Ranking the top 10 second basemen in MLB entering 2021 season
Major League Baseball isn't lacking talent in the middle of the infield. The league is filled with versatile second basemen who can produce web gems in the field while also making a difference at the plate. These days, there are a number of players at the position who can play all over the diamond at a high level.Here are our top 10 second basemen in MLB for 2021.
In a league consumed by launch angles and exit velocity, Fletcher is a breath of fresh air. The 26-year-old isn't going to wow anyone with moonshot home runs, but the kid can flat-out hit. He doesn't strike out much (only 25 Ks in 230 plate appearances last year) and his 173 hits in 2019 ranked 22nd in MLB.
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La Stella will play for his fifth team in eight years when he suits up for the Giants in 2021. Like Fletcher, he isn't going to tear the cover off the ball but is one of the toughest players in the league to strike out. In fact, La Stella has only struck out 159 times in his seven-year career. Some of the game's best hitters strike out 159 times in one season.
Given how stacked the Dodgers roster is, Taylor sort of gets lost in the shuffle. But the 30-year-old has been integral to L.A.'s success over the last several years. He can play virtually anywhere on the field and consistently produces an OPS hovering near .800. You can't ask for much more than that.
There's plenty of talk about the left side of the Padres infield, but let's not overlook their up-and-coming second baseman. Cronenworth was a key part of the Padres lineup during his 2020 rookie year, compiling a .831 OPS and striking out only 31 times in 54 games. Expect him to be even better at the plate in his sophomore campaign.
Most years, Altuve would have been a no-brainer for the No. 1 spot on this list. But in 2020, the Astros veteran hit just .219 with a .629 OPS in 48 games. We're betting on that being an anomaly for the former AL MVP, but it certainly was an alarming drop in production following Houston's sign-stealing scandal.
Marte was one of the best players -- not just second basemen -- in the game in 2019. He struggled to repeat that effort during a 2020 season in which he dealt with a wrist injury. The switch-hitting 27-year-old should bounce back in a big way this year as it's hard to imagine his 32 homers and .981 OPS two seasons ago was a fluke.
In addition to second base, McNeil spends time at third and left field. The 28-year-old burst on the scene with the Mets in 2019 when he hit 23 homers and posted a .916 OPS. He's one of the most fun players in the game to watch and has earned a reputation as one of the best hitters in the league.
Lowe is the best power-hitting second baseman on this list. Since 2018, he is the only second baseman in MLB to produce a 130 OPS+ and 30 homers. The 26-year-old quietly finished eighth in AL MVP voting in 2020 and is only getting better.
Albies is one of many reasons to watch the Braves in 2021. At 24 years old, he already has made a name for himself as one of the best all-around second basemen in the league. In 2019, he led the NL in hits with 189. A wrist injury prevented him from duplicating that production in 2020, but count on him returning to form this year as long as he can stay healthy.
Perhaps the most obvious No. 1 ranking of any position in the league. It's difficult to argue against LeMahieu being MLB's best hitter right now. He hit a ridiculous .364 with a 1.011 OPS during the 2020 season. Even in a shortened campaign, that's absurd. Those numbers followed a 2019 season in which LeMahieu hit .327 while blasting 26 homers, driving in 102 runs, and placing fourth in AL MVP voting. The Yankees got an absolute bargain when they re-signed LeMahieu to a six-year, $90 million contract this offseason.
