Our fantasy baseball rankings continue with the top fifty second baseman.

The second base has always been a top-heavy with talent, but there’s a little more than usual this season.

Jose Altuve leads the pack, but there are a few ‘Altuve Light’ options right behind him in the rankings.

Can Jonathan Schoop match last year’s offensive tear?

My 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. Jose Altuve – Houston Astros – Altuve may be the best overall player in fantasy. His average is top of the Majors and he will hit 25 homers and steal 30+ bases. I don’t expect a huge decrease in production, but then again, his numbers the last few years have been insane, so even a little decrease wouldn’t be alarming. He’s surrounded in the batting order with elite talent, so he will get pitches to hit. 

2. Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Indians – There may be some difference in who people think is the second-best fantasy second baseman, but I’m going with Ramirez. He has a lot of the skills Altuve possesses, with less steals and a tad less contact. I actually expect his numbers to stay the same or will even be better this season. He’s a young guy and there’s little-to-no risk taking him early in your draft. 

3. Brian Dozier – Minnesota Twins – Dozier was a top-five pick last year after going nuts in the second-half of 2016. He had a very good season last year, but he didn’t touch the lofty expectation going into the season. He stole less bases than expected and his batting average took a hit. The slight decrease in homers wasn’t a huge deal, but noticeable. He’s another safe pick as the Twins are expected to be an overall better team this year. Also, Dozier is in a contract year, so he will be motivated to be the best.

4. Dee Gordon – Seattle Mariners – Gordon is the guy you want if you target speed. He will steal 60+ bases and hit around .290-ish. You get no power, but will probably get 100+ runs from him. The Mariners are expected to run more as a whole, so Gordon should have a green light. He will also get outfield eligibility early in the year as he will start the season there.

5. Jonathan Schoop – Baltimore Orioles – He’s a guy that just keeps getting better as he gains experience. His batting eye has improved and he’s taking less wild swings. He will still strikeout a lot, but his batting average should stay around .290. I did not expect the 32 home runs last year, but it wouldn’t shock me if he gets near that total again this season. Schoop is creeping up the fantasy rankings and he could jump up a spot or two next year.

6. Robinson Cano – Seattle Mariners – Cano’s power numbers were nearly cut in half last season. He still hit .280, but I expect a little more regression as he enters his age-34 season. There isn’t any upside with Cano, but he will still be good enough to start at 2B in any fantasy league.

7. Daniel Murphy – Washington Nationals – Murphy has been hit with the injury bug the last few years, but none of them has dealt a blow to his fantasy numbers. He had surgery on his knee this offseason, so he could start the season on the DL or could be a slow-starter. He will still be a .300 hitter and drive in plenty of runs on a good Nationals team. He will be a solid top-ten fantasy second baseman this season.

8. Rougned Odor – Texas Rangers – Odor came into last season with huge expectations. He struggled to get on base, but his power numbers picked up towards the end of the season. He’s not going to walk much at all and will take wild swings, but it has worked for him in the past. His .204 batting average was atrocious, but Odor is talented enough to make corrections. He’s a bounce-back candidate and could end the season as a top-five middle-infielder by season’s end.

9. Javier Baez – Chicago Cubs – Speaking of free swingers, Baez is slated to get even more at-bats this season. He was one of the Cubs best hitters in the second-half of the season. He has a shot to be a 20/20 guy if he’s given the green light to steal more bases. I also think last season’s 23 homers will be improved upon. Baez also has shortstop eligibility, so that’s a plus.

10. DJ LeMahieu – Colorado Rockies – LeMahieu is consistent and will a .300+ hitter, but the rest of the categories will only be marginally affected by his output, nothing outstanding. He will score 90+ runs as he hits near the top of the order and will have 10-ish stolen bases. There’s very little upside with LeMahieu, but if you have a guy like Joey Gallo who will kill your team batting average in Roto, LeMahieu will be a nice counterbalance to Gallo’s poor batting average.

11. Ian Happ – Chicago Cubs – Happ was unexpectedly called up early last season and he got the job done. In 364 at-bats, he hit 24 homers and hit .253 with eight steals. He is expected to play a little second base and some outfield. Happ could be the new Zobrist. The Cubs will find at-bats for him somewhere.

12. Whit Merrifield – Kansas City Royals – I’m down on Merrifield this season. Some believe he is a solid top-ten second baseman, but I don’t see him matching last season’s production. He hit 19 homers, stole 34 bases and hit .288. He’s not touching any of those numbers this season. The Royals lost a lot of talent, so Merrifield doesn’t have much help in the lineup. It all lines up for Merrifield to have a decline in numbers.

13. Eduardo Nunez – Boston Red Sox – Nunez has eligibility at 2B, 3B and OF, so he’s a nice guy to throw around open spots in your lineup in daily leagues. He earned more at-bats last season, even if he got some luck from high BABIP. He won’t hit .300 this season, but .285 isn’t out of the question. He will also steal a couple dozen bases, which is why he’s #13 in our rankings.

14. Yoan Moncada – Chicago White Sox – Moncada will play in his first full season in the Majors. He made an impact when he was called up in September last season. The upside is huge with Moncada as he could easily be a 20/20 guy, but his batting average will be an issue. He’s a free-swinger, but many top second baseman have this issue. I may reach a little in some drafts this season for him.

15. Paul DeJong – St. Louis Cardinals – I leaned on DeJong at points last season. He came out of nowhere since I doubt even the deepest of NL-only leagues even drafted him last preseason. He ended up hitting 25 homers and hit .285. I expect similar numbers this season. There’s nothing I saw last season to lead me to believe he will regress.

16. Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves – He was a stud in Triple-A last season and had success when he was called up for the last two months. In 217 at-bats, he hit six homers, hit .286 and stole eight bases. If he gets 550+ at-bats this season, he could steal 30 bases. He also had good contact in the minors, but the power numbers won’t be huge as a low double-digit homer total is his ceiling. He’s a good, young player on a bad team, but he’s worth owning.

17. Chris Taylor – Los Angeles Dodgers – Taylor had a better year than anyone expected. His minor league numbers didn’t even hint at a potential 21 home run season he had in 2017. Can he replicate his power numbers? I don’t see him doing that, but if you get 15 homers and 15 steals from him, he’s still worth the #17 spot.

18. Marwin Gonzalez – Houston Astros – As I stated in the first baseman fantasy rankings, Gonzalez has eligibility all over the place and is a solid bench guy to have on your roster. He hits all the stats across the board, but may see his RBI numbers take a hit if he’s moved down in Houston’s stacked lineup.

19. Ian Kinsler – Los Angeles Angels – Kinsler was once a fantasy god, but those days are behind him. He’s 35 years old and his performance last year was dismal. He’s still good enough to hit 20 homers and steal a dozen bases, but don’t expect much more from him. He will have better guys around him in the lineup with the Angels, so I expect his average to bounce back up a little, but at 35, he’s a bench guy.

20. Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians – Kipnis was also once a top fantasy second baseman just two years ago. He had a rotator cuff injury early last season and never really rebounded. He could bounce back a little since his BABIP was low, which means he had some bad luck. Will he be a .280 hitter with 25 homers and 20+ steals? Nope, not at all, but you could see him hit 20 homers and steal a dozen bases if he earns back playing time. He is expected to play outfield this season, so that eligibility will be there eventually.

21. Scooter Gennett – Cincinnati Reds – Gennett has always been what you call a ‘Four-A’ player. He was very good at Triple-A, but never really made an impact in the Majors. That changed after the All-Star Break last season. He was knocking the cover off the ball on the way to a 27 homer season. He also hit .295 and drove in 97 runs. No one, and I mean no one, expected these numbers from him. He’s not going to match his 2017 numbers, but even if he gets 75% of the production, he’s worth a spot on a bench or even as a streamable middle infielder.

22. Josh Harrison – Pittsburgh Pirates – Harrison had a breakout season in 2014, but he hasn’t really matched those numbers since. He’s been a solid fantasy player with wide position-eligibility, but he’s a 15/15 guy with a .270 average. He begs to be a streamable middle infielder and could start for you for a few weeks if you’re in a pinch.

23. Starlin Castro – Miami Marlins – Castro went from playing in a hitter-friendly park surrounded with talented hitters, to playing in a cavernous stadium with a depleted roster. His fantasy production took a hit with that trade. His best-case scenario would be starting off the year hot and hitting his way into a trade…but that will be hard to do, but not impossible. He’s a borderline 2B/SS option this season.

24. Jonathan Villar – Milwaukee Brewers – Villar was a hot fantasy target last preseason. I knew he wouldn’t match his 2016 numbers, but quite shocked that he struggled so much. He did start to hit more as the season went on, but by then, he lost his starting job. He could get his job back with a strong performance this Spring. He will have a better season than last year, but at the very least, he will be a source of steals.

25. Brandon Drury – New York Yankees – Drury was included in the trade that sent outfielder Steven Souza to the Diamondbacks. He is expected to play most days as their second baseman. He has a little pop, but could see an increase in power numbers by hitting at Yankee Stadium. He has always performed well in hitter parks, but struggled on the road in places like PETCO and AT&T Park.

26. Yangervis Solarte – Toronto Blue Jays – Solarte has eligibility at both middle infield spots and at third base, so he could fill a lot of holes in a daily lineup. He struggled to make contact last season and saw a noticeable decrease in his batting average. I predict that he will end the season at more of his career norm, say .270-ish. 

27. Jose Peraza – Cincinnati Reds – Peraza fell on his face after a strong 2016 season. He’s basically just a source of stolen bases at this point. He could even lose some at-bats to some young guys the Reds are expected to call up this season.

28. Cesar Hernandez – Philadelphia Phillies – Hernandez is an interesting player this season. He’s been a guy I always end up owning a few times a season to fill short-term needs. He has low double-digit power and will steal a dozen bases or so. This year has has someone breathing down his neck since prospect Scott Kingery may be ready to play on Opening Day. Hernandez has played at other places around the diamond, so he could get his playing time elsewhere.

29. Ben Zobrist – Chicago Cubs – He will be 38 years old this season and he looked like an aging veteran late last season. His numbers declined across the board. There’s a chance he may have some life left in his bat, but his role doesn’t appear to be an everyday player for the Cubs. He could be a guy who could adequately fill-in due to injuries with some success, but Zobrist should only be owned in deep NL-only leagues.

30. Asdrubal Cabrera – New York Mets – Cabrera doesn’t have the speed he once had, but he’s still a solid contact hitter with some pop. He should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues and in NL-only leagues. There’s very little upside with him. Zobrist slightly edged him out due to having outfield eligibility, which could come in play in deep NL-only leagues with five outfield spots.

31. Dustin Pedoria – Boston Red Sox
32. Brandon Phillips – Free Agent
33. Neil Walker – Free Agent
34. Joe Panik – San Francisco Giants
35. Scott Kingery – Philadelphia Phillies
36. Austin Barnes – Los Angeles Dodgers
37. Brad Miller – Tampa Bay Rays
38. Kolten Wong – St. Louis Cardinals
39. Devon Travis – Toronto Blue Jays
40. Raul Mondesi – Kansas City Royals

The first three guys have been in many top-10 fantasy lists in the past, but Pedoria is now a one-category fantasy guy and Phillips and Walker are still looking for jobs. Young guys like Kingery, Barnes and Mondesi could end up higher on this list by the end of the season. Wong has shown flashes, but I feel like he needs a change of scenery.

41. Jed Lowrie – Oakland A’s
42. Chris Owings – Arizona Diamondbacks
43. Yolmer Sanchez – Chicago White Sox
44. Adam Frazier – Pittsburgh Pirates
45. Jose Reyes – New York Mets
46. Daniel Descalso – Arizona Diamondbacks
47. Logan Forsythe – Los Angeles Dodgers
48. Wilmer Digo – Washington Nationals
49. Carlos Asuaje – San Diego Padres
50. Dilson Herrera – Cincinnati Reds

The bottom ten of my rankings are filled with guys you should know, since they are mostly guys who would fill in for top guys in case of injury. I also added in a few young guys like Sanchez, Digo and Asuaje, who could end up with larger roles this season.

I hope you enjoyed our 2018 Fantasy Baseball Top 50 Second Baseman rankings. We are planning on doing this for every position (the outfielder and pitcher rankings will be massive).

Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!

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.