Fantasy Baseball Off-Season Report: Second Basemen

Published: 26^th Jan 12 10:45 pm

by Adam McGill
adammcgill

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By Adam McGill

First, third base, and shortstop have always been the glamor positions in in the infield, but in the last five years, second basemen have finally been sending some balls out of the park. True fantasy contenders must have a decent 2B on their roster, as the position is really becoming a hidden source of homers. Below is my off-season fantasy report for second basemen:

Early Top Ten:

1. Robinson Cano, NYY – Cano had another sensational season in Pinstripes with 28 home runs, 118 RBI, and a .302 batting average. He continues to be the benchmark at the position and it does not hurt that he has the best surrounding cast in the game.

2. Dan Uggla, ATL – Uggla is the best power hitter at second base in the game and supplies pop to a position that has lacked it. Look for him to knock at least 30 out of the park again this year.

3. Ian Kinsler, TEX — Kinsler’s 32 home runs last year was a career high and showed fantasy owners that he still has pop left. He also set career highs with 620 at bats, 89 walks, and scored 121 runs. The 29-year old has anchored himself in the middle of the Rangers’ heavy hitters, which can only help him score more down the stretch.

4. Dustin Pedroia, BOS – Pedroia is the best pure hitter at the position and makes it look effortless. He can smack the ball to both sides of the field, and consistently hits over .300 while he does it. He is a premier option at second base, the only down side being that he does not offer much in the way of dingers.

5. Danny Espinosa, WSH – Espinosa was a spark for a desperate offense in his first season in the majors. He belted 21 homers with 66 RBI, quickly showing that he has the power to produce at the next level. The only thing that is concerning about the youngster is that he only batted .236 and struck out an embarrassing 166 times. He will become a more patient hitter as he matures, which is promising considering that he has 30 HR/30 SB potential.

6. Rickie Weeks, MIL – Weeks crushed 20 home runs last year, but it is concerning that only 24 of his modest 49 RBI came from those long balls. Weeks’ batting average is never going to be above .300, as he has a career average of .255, but his power and overall consistency keeps him in the top-ten. He is a definite starter in fantasy terms, but owners’ should make sure that they do not over pay for him based on name recognition alone.

7. Brandon Phillips, CIN – The veteran came back with a vengeance this season, collecting 183 hits in 150 games. Phillips’ looked very comfortable swinging the bat and his .300 batting average was a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners. He will struggle to repeat his numbers from last year, but is still worth starting in deeper mixed leagues.

8. Howard Kendrick, LAA – Kendrick drilled 18 home runs last year and will quickly benefit from having Albert Pujols now batting from behind him. He also batted an impressive .285, but his meager 33 walks killed his On Base Percentage.

9. Ben Zobrist, TB – Zobrist’s career season came out of nowhere in 2010, as he finished the year with 20 homeruns. He also drove in 91 runs on the year, which surprisingly tied for second best in the MLB at the position. He is not likely to put up the same numbers he did last season and his 128 strikeouts is alarming, but he deserves a top-ten pick seeing that the position is as thin as it is.

10. Neil Walker, PIT - Walker exploded in the first half of the season with 6 HRs in the first two months, but he quickly fizzled out with only 6 in the next four months. It was only his second year so there was bound to be growing pains, but his ceiling is too good to ignore moving forward. He has potential to hit 25 homers and from a second baseman that is a rarity.

Preseason Awards:

2012 MVP: Robinson Cano, NYY

2012 Best Rookie: Jason Kipnis, CLE

2012 Breakout Players: Danny Espinosa, WSH and Darwin Barney, CHC

2012 Bust: Omar Infante, MIA

Best Source of Home Runs: Dan Uggla, ATL

Best Source of Batting Average: Dustin Pedroia, BOS

Best Source of Stolen Bases: Ian Kinsler, TEX

Stock Rising: Howard Kendrick, LAA

Stock Falling: Ryan Roberts, ARI