Sport: MLB

Second base is not an easy position to work with this season. At least at the top of the rankings, that is. As we get deeper into the player pool, there is a fair amount of depth to work with. That changes how we think about things as it relates to the players we will consider second base busts.

While we want to maximize each draft spot, the greater concern goes in the other direction. It’s better to make a draft pick at value than to make one at negative value. Drafting is all about minimizing risk.

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Depending on your league settings, it’s possible there are only four second baseman being drafted in the top-100. As the early round picks are generally more valuable, this helps to eliminate the threat of a true bust. At the same time, we have to get more creative when digging into some second base busts. Instead, this also represents three second baseman who I’m generally going to avoid on draft day.

2026 Second Base Busts
Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

I want it all. Call me greedy, but when evaluating my draft board, especially in the early rounds, I want to fill my stat sheet. While Brice Turang came close to that last year, I think we also saw his peak.

Turang’s ISO increased from .095 to .147, resulting in 18 home runs. His barrel percentage followed a similar trajectory, increasing from 2.4% to 7.9%. While both represented significant improvements, they are still far from ideal if we are looking for power.

The greatest concern, though, is that Turang’s stolen bases dipped from 50 to 24. That was despite his batting average increasing from .254 to .288. We know Turang is fast, but his .356 BABIP does give us some concern for regression. The problem is that his .263 xBA follows the same path.

If Turang ends up stealing 30 bases and batting .260, it’s going to be difficult for him to live up to his draft price. There’s also going to be a heavy weight on him repeating his 97 runs scored.

Luke Keaschall, Minnesota Twins

When you have a debut like Luke Keaschall, it’s bound to generate optimism. After a strong minor league season, Keaschall hit .302 with four home runs, 28 RBI, and 25 runs scored in 49 games with the Minnesota Twins. What fantasy managers will truly remember is his 14 stolen bases.

Prior to that, Keaschall hit .303 with 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 80 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases in 102 games. The good news is that his production also comes with a low strikeout rate, so it helps to mitigate some risk and could also aid in the adjustment to life in the major leagues.

The problem, though, is assessing what Keaschall will be able to do for an encore. With a .143 ISO, 5.2% barrel rate, and 31.2% hard hit rate, his batted ball metrics don’t support a true impact at the plate. Additionally, his .265 xBA, along with the gap between his .445 SLG and .372 xSLG represent more cause for concern.

Asking for a true repeat from Keaschall might be a tall order. The preference here is to draft Bryson Stott a few rounds later.

Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles

Jackson Holliday is still entering his age-22 season. The top prospect billing that Holliday had doesn’t go away. We also need to reconcile the difference between fantasy baseball and Holliday’s value to the Baltimore Orioles.

A portion of Holliday’s value is tied to the fact that he’s batting leadoff in a strong Baltimore lineup. Last season, that translated to 149 games and 649 plate appearances. While there’s value in it, Holliday seemed to be more of a compiler than anything else.

Holliday hit .242 with 17 home runs, 17 stolen bases, 55 RBI, and 70 runs scored. The concern, though, is whether or not we are going to see anything more from Holliday. His 7.2% barrel rate and 40.7% hard hit rate fail to generate much optimism. With only a .133 ISO, Holliday doesn’t generate much power, which limits his home run upside.

It could be more bias in looking for more, but it seems like name recognition is driving up the price.

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