16) Jorge Polanco, Mets<\/p>\n
Signed with the Mets this off-season and is projected to bat in the middle of their order and split 1b\/DH duties with Mark Vientos.\u00a0 Polanco is a solid bad that has been able to put up decent numbers everywhere he has played.\u00a0 If he can stay in the lineup for 140+ games, he\u2019s a good bet to put up a .250-25-75 type season<\/p>\n
17) Luke Keaschall, Twins<\/p>\n
There\u2019s something about Twins prospects who get hurt a lot that has me a little worried about this kid.\u00a0 The skills are there for him to be a fantasy stud, but he is going to need to stay healthy to get there.\u00a0 I\u2019m willing to brave the storm of the Minnesota jinx and chalk last season\u2019s injuries to bad luck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He has great bat-to-ball skills and has shown a proclivity for stealing bases.\u00a0 The power development is a question, but he has shown double pop in the minors, and that could translate into 10+ home runs.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Fantasy Baseball 2026 Catcher Rankings (16-30)<\/a><\/p>\n 18) Jose Caballero, Yankees<\/p>\n He qualifies at four positions but probably has the most value as a middle to later round 2b.\u00a0 He has led the AL in steals for the past two seasons and doesn\u2019t need a full-time gig to pile up steals.\u00a0 He will begin the season getting a decent run at shortstop while Anthony Volpe rehabs from offseason shoulder surgery.\u00a0 Once the team is fully healthy, he\u2019ll have to settle for a super utility role.\u00a0 <\/p>\n He\u2019s a one-category guy, so you will have to make up for the lost power numbers elsewhere.\u00a0 The Yankees don\u2019t exactly let their players run wild, so he will most likely top out around 30-35 steals.\u00a0 He gives you a ton of roster flexibility on top of those steals, so he\u2019s a nice option at middle infield.<\/p>\n 19) Nolan Gorman, Cardinals<\/p>\n Last year was a bit of a lost year for Gorman as it appeared that the Cardinals were going to make room for him in their lineup by moving the other Nolan, Arenado, before last season.\u00a0 A year later, they finally parted ways with the potential future Hall of Famer, opening up the hot corner for Gorman.\u00a0 <\/p>\n The power potential is real, but so is the K rate and the extreme fly ball profile.\u00a0 The batting average is going to be low, but if you need power, he has 30 home run upside potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n 20) Willi Castro, Rockies<\/p>\n Of all the landing spots for Castro, this is the one that put him back on my radar for fantasy.\u00a0 He was putting together a journeyman profile over the first 4 years of his career in Detroit, but then he was given a full-time job with the Twins, and he erupted with 33 steals in 2024.\u00a0 <\/p>\n He has enough pop in his bat that he could hit 15 or so out of Coors Field, and with every day at bats, he could get back over 20 steals.\u00a0 He\u2019s likely a utility player in the long run, but for this year, he\u2019s poised for every day at bats in a really bad lineup.<\/p>\n 21) Brendan Donovan, Mariners<\/p>\n Traded to Seattle right before camp starts, Donovan figures to be the Mariner\u2019s every day third baseman.\u00a0 At the end of the day, Donovan might be better in real life than he is in fantasy.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t have a ton of pop, and he doesn\u2019t run.\u00a0 <\/p>\n He\u2019s a steady bat that will chip in across the board while maintaining a solid batting average.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing sexy to see here, but if you need a safe option to give you .280-10-60-60-5, go ahead and pull the trigger at the end of your draft.<\/p>\n 22) Josh Smith, Rangers<\/p>\n Took a bit of a step backward last year as he wasn\u2019t able to build on his 2024 numbers.\u00a0 The power and speed potential is still there, but at 28 years old, I would have expected to see more of it by now.\u00a0 He will play nearly every day around the diamond for Texas and will bat towards the bottom of that lineup, which should mute his run\/RBI numbers.\u00a0 He\u2019s a nice addition as he qualifies for a bunch of positions.\u00a0 Upside is 20 homers with 10+ steals.<\/p>\n 23)\u00a0 JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals<\/p>\n He\u2019ll qualify at shortstop on draft day, but he figures to be the Cardinals opening day second basemen after they dealt away Brendan Donovan this offseason.\u00a0 With the Cards in full rebuild mode, he\u2019s going to get a shot at every day at bats, and he makes for an interesting late-round option after totaling 17 homers and 23 steals between AA and AAA last season.\u00a0 <\/p>\n The obvious concerns with taking a rookie over a proven veteran still loom, but his upside makes him a much better dart throw than most of the other options around here.\u00a0 I\u2019d much prefer him to older players with low ceilings like Semien or Edman.<\/p>\n 24) Marcus Semien, Mets<\/p>\n Semien is another player trying to outrun Father Time.\u00a0 At 35 years old and moving from the friendlier confines of Arlington to Citi Field, it doesn\u2019t give me a ton of hope for this year.\u00a0 The Mets are committed to playing him every day at 2b, and he should bat right in the middle of that lineup.\u00a0 <\/p>\n If he can stay healthy, he has a great shot at slightly improving upon last year\u2019s numbers.\u00a0 While they pale in comparison to his former glory days, a .260-20-70 line isn\u2019t going to hurt your fantasy season<\/p>\n 25) Tommy Edman, Dodgers<\/p>\n At this point, every player we discuss is going to have questions coming into this season.\u00a0 It just comes down to which questions we are more comfortable answering for the short term.\u00a0 Edman was a solid contributor in the steals department before chronic ankle injuries ruined that for him over the last 2 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n He had surgery to address the ankle, so it\u2019s possible he gets back to the 30-steal level he was playing at for the three years prior to 2024.\u00a0 It\u2019s possible, but it\u2019s not likely.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t have much pop, so we\u2019re taking a flier here, hoping that the steals come back and he contributes to the runs and RBI categories just by being in that Dodger lineup.<\/p>\n 26) Cole Young, Mariners<\/p>\n Young is a top 100 prospect, but he more likely profiles as a better real-life player than a fantasy asset.\u00a0 He had some growing pains after being called up, but his bat-to-ball skills tell us he\u2019s much better than a .211 hitter.\u00a0 He should be able to hold off Ryan Bliss to keep the everyday job at 2b in Seattle.\u00a0 <\/p>\n While Bliss might be the more interesting prospect due to his base-stealing ability, Young is more likely the guy who gets the bulk of playing time.\u00a0 He\u2019s solid, but he\u2019s not going to move the needle much in any one category.<\/p>\n 27) Lenyn Sosa, White Sox<\/p>\n He qualifies at both 1b and 2b and should play multiple positions again for the White Sox in what should be a fairly fluid daily lineup that could use Sosa\u2019s pop.\u00a0 Sosa is a free swinger who managed 22 home runs last year with a respectable .264 batting average despite a 127-18 walk-to-K ratio.\u00a0 <\/p>\n The bottom might fall out of that average, and his sub-300 OBP will have Chicago looking for better options long term.\u00a0 For now, he makes for a decent option at 2b, while he\u2019s not quite a top 30 1b for me.<\/p>\n 28) Romy Gonzalez, Red Sox<\/p>\n Gonzalez is the starter right now in Boston, and based on last year\u2019s numbers, it\u2019s well warranted.\u00a0 He had a bit of a breakout in his age-28 season, fueled by an elite hard-hit rate and his ability to smash left-handed pitching.\u00a0 The batting average is what stands out, as .300 hitters don\u2019t just grow on trees.\u00a0 The power and speed combo is slightly lower than the replacement level for a typical fantasy player, so his upside appears limited.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Just be aware that this Boston team is pretty stacked, and no player is slump-proof.\u00a0 There\u2019s always a chance that the Sox move Marcelo Mayer or Ceddanne Rafaela to 2nd to make room for another bat, so keep an eye on their roster during camp.\u00a0 Downside is he\u2019s on the short side of a platoon.<\/p>\n 29) Gabriel Arias, Guardians<\/p>\n He makes for an intriguing option as a late-round pick-up because of his upside potential.\u00a0 He has elite bat speed as well as an athletic profile that suggests he should be able to chip in with some stolen bases. He also swings and misses a ton, and the Guardians have a bunch of other options like Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martinez, and Brian Rocchio that they can plug in for Arias if they grow tired of his .270 on-base average.\u00a0 He\u2019s a late-round flyer with a very low floor.<\/p>\n 30) Jonathan India, Royals<\/p>\n He won the rookie of the year award in 2021, and it\u2019s all been downhill since.\u00a0 He will continue to get at-bats for the Royals, and he\u2019s playing for a contract, so there\u2019s a chance that he can have a magical \u201cout of nowhere\u201d season at age 29.\u00a0 If he\u2019s lying around late in your draft, go ahead and grab him and hope for a later career power surge.\u00a0 I\u2019m more likely going to wait for it to happen while he\u2019s on waivers and then pick him up when the younger player that I draft gets hurt or sent to the minors.<\/p>\n \u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead <\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n NFL: Ranking the greatest Super Bowl quarterback performances<\/a><\/p>\n NBA: Former NBA champion Anthony Davis dealt in blockbuster trade<\/a><\/p>\n OLYMPICS: Mikaela Shiffrin has 4-word message for Snoop Dogg two days before Winter Games<\/a><\/p>\n SPORTS MEDIA: 9 MLB teams abandoning FanDuel Sports Network immediately<\/a><\/p>\n ENTERTAINMENT: Police deny viral claim about suspect in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie\u2019s missing mother<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27154077-1024x683.jpg\")
Sep 23, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) reacts after hitting a walk off single against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27161520-1024x683.jpg\")
Sep 24, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Josh Smith (8) walks to the on deck circle during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_26868440-1024x683.jpg\")
Aug 17, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Lenyn Sosa (50) hits a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
VIRAL: WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella clears air on Cooper DeJean dating rumors<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The second base position is pivotal in fantasy as it\u2019s become a bit of a \u201cchoose your own…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":562220,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2290],"tags":[5,28,4,16282],"class_list":["post-562219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-baseball","tag-baseball","tag-fantasy-baseball","tag-mlb","tag-second-base"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116040560811982624","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=562219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/562220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=562219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=562219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}