Top Second Base Prospects for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball: 2024
Chris Clegg breaks down his top 75 second base prospect rankings for dynasty fantasy baseball.
*Cover photo with images by the Chicago Cubs and Scott Audette/MLB Photos
Digging into this position led me to realize how deep the second base pool of prospects is and how much potential it has to become a major strength for fantasy baseball. While not every single one of these players play second base as their primary position, they have spent time there and have the potential to play there full-time.
Let’s dive into this stacked position with our top 75 second base prospects.
Top 75 Second Base Prospects for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball
Tier 1 - 2B Prospect Rankings
1. Colt Keith, 3B/2B, DET, 22, 6’2”/210
As a prep player, Keith was a talented two-way guy, showing solid skills at the plate but also showing potential on the mound. The Tigers drafted Keith in the fifth round and immediately moved him off the mound and shortstop, which he was comfortable with. Splitting time between second and third base throughout his time in the Minors, Keith has progressed as a hitter each year of his career.
Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, Keith mashed 27 home runs while slashing .306/.380/.552. With a strong lower half, Keith generates easy power backed by strong exit velocities, with a 90th percentile checking in near 106 mph and an average near 90 mph. Lifting the ball easily, Keith generates a very high barrel rate which helped lead to 68 extra base hits.
The contact skills are respectable as well and Keith posted a 75 percent overall contact rate with a zone contact near 84 percent. He knows the strike zone well and chooses his spots, not chasing often out of the zone.
The platoon risk feels minimal for the lefty as he mashed both-handed pitching with a .939 OPS against righties and a .909 versus lefties with a lower strikeout rate against lefties than righties.
Keith is known for being a hard worker who constantly looks to improve on his game, and that has been the case with his bat. Given his contract extension and having a strong feel for contact and power, Keith should find his bat in the lineup in Detroit on Opening Day where he will play 2B.
2. Matt Shaw, 2B/SS/3B, CHC, 21, 5’11”/185
Shaw had a successful career at Maryland, leading to him being selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 2023 draft, where he hit the ground running as a professional. After three games at the complex level, Shaw pushed to High-A and then Double-A to finish out the season, where he collectively hit .357/.400/.618 with eight home runs and 15 stolen bases across 38 games.
Despite not having the physical appearance of a top player on the field, Shaw plays much bigger than his listed 5’11”/185 frame and gets to a ton of power. He mashed 24 home runs at Maryland this year after posting a 22-homer season in 2022. His power is backed by a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107 mph, and saw his numbers get as high as 113 mph. He is an efficient base stealer as well, and while there is not true standout tool, Shaw flashes 55 grades across the board with arguably a plus hit tool.
In 2023 at Maryland, Shaw made contact on 83 percent of pitches and 88.5 percent of pitches in the zone while chasing just 20 percent of the time. As a professional, Shaw was more aggressive but also made more contact, swinging at 49 percent of pitches and making contact 85 percent of the time overall.
The Cubs seem to be fast-tracking Shaw to the Majors, and he could be an instant impact with his bat due to the high floor with his hit tool.
Tier 2 - 2B Prospect Rankings
3. Adael Amador, 2B/SS, COL, 20, 6’/200
“The most talented teenage bat we’ve ever had,” is how some in the org viewed Amador in rookie ball. The switch-hitting Dominican has backed it over his minor-league career slashing .290/.399/.457, walking 155 times to just 136 strikeouts. 2023 culminated in a double-A cup of coffee at the end of his 20-yo season.
Amador’s strikeout and walk rates have declined as he’s moved along a system seemingly into more aggressive approaches. (13.5 BB% 2021 in CPX to 12.0% 2023 in A+/14.5 K% 2021 CPX to 10.0% 2023 A+.) It’s a 70-grade hit tool by those who speak the language. The contact rates checked in at 93 percent in-zone and 88 percent overall, some of the best in all of baseaball.
Lacking the stature and physique of your stereotypical middle infielder, Amador is capable of MLB-average play at both spots. With SS seemingly taken for the foreseeable future, 2B seems Amador’s best shot at everyday run with the Rockies.
With strength, bat speed, and ability to hit the ball out in front (47.5% pull rate in 2023) on his side, Amador’s power production outlook remains quite questionable. The home run pace in places they are supposed to be bountiful never exceeded 20, and groundball rates have been climbing over the last three seasons, reaching an ugly 2023 55%.
Amador is an interesting player to profile. The contact skills are some of the best in the Minors, but he does not profile as a high power or speed bat. At peak, he could be a .300 hitter who hits 15-18 home runs with 20 stolen bases.
*Report by Nate Handy and Chris Clegg
4. Curtis Mead, 2B/3B, TB, 23, 6’2”/175
A data darling with a great story, Mead originally signed with the Phillies in 2018 out of Australia for $200k but only to be traded a year later to the Rays, where he began to blossom. With no Minor League season in 2020, Mead headed back to Australia to play in the professional league there, where he really began to evolve as a hitter and came back to the States looking like a top prospect.
Injuries limited Mead to 65 Minor League games in 2023, but he got a cup of coffee in the Majors, playing 24 games with the Rays. In Triple-A, Mead slashed .294/.385/.515 with nine home runs and 32 extra-base hits.
Mead makes a ton of contact, posting an 88 percent zone contact rate, which is in the plus range while having an overall contact rate of 82 percent. Mead, a disciplined hitter who limits swings to pitches in the zone, chased just 28 percent of pitches out of the zone. His swing is smooth, and the barrel stays in the zone for a long time, allowing the hit tool to play up with the ability to hit all fields.
The power has been more double power to this point than home runs but thats’s not from a lack of exit velocities. With back-to-back seasons of a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106 mph, MEad has exhibited plus EVs.
Between 2022 and 2023, Mead has played 141 games while collecting 52 doubles and 24 home runs. Speed is not likely to factor into his game, but Mead has the potential to be an extra-base machine with a solid number of home runs, all while posting solid OBPs.
5. Colt Emerson, SS/2B, SEA, 18, 6’1”/195
No player increased their stock among prospect circles more than Colt Emerson. The Mariners first round pick slashed .374/.496/.550 with two home runs and ten doubles in 114 plate appearances.
Emerson was only 17 years-old on draft day; but over the last year he really added to his 6’1”/200 lb frame. As a prep player, he showed a strong feel to hit and his data was incredible as he chased at just a 15 percent rate on the showcase circuit and has an 84 percent contact rate. All of this carried over to professional ball and what Emerson did was nothing short of impressive.
In the small pro sample, Emerson made contact at a rate north of 80 percent with a zone contact of 86 percent. He showed a strong eye at the plate as well, chasing just 20 percent of pitches out of the zone.
While he did hit just two home runs, the exit velocities were impressive in Emerson’s pro debut. The average exit velocity checked in right around 89 mph and he paired it with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 mph, which is already north of MLB average.
Emerson has actually seen his run times tick up and he was eight of eight on stolen base attempts in 2023. His 6.7 second 60-yard dash suggests plus speed.
If all clicks, Emerson could be a plus hitter with above-average or better power and speed.
6. Termarr Johnson, 2B, PIT, 19, 5’8”/175
Johnson is small and compact, but that does not limit his damage at the plate. After being regarded as one of the best pure prep hitters in recent memory, Johnson has seen his profile evolve a bit into having more power while taking a ton of walks and posting a lower-than-expected contact rate.
He showed a passive approach in 2023, swinging at just 37 percent of pitches, which is nearly ten percent lower than average. His zone swing percentage was also relatively low, which leaves some concern.
However, Johnson’s contact rates might be more concerning, as he made contact on just 68 percent of pitches and 77 percent in the zone. Those numbers are far from what was expected when Johnson was drafted when many labeled him as a 70-grade hitter.
The positive news is that Johnson still showed a strong feel for the strike zone, chasing less than 21 percent of pitches out of the zone while also hitting the ball hard. Johnson checked in with an average exit velocity north of 90 mph and a 90th percentile exit velocity above 105 mph which are quite impressive marks, especially given his size.
2024 will be a huge year for Johnson as he looks to improve on his contact skills without losing the power gains he made in 2023. If he can do so, he could soar up prospect rankings due to the well-rounded skillset that he would offer.
Tier 3 - 2B Prospect Rankings
7. Joey Ortiz, SS/2B, MIL, 25, 5’9”/190
Everyone knows Joey Ortiz is a defensive wizard at shortstop and should certainly be able to translate anywhere else on the infield left of first base. What everyone doesn’t know is that he is very close to being an offensive dynamo. He fought through injuries this past season but was still able to put up a 121 wRC+ in AAA over 389 plate appearances and also got his major league debut out of the way as an injury replacement for Ramon Urias.
The thing with Ortiz is that he almost never swings and misses. He has an excellent in-zone contact rate and he hits the ball incredibly hard. His contact rate checked in at 82.5 percent and jumped to 90 percent in zone. He had a higher exit velocity (114.9) than anyone else in the Orioles organization that played at AAA in 2023 – that includes Heston Kjerstad, Coby Mayo, Kyle Stowers, etc, while the average exit velocity of 90 mph and 90th percentile north of 105 both show above average or better power.
The problem is he chases too many pitches out of the zone and hits too many balls on the ground. That makes sense when you consider he has great bat-to-ball skills so as long as he can improve his swing decisions (something this player development system is known for) then his offensive profile should only improve. He already has a high floor thanks to his defense but the ceiling is a lot higher than most people suspect as well.
8. Tommy Troy, SS/2B, ARI, 21, 5’10”/197
Troy has a smaller frame but packs a punch and has hit everywhere he has been. This year, he slashed .394/.478/.699 with a 14 percent strikeout rate. After just seven home runs in 2022, Troy hit 17 this season. He mashes fastballs, and despite some swing and miss against breakers, he still posted a contact rate north of 70 percent against them while posting a 92 percent contact rate against fastballs.
Troy runs well and makes strong contact, and even if his power lands around average, the bat will play very nicely at 2B, which seems like where Troy will end up long-term as a professional.
A dominant Cape Cod League in 2022 with wood bats gave scouts confidence that the power can translate as a professional. Troy is a very solid, high-floor bat for dynasty leagues.
Troy is an excellent fit in Arizona with their timeline of other top prospects. His pro debut was solid as well, slashing .271/.374/.469 with four home runs and nine stolen bases, and could move quickly through the system.
9. Ronny Mauricio, SS/2B, NYM, 22, 6’3”/166
After an impressive showing across 116 Triple-A games this year and much clamoring from Mets fans, Ronny Mauricio finally received the call. After spending 26 games with the Mets, the results were mixed, but Mauricio did manage to hit two home runs and steal seven bases.
Mauricio is an enigma of a profile as he hyper-aggressively swings at over 50 percent of pitches he sees and chases nearly 40 percent of pitches out of the zone. He counteracts it with high in-zone contact, running a rate above 86 percent in Triple-A.
There has never been any denying his power, as Mauricio’s 109 mph 90th percentile ranks toward the top of all MiLB hitters and firmly puts him in the plus or better range. The higher ground ball rate limits the output on barrels, but if Mauricio lifts the ball more consistently, there is 30 home run pop in the bat. While he may not be the fastest runner, Mauricio has a knack for stealing bases at a high clip, posting 20 and 31 over each of the last two seasons.
Mauricio plays down in an OBP format dynasty league but could play better in a batting average context. The high swing rates will always limit his OBP upside.
10. Cole Young, SS, SEA, 20, 6’0”/180
Young is one of the safest hitters in all of the Minors, having a selective approach and making contact at a very high clip. Selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft, Young hit the ground running as a professional and spent time between Single-A and High-A in 2023, accruing 606 plate appearances. Over those 126 games, Young slashed .277/.399/.449 with 11 home runs and 54 extra-base hits.
The hit tool is the carrying tool, as Young made contact at a rate north of 80 percent this season while being selective and chasing around 15 percent of the time. The exit velocities are fine, but nothing to write home about.
Young is a more valuable prospect for real life than fantasy because of the OBP skills and a solid glove in the field. The power profiles are below average, meaning Young could be a 15-home run bat long-term, but he is still 20 years old and has the potential to grow into more. From a speed standpoint, Young could steal 15 bases a year. While the skillset is not flashy, it is safe and Young feels like a good bet to be an everyday regular in the majors.
Tier 4 - 2B Prospect Rankings
11. Michael Busch, 2B/3B, CHC, 26, 6’1”/210
It has become a running joke among the prospect community and Dodgers fans about how long the Dodgers could hold Michael Busch down despite strong performances year over year. Busch earned a promotion after a strong Triple-A showing in 2023 in which he slashed .323/.431/.618 with 27 home runs in 98 games. The performance in the Majors was disappointing, but it was Busch’s first taste of MLB pitching.
In Triple-A, Busch showed his plus power by posting an average exit velocity north of 91 mph while having a 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 mph. He also hit those balls at ideal launch angles, checking in with a 15-degree launch angle and a low standard deviation of launch angle, meaning he hit balls at a consistent angle often. This turned into a 13 percent barrel rate.
You may not view Busch as a strong contact hitter, but his numbers were pretty strong in Triple-A, as Busch posted a zone-contact rate north of 89 percent while chasing just 22 percent of pitches out of the zone and having an overall contact rate of 81 percent.
Now, in the Cubs organization, Busch should have the opportunity to play every day and prove he is more than a quad-a hitter as some have labeled him.
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