He should see better pitches. His numbers should bounce back near his rookie year production.

18. Martin Prado – Miami Marlins – Prado never lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he was included in the Justin Upton trade. He just showed to be a .290 hitter with average power. He won’t win your fantasy league, but he can be a nice backup.

19. Scooter Gennett – Milwaukee Brewers – Gennett should probably be in a platoon. He is atrocious against lefties and he straight murders righties. His overall numbers aren’t too shabby considering his embarrassing splits. He should hit near .275 with around 10 homers and 10 steals.

20. Brandon Phillips – Cincinnati Reds – I thought about moving Phillips up on my list, but I couldn’t make a strong argument for it. He’s 34 years old and his best years are probably behind him. Playing 81 games at Great American Ballpark does help to pad his numbers a little.

21. Asdrubal Cabrera – Tampa Bay Rays – Cabrera was one of the top fantasy second baseman two years ago. His batting average dipped down to a career low .241 last season. His average should bounce back a little, but he’s far from being an everyday fantasy player.

22. Arismendy Alcantara – Chicago Cubs – I would have listed Alcantara higher if I knew where he will play in Chicago. There is a logjam at second base and outfield isn’t much clearer. He has the tools to be a 20/20 player if he played everyday.

23. Aaron Hill – Arizona Diamondbacks – Hill is one of the most inconsistently good players in fantasy baseball. He seems to be up and down every other year. He’s always been a decent fantasy player, but that was when second base was very thin.

24. Jonathan Schoop – Baltimore Orioles – It’s hard to find an everyday second baseman this late in the draft. Schoop has nice power, but he could be a batting average killer. He strikes out a lot, but will hit near 20 homers.

25. Brett Lawrie – Oakland A’s – Lawrie was once a super-hyped fantasy player after a half-season of production in Toronto. He has never lived up to the hype. He’d be a decent backup 2B/SS or a streaming option at second base.

26. Marcus Semien – Oakland A’s – He has been touted this offseason as a possible sleeper candidate. I am curious how he will perform with 400+ at-bats. He could be a nice player to draft in the late rounds.

27. Emilio Bonifacio – Chicago White Sox – Bonifacio is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball. He will go a month hitting .400 and grabbing ten stolen bases and then the next month he will have lost playing time due to a slump. Bonifacio is nothing more than a cheap source of stolen bases.

28. Omar Infante – Kansas City Royals – Infante is a low-risk fantasy player. He won’t hurt you in any category, but he’s not a huge boost in any either. He’s a nice player to pick up if your starter is on the disabled list.

29. Nick Franklin – Tampa Bay Rays – Franklin was once a highly-touted prospect in the Seattle Mariners farm system. He would do well in the minors and then once he was called up, he would choke. Tampa Bay will give him the time to develop at the Major League level. He should be an everyday player, but he’s a bit too risky to draft in a league.

30. DJ LeMahieu – Colorado Rockies – Josh Rutledge is no longer blocking LaMahieu from being an everyday player for the Rockies. He will carry a very high batting average and will steal double-digit bases. He doesn’t help any other category very much.

31. Luis Valbuena – Houston Astros
32. Jose Peraza – Atlanta Braves
33. Joe Panik – San Francisco Giants
34. Stephen Drew – New York Yankees
35. Alex Guerrero – Los Angeles Dodgers
36. Yangervis Solarte – San Diego Padres
37. Alberto Callaspo – Atltanta Braves
38. Gordon Beckham – Chicago White Sox
39. Danny Espinosa – Washington Nationals
40. Rickie Weeks – Seattle Mariners

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.