So far, I have covered the top catchers and first basemen. In this article, I will go over the top three second basemen for fantasy baseball in 2024. Second base has one of the highest drop-offs between the first and second off the board among all positions.
When it comes to catchers, I suggested waiting several rounds before targeting the position. First base on the other hand I suggested targeting very early if you wanted to add one of the top players at the position. Second base is not as clearly defined as the aforementioned positions in terms of when you should be targeting them in your draft.
1. Mookie Betts– Los Angeles Dodgers
Mookie Betts is the clear-cut number-one fantasy baseball second baseman in 2024. There isn’t a close second when it comes to average draft position. Betts is currently being drafted, on average, at the number four spot. With this ADP you will need to have one of the top picks in your draft to have a chance at drafting him. Originally an outfielder, Betts will transition this year to being the Dodgers “every-day second baseman” according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. This means he will no longer be splitting time between the outfield and second base.
Among all second basemen in the MLB, Betts ranked first in categories such as home runs (39), runs scored (126), doubles (40, tied with Marcus Semien), base on balls (96), total bases (338), extra-base hits (80), on-base percentage (.408), and slugging percentage (.579). While these numbers are impressive enough for him to be the number one second baseman off the board, he also ranked top five in games played (152), at-bats (584), hits (179), runs batted in (107), plate appearances (693), and batting average (.307). These numbers resulted in him finishing at the top of the list of fantasy baseball second basemen
The Dodgers spent over $1 billion in free agency this offseason, including adding Teoscar Hernandez and Shohei Ohtani to their lineup. These additions should provide Betts with ample opportunity to improve on his already staggering 2023 numbers in the upcoming season.
2. Marcus Semien– Texas Rangers
While Mookie Betts will be drafted in the first round, there is a pretty long wait until the next second baseman will be drafted. The second baseman to come off the board next will be Marcus Semien. With an average draft position of 31.3, he will most likely be taken early in the fourth round with a possibility of being drafted in the third.
Among everyday second basemen in 2023, Semien ranked first in games played (162), at-bats (670), runs (122), doubles (40), plate appearances (752), total bases (320), and extra-base hits (73). Semien also finished top five in hits (203), home runs (29), triples (4), runs batted in (100), and base on balls (72). Semien ended the season as number two in fantasy points among all second basemen behind only Mookie Betts.
The Rangers had an incredible season last year finishing with a record of 90-72. While they did not do much in terms of blockbuster deals in the offseason, the Rangers are expecting to have another outstanding season as they currently have the fifth-best odds to win the World Series on most sportsbooks. Barring injury, Semien should find himself once again near the top of fantasy points for second basemen.
3. Ozzie Albies– Atlanta Braves
There may be a long wait between the first two second basemen that will be drafted. However, after Semien is taken second basemen will start coming off the board quickly. The next second baseman to be drafted will be Ozzie Albies. With an ADP of 35.4, Albies will likely be drafted somewhere in the middle of the fourth round.
Albies played in only 148 games in 2023. While he may not have topped the list in games played, he did find himself atop the list of home runs (33) and runs batted in (109) among everyday second basemen. He also finished the year as a top-five in categories such as at-bats (596), runs (96), hits (167), doubles (30), triples (5), plate appearances (658), total bases (306), extra-base hits (68), batting average (.280), and slugging percentage (.513). These numbers equated to him finishing in the top-three for points among fantasy baseball second basemen.
After missing a majority of the 2022 season due to injury, Albies had a major bounceback in the 2023 season. This bounceback makes me confident in saying he will improve on his numbers from last year and will find himself in the top five for fantasy points among second basemen once again. With Albies batting behind Ronald Acuna, he should once again be near the top of the rankings for runs batted in. He will also be batting in front of Matt Olson who drove in 113 runs last year giving him a high likelihood of finishing once again near the top of the rankings in runs scored.
Late round sleeper
While these top three choices are virtual locks to finish top five in points for fantasy baseball second basemen there is a chance you do not get one of them. In case you miss out on these players I have a late-round sleeper that you can target much later in your draft. Luis Arraez finished the 2023 season with 413 fantasy points. This was good enough for a fifth-place spot among second basemen. Arraez currently has an ADP of 105.3. This has him being taken somewhere in round 11. He may not be as much of a guarantee as Betts, Semien, or Albies. However, a round 11 pick on a player who will likely finish as a top-five at his position is incredible value in my eyes.
We are inching closer and closer to opening day. As of Feb. 29, we are less than a month away. I suggest getting an idea in your head of who you may want to draft and when you want to draft them. However, do not limit yourself. Have a list of three to five players at each position you may want to target. I also suggest watching spring training games to get a feel for the guys you may want to target. You should continue to keep an eye out for free agency news as several top-tier talents have yet to sign with a team for the 2024 season.
I have now covered the top draft picks for catchers, first basemen, and second basemen. Keep an eye out for my next rankings list as I will be covering the top third basemen I believe you should target in your drafts.
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