Below you’ll find the top-12 second basemen for 2025 fantasy baseball drafts, as compiled by the Rotoworld Baseball crew and FSWA Hall of Famer Matthew Pouliot.
In addition to write-ups for all players, you’ll find 2025 projected stats and dollar values (both for mixed leagues, league-only formats, and 2026/2027) for fantasy managers participating in salary cap draft formats.
Keep in mind that Mookie Betts isn’t eligible here, as we are using a 20-game minimum for him to qualify, but there are fantasy sites (including Yahoo) where he might be eligible. As always, look at your league’s settings before draft day.
Other position previews:
Look for more position previews in the days to come leading into fantasy baseball drafts!
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| 1. Ketel Marte |
ARI – 2B |
| Bats: B |
Age: 31 |
Mixed 5×5: $19 | NL 5×5: $19 |
| 2024: 2B:113 |
Mixed 2026: $17 | 2027: $13 |
| Outlook: A career year for Marte could have been even better had he not missed three weeks with an ankle injury. The 31-year-old second baseman slugged a career-high 36 homers with a .932 OPS last year. Everything in his profile supports the power outbreak, with career bests in hard-hit and barrel rates. Marte got to that power with a more aggressive approach at the plate and a significantly higher pull rate without sacrificing contact. He’s just an elite pure hitter at a position that feels relatively shallow in top talent. Safe for 25-plus homers, a good batting average, chip-in steals, and plenty of counting stats in one of the best lineups, Marte is well worth a pick in the top-three rounds in fantasy drafts to secure perhaps the top second baseman. And with this same approach in 2025, 35 or more homers is certainly repeatable. |
| 2. Jose Altuve |
HOU – 2B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 34 |
Mixed 5×5: $16 | AL 5×5: $19 |
| 2024: 2B:147 |
Mixed 2026: $13 | 2027: $8 |
| Outlook: Despite entering his age-35 season, Altuve has shown zero signs of slowing down. He was the lone second baseman in the fantasy landscape last year to record a 20-20 season with his 22 thefts representing his highest single-season total since 2017. The real surprise last year remains that he managed to stay healthy for a whopping 153 contests, his most since 2017. He’ll likely experience some pullback from a volume standpoint as he approaches his mid-to-late 30’s but there have been zero signs of erosion from a skills standpoint. With his defense in decline, there’s a possibility he could wind up moving to left field this season. Eithe way, he’s a top-five option at the keystone in all fantasy formats. |
| 3. Marcus Semien |
TEX – 2B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 34 |
Mixed 5×5: $7 | AL 5×5: $15 |
| 2024: 2B:159 |
Mixed 2026: $5 | 2027: $3 |
| Outlook: Semien’s unparalleled durability continues to be his signature calling card as he remains a fixture atop the Rangers’ lineup card. The 34-year-old ironman has suited up at least 155 games in eight of the last nine full seasons dating back to 2015. He wasn’t an elite fantasy contributor last year at the keystone, mostly due to continued fall off in the stolen base department, but his truly insane volume will drive his fantasy appeal for at least a couple more years. The three-year steals decline keeps Semien from threatening Marte, Altuve and Albies at the apex summit of the keystone for fantasy purposes, but he remains one of the safest high-floor compilers at the position group as a reliable 25-homer threat with elite runs scored and RBI totals. |
| 4. Jordan Westburg |
BAL – 2B/3B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 26 |
Mixed 5×5: $6 | AL 5×5: $14 |
| 2024: 3B:67 2B:53 |
Mixed 2026: $7 | 2027: $7 |
| Outlook: Westburg cemented his spot in the Orioles’ lineup with a tremendous start to the season, slashing .281/.332/.505 in his first 77 games with 13 home runs, and six steals. The second part of the season was less favorable with Westburg hitting .223/.260/.421 with five home runs in 30 games before fracturing his hand at the end of July. The exit velocities, in particular on fly balls, were much better for Westburg in 2024, but he pulled the ball less than in 2023 which brings his power upside into question. The 25-year-old is a free-swinger, but his whiff rates aren’t much of a concern since he swings enough that he makes better than league average contact. As a result, a .260-.270 average with 25 home runs while hitting in a strong lineup is a possible outcome and that makes him a solid target in all formats. |
| 5. Matt McLain |
CIN – SS |
| Bats: R |
Age: 25 |
Mixed 5×5: $6 | NL 5×5: $13 |
| 2024: – DNP |
Mixed 2026: $10 | 2027: $12 |
| Outlook: McLain missed all of the 2024 season while recovering from a shoulder injury and is now rumored to be transitioning to the outfield, so there are a lot of question marks around him heading into 2025. At his best, McLain is a patient hitter who’s always hit for a high batting average while possessing 20 stolen base upside. McLain has some minor swing-and-miss in his game, but his 28.5% strikeout rate in 2023 feels fluky given his minor league numbers, and if his pull and fly ball rates inch closer to what he did in the minors, then he could hit 25 home runs in Great American Ballpark. Of course, we’ve yet to see if the shoulder surgery impacts his power, and if he struggles defensively in the outfield then playing time could become a concern, which makes him a high-upside but risky fantasy pick. |
| 6. Christopher Morel |
TB – 2B/3B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 25 |
Mixed 5×5: $6 | AL 5×5: $14 |
| 2024: 3B:74 2B:21 LF:11 |
Mixed 2026: $6 | 2027: $5 |
| Outlook: Morel came to the Rays in a midseason trade for Isaac Paredes last year and really struggled, slashing .191/.258/.289 with three home runs and 56 strikeouts in 49 games. While he cut back on his chase rates and overall swing rates, he still swings and misses at a high rate and posts well-below-average contact rates. His barrel rate also fell for the third straight season as pitchers continued to attack him low in the zone and prevent him from lifting the ball. Morel is also a poor defender almost everywhere, so even though the Rays will hope he can stick in left field, there’s a chance he remains just a DH who won’t make enough contact to hit higher than .220. He should continue to post at least 20 home runs and 10 steals, but his batting average and playing time concerns make him a risky pick in fantasy drafts. |
| 7. Ozzie Albies |
ATL – 2B |
| Bats: B |
Age: 28 |
Mixed 5×5: $5 | NL 5×5: $12 |
| 2024: 2B:99 |
Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $2 |
| Outlook: Albies’ stock has taken a hit after two of his last three seasons were subpar and injury-riddled. Also, his once high-end speed has faded towards league average and his offensive profile looks a bit more subdued without stolen base upside. Yet, he hit the hardest ball of his career last season at 113.7 MPH and still has some of the highest projected counting stats at a shallow second base position. Chances are he’s being undervalued right now and has a decent shot to bounce back while still just 28 years old and in one of baseball’s best lineups. Also, it’s worth noting Albies switch-hit slightly less often down the stretch last season. He’s always been a significantly better hitter from the right side and could likely benefit from sticking on that side of the plate. |
| 8. Jonathan India |
KC – 2B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 28 |
Mixed 5×5: $5 | AL 5×5: $14 |
| 2024: 2B:133 |
Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $3 |
| Outlook: India was healthy again in 2024, playing over 120 games for the first time since 2021. He also posted a career-low strikeout rate, career-high walk rate, and career-high zone contact rate, which helped fuel his strong season. Yet, much of his value came from batting leadoff for a good lineup in a great home ballpark, so his move to Kansas City may sap some of that value. India posted just a 31% fly ball rate in 2024 and has below-average exit velocities with just a 16th-percentile average exit velocity on fly balls and line drives. That should make it hard for India to post more than 10 home runs in Kauffman Stadium. Considering he’s never stolen more than 14 bases in a season or hit above .270, he could be a .260 hitter with double-digit homers and stolen bases. India should post solid run totals in a decent lineup, so he’s on the radar as a top-12 fantasy second baseman. |
| 9. Maikel Garcia |
KC – 2B/3B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 24 |
Mixed 5×5: $4 | AL 5×5: $13 |
| 2024: 3B:124 2B:37 |
Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $3 |
| Outlook: Garcia has developed into a nice source of stolen bases for fantasy managers over the past couple of seasons, but there are reasons to be wary heading into the 2025 season. For starters, with the arrival of Jonathan India, he’s likely to be relegated to the bottom of the Royals’ lineup instead of his customary leadoff spot. He also slashed a pitiful .231/.281/.332 in 2024 and doesn’t deliver much of anything in runs or RBI. He’s a decent mid-round option for those that absolutely need speed, but don’t expect much otherwise. |
| 10. Brice Turang |
MIL – 2B |
| Bats: L |
Age: 25 |
Mixed 5×5: $4 | NL 5×5: $11 |
| 2024: 2B:152 |
Mixed 2026: $2 | 2027: $1 |
| Outlook: Few players did more to elevate their status last season than Turang. Two years ago, he was statistically one of the worst hitters in baseball with an egregious .585 OPS. Yet, the Brewers still entrusted him as their starting second baseman heading into 2024 and he repaid them with 4.7 bWAR as he wound up taking the third most plate appearances on their team. More importantly for fantasy, he stole 50 bases in the process. That gaudy number has him being drafted among the first 150 picks, but his profile carries significant risk. While he improved at the plate, he was still worse than league average and projects to be so again. Also, his strong start to the season gave way to a disastrous second half where he slashed .220/.277/.287. His excellent defense gives him some leash from a playing time perspective, which is a good thing for fantasy managers. But that poor second half is a warning sign as we move into 2025. |
| 11. Luis García |
WSH – 2B |
| Bats: L |
Age: 24 |
Mixed 5×5: $4 | NL 5×5: $11 |
| 2024: 2B:129 |
Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $5 |
| Outlook: García is an enticing-yet-risky option in the vast wasteland of second base options in fantasy. A free-swinger with ample power, he broke out in a big way last season with a .762 OPS, 18 home runs, and 22 stolen bases. That came after 1245 plate appearances to start his career where he was mostly uninspiring. He did debut at 20 years old though and only played sporadically through his first few seasons, so the consistent playing time could’ve helped him find his groove. He’ll likely be platooned against left-handed pitchers, but his strong defense and the team’s lack of alternatives should still give him a playing time floor above 500 plate appearances. Again, this profile is both tempting and scary since the shallowness of second base has pushed García draft cost dangerously close to pick 100. There are significantly safer players available there, just at less scarce positions. |
| 12. Nico Hoerner |
CHI – 2B |
| Bats: R |
Age: 27 |
Mixed 5×5: $3 | NL 5×5: $11 |
| 2024: 2B:144 SS:10 |
Mixed 2026: $3 | 2027: $2 |
| Outlook: It was an ugly first few months for Hoerner in 2024. He wasn’t doing much damage at the plate and wasn’t stealing the bases like fantasy managers expected on draft day. However, after not attempting a stolen base in more than a month, Hoerner began running wild toward the end of July. He stole 17 bases over his final 54 games to go along with a .313/.350/.427 slash-line. That uptick in play also coincided with him moving down in the order and it’s likely he starts 2025 back down there. Still, his poor first half has knocked him outside of the top-10 second basemen in drafts despite a full season that was mostly in line with his breakout 2023 campaign. The only snag is flexor tendon surgery from October that could delay his start to spring training and possibly the season (or at least the Opening Series in Tokyo). Monitor his status this spring and draft accordingly. |
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