One super quick word about the top 20 2nd basemen for 2024 fantasy baseball and all the 2024 fantasy baseball rankings, each ranking appears insanely long and it is, but I imagine in a lot of leagues guys won’t have eligibility, because I’m using the extremely lax Yahoo position eligibility (five games started). Without further ado because this post is longer than the combined length of the Gutenberg Bible and Steve Guttenberg’s IMDB page, I mention where tiers start and stop and all projections are mine and cannot be reproduced without the express written consent of Major League–Damn, I’m being told I did not have the express written consent to use MLB’s warning. It was expressly written for them. You guys! Here’s Steamer’s 2024 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Hitters and 2024 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Pitchers. Subscriptions are up and running, and you can already get Rudy’s Draft War Room. Anyway, here’s the top 20 2nd basemen for 2024 fantasy baseball:
NOTE: All my rankings are currently available on Patreon for the price of a Starbucks coffee, if you get one of those extra grande frappuccino jobbers. Don’t wait for the rankings to come out over the next month, and get them all now.
NOTE II: Free agents are listed as just that and not yet projected. Once a guy signs, I will write out their blurb and add in projections, or remove them, if they sign in an unfavorable place. They are ranked currently where I think they might be if they sign on for a full-time job.
1. Mookie Betts – Already went over him in the top 10 for 2024 fantasy baseball.
2. Marcus Semien – Already went over him in the top 20 for 2024 fantasy baseball.
3. Ozzie Albies – Already went over him in the top 20 for 2024 fantasy baseball.
4. Jose Altuve – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until here. I call this tier, “Opening chords to Yesterday.”
[verse]
Jose Altuve is half the size of another man,
There’s a cheating scandal shadow hanging over him…
Oh, yesterday came suddenly…
[bridge]
Why he had to go, I don’t know, where was he supposed to stay?
I said something wrong, I said Altuve wouldn’t be good for this long…
Now I long for yesterday…
[verse]
Yesterday…
Fantasy baseball was such an easy game to play,
Pfft, you can’t even finish third today,
Oh, I believe in yesterday,
[bridge]
Why he had to go, I don’t know, where was he supposed to stay?
I said something wrong, I said Altuve wouldn’t be good for this long…
Now I long for yesterday…day…day…day…day!
2024 Projections: 92/25/57/.306/15 in 533 ABs
5. Matt McLain – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Steer. I call this tier, “Stuffing strawberry preserves into an air pump.” Ya know when Pump Up The Jam comes on the radio and you lose your shizz in excitement? That’s how I am for this tier, only I’m so crazy excited I’m doing stupid shizz like trying to pump actual strawberry jam into a tire.
As for McLain, could it be possible I have the entire Reds’ lineup on my fantasy team? Yes, and you know what? I don’t care. I’m here to have fun and chew gum, and I’m all out of gum. If you’re going to the store, could you pick me up some? In a half a season last year, McLain went 16/14/.290. Ah the ol’ 30/30 pace, I will now finish writing this with my drool. I lobe gim–Okay, can’t write with my drool. His 28.5% K% feels a tad high, and his walks a little bit low, but both can go down and up, respectively. He’s done nothing but hit everywhere he went. This might be blasphemy, but I trust him way more than Elly De La Cruz for this year. 2024 Projections: 92/26/74/.272/22 in 569 ABs
6. Nico Hoerner – He just needs to repeat last year to get this value. Actually (oh, boy, here comes Grey with some clarification to a point he just made), Hoerner is a steal at this point in drafts if he just repeats. So, do his numbers support him being that good again? He had almost exactly neutral luck, which means he should do the same again, except he could hit for more power. Numbers not only support a repeat but say he should be better. Slice me off a pat of that I Can’t Believe It Is Better! 2024 Projections: 94/13/66/.284/37 in 606 ABs
7. Spencer Steer – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
8. Gleyber Torres – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Paredes. I call this tier, “The Bridge Over The River Wahhhhhhh.” The tier above here is solid. This tier is decent. There’s a lot of question marks after this tier. This tier bridges the tier above where you’re on solid footing and the tier below where Alec Guinness falls on a dynamite trigger and blows the bridge up and you’re crying wahhhhh. 2nd basemen are shallow and, after this tier, that becomes clear.
As for Gleyber, he’s about as solid as they come. He’s basically the most predictable player in all of baseball. The difference between two years ago from him and last year is, like, .00002%. The biggest question mark with Gleyber is if Aaron Judge stays healthy in that lineup in front or behind him, and where does Torres hit? Leadoff through fifth are possibilities. 2024 Projections: 81/25/78/.275/15 in 576 ABs
9. Bryson Stott – A lot less of a track record than Gleyber, but I feel as confident in Stott, because I’m asking a lot less from him. Well, let’s put it this way. It’s not less as much as it feels easier. Maybe this is dumb and I’m doing a Goofy at Disney, but if a guy has speed, wants to run and is on a team willing to let him, then his steals feel repeatable (like Stott’s), and he only needs to hit 15 homers to repeat his power, so that feels reasonably repeatable. Also, his .280 average was basically luck neutral and he had a 15.6% K%. To me, Stott’s Hoerner minus 7-10 steals. 2024 Projections: 82/15/72/.282/28 in 572 ABs
10. Andres Gimenez – Juggled Gimenez around a little between tiers, but 15/30 with a little less average than Stott feels like it belongs next to him, even if I think Stott has more upside, and And-Gim has more down side. The down side mostly comes from a potential fall-off on speed, but with the new rule changes, I’m less worried about that. Am I super psyched about Gimenez? Not really, but nothing in his stats stands out to worry about. 2024 Projections: 77/18/68/.259/28 in 549 ABs
11. Thairo Estrada – Wrote a sleeper post for Thairo last preseason and he basically repeated his previous season (14/23/.271), which wasn’t bad, or what I was expecting, so I think I’m just a little meh on him because of him hitting his floor vs. ceiling, but that’s no fault of his, and he was injured last year, so it was only 120 games vs. 140 games in the year before. The more I discuss him in this blurb, the more I like him. Are his numbers that dramatically different than Gimenez’s? Rhetorical! 2024 Projections: 75/17/64/.262/26 in 539 ABs
12. Isaac Paredes – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
13. Ha-Seong Kim – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Edman. I call this tier, “A trust fall where you hurt your lower lumbar.” I don’t trust this tier. They could all be fine. I might even draft one in some leagues. Well, some shallow leagues, because the shallower the league, the easier it is to come back from an “Oops, I drafted Ha-Seong and now I know why Eminem hates Kim,” or any of the guys in this tier. (I also looked up how Eminem felt about Morel, and I couldn’t find anything, but he seemed to love shrooms.) David Byrne voice, “You may ask yourself, how deep are we at this point in drafts?” This is why 2nd basemen are not deep. This is relatively deep already. In my top 500 (which is available on the Patreon), has Kim around pick 140. That’s deep since there’s only roughly seven (depending on eligibility) 2nd basemen between the top 20 overall (Albies) and 140 overall.
As for Kim, before I get into the negative, he sure does know how to take a walk, so for OBP leagues, that’s a boost. Boost for breakfast, Ensure for dessert, somebody said Kim can’t steal 38 again, and I drink the sizzurp. Not sure if 38 steals or his 17 homers are repeatable. His HR/FB% wasn’t absurd, and his speed isn’t bad (though he was caught a lot). He makes some wildly terrible contact and feels a lot more like a .240 hitter with 10 homers, so watch out for falling backwards into his arms. 2024 Projections: 65/12/61/.248/30 in 519 AB
14. Luis Arraez – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
15. Ketel Marte – He just had a season — 25/8/.276 — I’d expect from someone about to head into their free agency. Instead, Ketel is locked into Arizona for his career, more or less. Ketel will be a fixture in Arizona, and not just at ASU frat parties, that’s the vodka, and a Ketel Parte. I didn’t expect Ketel to hit for that much power last year, and don’t expect it again, even though he did it one year before (not in a contract year, either). Kinda think Ketel could be used (to get drunk) to tell how ‘bouncy’ the balls were from the previous years. Dead ball? Ketel’s hitting 15 homers. Bouncy balls? He’s hitting 25. Any hoo! Since it’s impossible to tell which Ketel we’re getting, I’m veering on side of caution with: 2024 Projections: 86/19/70/.277/7 in 554 ABs
16. Tommy Edman – Splitting hairs is easier than ranking ten 2nd basemen with the potential projections of 12-17 homers, 20-30 steals, and a .250-.275 average. Actually, think I found a split end. I’m stressed from these 2nd basemen ranks! What is the difference between Thairo, Gimenez and Edman? Not a ton, but my gut is saying Edman is not especially liked in St. Louis. Not as badly as Tyler O’Neill was unliked or Willson Contreras or–Hey, if every player is unliked by the manager, maybe it’s the manager’s issue, not the players. Being unliked as Edman, means he might get platooned randomly and bat ninth and lose value. He also just had arthroscopic wrist surgery. Would I draft him? Shruggy, the Emoji. 2024 Projections: 52/11/57/.261/28 in 461 ABs
17. Nolan Gorman – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Westburg. I call this tier, “Plan. The. Parade!” As I said above in the Kim blurb, this might not seem that deep, but it’s surprisingly so. This tier is filled with guys I love, and either wrote a sleeper post for or wanted to, but time is limited. Plan the parade for your fantasy championship after drafting one of these guys. (I’m being a little sarcastic. I like these guys, but they’re sleepers, because they come with a decent amount of risk.)
As for Gorman, he’s 27/7/.245, neutrally. Compare that to Ketel. More power, same speed and less average. Also, that Gorman line might be the floor because he’s only 23 and still has upside. Really should’ve wrote a sleeper post for him, but Oli Marmol is off-brand Bud Black with platooning young, upside players. Call him Bad Brack. 2024 Projections: 71/28/83/.241/7 in 481 ABs
18. Jonathan India – Wrote a sleeper for India, but never posted it. What I like about him in its most succinct summary is he was great in 2021 and is only 27. Why I didn’t post the sleeper? Reds want to trade him for a good reason; they don’t have a ton of room for him to play — Jeimer clogged things. Does CES really get platooned with India? Seems unlikely, so once India lands somewhere else, we will likely need to reevaluate. I could see moving India down in the rankings if we get to April and he’s still in Cincy. 2024 Projections: 67/19/77/.252/12 in 477 ABs
19. Edouard Julien – Already gave you my Edouard Julien sleeper. It was written while picking names in Witness Protection. 2024 Projections: 103/22/57/.273/8 in 548 ABs
20. Jordan Westburg – Already gave you my Jordan Westburg sleeper. It was written while going hungry by sitting next to a large man at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. 2024 Projections: 63/21/71/.272/14 in 503 ABs
21. Zack Gelof – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Merrifield. I call this tier, “[rubbing hands together, excitedly, realizing you didn’t wash your hands after going to the bathroom and you’re skeeving yourself]” This tier seems to elicit some excitement from some people, but I am way less excited. These guys seem solid, in theory, but by the end of April, I have a feeling you’re going to be regretting them.
As for Gelof, I usually like to write schmohawk posts about players who are overrated. About players who are big names that capture the hearts and minds. Not about middle infielders for a team that will lose 110 games. Gelof is making that hard for me, because I see people legitimately excited for him. Here’s one thing I will say for that excitement. It is fun to dream about a player who has 30/30 type upside until you’re living through constant 0-for-4’s from a guy on the Soon-to-be-Vegas A’s. 2024 Projections: 69/17/52/.235/20 in 551 ABs
22. Christopher Morel – I loved Morel last year. Loving a guy off waivers is different than having to draft them. He’s got bust written all over him, which is kind of a spoiler if you’re reading what’s written on him. Surprised to see the projections aren’t looking that unfavorably on Morel. He seems more likely to lose a starting job than reach the projections people are giving him (28/11/.243 in 518 ABs from Steamer). Prolly one of the biggest surprises for me is how favorable people are still looking at Morel after he was clearly overmatched in the 2nd half. I guess his September was good, so the thought is he overcame his struggles by the end of the year. That’s their thought, not my thought, i.e., I think about how they’re thinking but not how I’m thinking. Clearly. It’s not shocking that there’s a ton of trade rumors about him. The Cubs know to sell high. You should too. 2024 Projections: 64/25/66/.236/8 in 439 ABs
23. Luis Rengifo – On positive note for Rengifo is if Ron Washington does a long line of coke and decides on Opening Day that Rengifo is his leadoff man, he might stay there all year. A great April can go a long way to Rengifo having a very valuable year. [praying hands] Please let Ron’s devil’s dandruff be good in April. 2024 Projections: 72/19/49/.261/6 in 471 ABs
24. Ryan McMahon – Part of me sees McMahon as a guy who is Ketel Marte minus thirty points in average. Another part of me sees a guy only worth starting in Coors. Another part of me sees me at the age of eight, waiting for an ice cream truck. So many complex feelings. 2024 Projections: 73/22/66/.238/6 in 534 ABs
25. Brandon Drury – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
26. Justin Turner – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
27. Whit Merrifield – FREE AGENT 2024 Projections:
28. Brandon Lowe – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Massey. I call this tier, “Smelling chocolate.” A weird thing happened on the way to the end of the 2nd basemen rankings. That weird thing? They got interesting again. It’s crazy late, and I don’t expect these guys to be drafted in all leagues, but, if you’re in a deep league, and punted 2nd base, which isn’t a bad idea (more on that in a second), and you need a 2nd baseman flyer, this tier has some interesting names. Much like I say to punt catchers, punting 2nd basemen isn’t bad either. Punting a shallow position is a solid strategy. That’s what I do, when in doubt. You want a top player at a deep position because, as explained numerous times before, if someone in your league is getting 30/20/.290 from a 1st baseman, you don’t want to get 15/5/.230, because you’ll have too much ground to make up. But if you’re getting 10/20/.230 (Willi Castro-ish — Castrish?) from your 2nd baseman and someone else is getting 20/7/.270 (Ketel-ish), that’s not as big of a difference to make up. Are the guys in this tier actually good? No, prolly not. As for the tier name, there’s a Tik Tok of a woman who makes videos of herself smelling chocolate then eating brocooli to confuse herself into thinking she’s eating chocolate and not vegetables. That’s this tier. To convince yourself they’re good, you have to smell chocolate.
As for Lowe, no one on the Rays, except Randy Arozarena and Yandy are full-time players. Lowe might have 35-homer power, but if he’s seeing 400 ABs, then step back and raspberry thy lips, young prematurely balding man, as Shakespeare once said. 2024 Projections: 54/22/66/.226/7 in 409 ABs
29. Willi Castro – Ya know what’s kinda of interesting in just the vaguest of interesting of ways? Twins don’t have guys to platoon on their bench, but they still seem to platoon everyone. Willi Castro is a switch hitter, has no real splits, and no player to platoon him with, and still somehow Baldelli platoons him. Must think Castro wants to share with everyone his playing time, which is his means of production. 2024 Projections: 54/10/61/.251/19 in 377 ABs
30. Jorge Polanco – If the blurbs in this seemingly positive tier seem downright negative, it’s because we’re deep in a bad position, but these guys are interesting. Will Polanco bounce back fully? Willi/Polanco the platoon? Will I stop starting questions with ‘will?’ I don’t know the answers to all your questions but the last question seems like a yes. Will I ask anymore questions? Damn! Polanco’s projections look downright Ketel-ish. (Every 2nd baseman is either Ketel or Gimenez.) The problem is I don’t know how many at-bats we can plan with Polanco. He could have 550+ABs and a great season or [looks at his last two years] 300-ish ABs? 2024 Projections: 51/17/55/.247/5 in 402 ABs
31. Luis Garcia – Such a bummer that teams are so stupid to have a prospect, then platoon them. Not saying Luis Garcia, this one or one of the other 20 Luis Garcias, are great, but if there’s any pedigree, it’s worth exploring vs. platooning him with [squinting] I don’t even know who the Nats are platooning him with, Ildemaro Vargas? Jake Alu? Bobby Bingbong? Did I make up a few of those names? Maybe. 2024 Projections: 56/10/62/.274/8 in 403 ABs
32. Brice Turang – Kinda similar to what I said for Rengifo but without the cocaine. If Pat Murphy is the Brewers’ manager, and not an Irish dive bar, and he doesn’t platoon Turang, then Turang could have a big steals year, think 40+ SBs. My guess is Pat Murphy, while giving half off on chicken wings to get you to order more beer, will platoon Turang, because that’s what dumb managers think smart managers do. 2024 Projections: 57/8/51/.233/28 in 412 ABs
33. Michael Massey – Quite a few 2nd basemen who are interesting (relatively, let’s not get crazy here) are in platoons with (fill-in name when team finds someone to platoon them with). I’d say it’s a good sign that the team doesn’t have a platoon player yet, but also it’s not the best of signs that a team wants to platoon a guy so bad even without a worthy platoon partner. 2024 Projections: 56/16/67/.261/10 in 434 ABs
34. Amed Rosario – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Schneider. I call this tier, “Only boing here is from a misspelled boring.” One thing I will say about this boring tier, if you’re in a deep league, boring guys who get at-bats can be better draft picks than sexy upside picks.
As for Amed, FREE AGENT 2024 Projections:
35. Jake Cronenworth – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
36. Brendan Donovan – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
37. Brendan Rodgers – Last year was a lost year from him, so you have to go back to previous years to see he’s a 15-homer, zero steal player. Also, I’m old enough to remember when the Rockies fielded a lineup of guys who were solid on the road, and even better in Coors, not just “good only when in Coors.” 2024 Projections: 61/15/69/.264 in 507 ABs
38. Gavin Lux – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, Gavin Lux has potential and–Okay, I will stop. 2024 Projections: 56/9/64/.258/7 in 440 ABs
39. Jeff McNeil – Won’t take serious the Mets’ proclamations of a rebuild until they abandon McNeil. If you’re playing McNeil over a prospect for more than one game a week, you’re not moving on or you’re moving on like the Yanks moved on and played Israel Diner Falafel for 500 plate appearances for the last two years. 2024 Projections: 61/7/44/.266/9 in 421 ABs
40. Davis Schneider – Almost wrote a sleeper post for Schneider, because he had one of the best months of all-time after being called up. He had all the Maas appeal! Sadly, it seems slightly out of nowhere, like, he could hit .175 in April and be back in the minors by May, but, it’s late and who knows, it’s a flyer. 2024 Projections: 47/16/55/.229/3 in 363 ABs
41. Geraldo Perdomo – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until the end. I call this tier, “Hmm…” By the tier name, I mean I was interested enough in these guys to rank them, but not interested enough to move them up or come up with a better tier name.
As for Perdomo, he seems kinda interesting, but Lawlar has to come up and steal a lot of his playing time at some point, right? Not to answer but to repeat the tier name back to me. 2024 Projections: 47/5/44/.236/11 in 298 ABs
42. Zach McKinstry – Not great, but I used to go to the Ministry of Sound when I lived in London, so that means something, doesn’t it? Hmm… 2024 Projections: 51/15/46/.211/15 in 455 ABs
43. Liover Peguero – This guy looks so good — 20/27 — in the minors and majors combined. Though, he might not hit .200 while batting 9th for the Pirates. Hmm… 2024 Projections: 46/10/54/.214/17 in 404 ABs
44. DJ LeMahieu – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
45. Cavan Biggio – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
46. Enrique Hernandez – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
47. Luis Urias – Here’s what I said this offseason, “Acquired by the Mariners. Presumably will take over third base with the recently departed Suarez. It was revealed this offseason that the Mariners’ GM said he was only trying to win 54% of the time. There was major backlash to his comments, and he apologized. With Urias and the new team going forward, he said the M’s have a new game plan and are going for it 32% of the time.” And that’s me quoting me! 2024 Projections: 51/17/54/.224/3 in 451 ABs
48. Vidal Brujan – Here’s what I said this offseason, “Traded to the Marlins. Seems like a nothing move from a real baseball standpoint, but it made my ears do a little perky-perky when I heard about it. Could Brujan work his way into everyday playing time for the Marlins? Jon Berti and Avisail Garcia are in front of him, so, yes, Brujan could see some playing time, and maybe a lot. I’m not willing to project him for 400+ ABs, but that’s what kind of opportunity is there for him for you drafting at the backend of deep leagues.” And that’s me quoting me! 2024 Projections: 35/5/31/.244/17 in 324 ABs
49. Jared Triolo – Already went over him in the 1st basemen rankings.
50. Jon Berti – Love this guy for NL-Only leagues. Somehow he sneaks into 400 plate appearances and steals some bags. Somehow implies he’s not actually good. Hmm… 2024 Projections: 48/5/32/.266/23 in 364 ABs
51. Oswald Peraza – Yankees’ front office doesn’t respect their fans. They think they can play guys like LeMahieu, Donaldson, IKF and other shizzbirds while letting their prospects just waste away. Or the Yanks’ front office is just dumb. Hmm… 2024 Projections: 41/12/47/.239/14 in 361 ABs
52. Miguel Vargas – Conspiracy Theory Alert! Who would be cheaper to pay off than prospect writers? Give them a thousand dollars and some chew and they’ll say what you want. So, here’s my conspiracy, the Dodgers paid off some prospect writers to say their prospects were great, so they can trade them for parts to other teams. Is Gavin Lux or Miguel Vargas good or did prospect writers get a free monthly subscription to Chew Of The Month Club to say they were good? Things that make you go hmm… 2024 Projections: 42/12/48/.233/7 in 301 ABs
53. Taylor Walls – To leave this 4,000 word post on a real sour note, Wander Franco is facing charges in his native Dominican Republic for raping a minor, human trafficking and money laundering. MLB has shown zero tolerance with these types of things, and I’d be surprised at this point if Wander ever plays again in MLB. So, the Rays have an opening at shortstop. I’d love for them to go to Junior Caminero or Osleivis Basabe, but Cash has shown a soft spot for Taylor Walls’s glove and they traded for Jose Caballero. So, why rank Walls and not Caballero? Walls is a switch-hitter, so he is better for matchups. That’s literally it. Last year, Walls hit eight homers in 303 ABs and stole 22 bags [lowers voice so you can’t hear me] and hit .201 and won’t play everyday. [raises voice] Eight homers and 22 steals in only 303 at-bats! Wow, this guy’s got no down side! [lowers voice] Are you literally dumb? No down side? He hit .201 and is a platoon player for Kevin Cash of all people. [raises voice] This guy is a steal! No down side! [lowers voice] And he just had hip surgery. [raises voice] Super! He sounds fantastic! [lowers voice] Hmm… 2024 Projections: 41/7/44/.218/15 in 324 ABs
Omitted but considered: Samad Taylor, Casey Schmitt, Nick Madrigal, Ji Hwan Bae, Mauricio Dubon, Josh Rojas, Jose Caballero, Kyle Farmer, Jordan Diaz, Thomas Saggese, Xavier Edwards, Connor Norby, Enmanuel Valdez, Adam Frazier, Andy Ibanez, Jace Jung, Elvis Andrus, Owen Miller, Andruw Monasterio, Lenyn Sosa, Dylan Moore, Ramon Urias, Nicky Lopez, James Triantos, Joey Ortiz, Ryan Bliss, Donovan Solano, Justin Foscue, Jake Alu, Pablo Reyes, Kolten Wong, Eduardo Escobar, Coco Montes, Jose Rodriguez, Santiago Espinal, Matthew Batten, Jace Peterson, Zack Short, Nick Gonzales, Nick Maton, Jonathan Schoop, Michael Stefanic, Juan Brito, David Villar, Rodolfo Castro, Tony Kemp, Alan Trejo, Ronny Mauricio
