2019 Fantasy Baseball 2B Previews: Loads of talented options available
Second base was once considered something of a scarce position (at least in relation to outfield and corner), but that’s far from the case these days. The middle infield is loaded with options thanks to loose eligibility rules (and teams shifting more) and an influx of talent at the position.
The league’s only 35/30 player last year is 2B eligible (although Jose Ramirez hit just .155/.301/.345 while playing there), and so is last season’s stolen base champion (Whit Merrifield). It’s a position also overflowing with intriguing young talent, as Ozzie Albies, Gleyber Torres and Adalberto Mondesi are all younger than 24 years old, while Javier Baez just turned 26.
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Travis Shaw, who’s averaged 31.5 homers, 93.5 RBI and 7.5 steals in just 518 at bats over the last two seasons and is slated to hit cleanup in a terrific home park for left-handed power, is second base-eligible this year.
This is by no means a position that needs to be targeted out of necessity, but it is one that enters 2019 looking poised to be as productive as ever. Here are some recommendations on how to attack 2B on draft day.
Which second baseman is a strong buy in fantasy in 2019?
Andy: Philadelphia’s lineup has improved substantially following the additions of Segura, Cutch and Realmuto, and the team might not be finished tinkering. Even if the Phillies fail to do another thing, it’s tough not to like their run-scoring outlook. And yet for reasons unknown, fantasy owners don’t seem too bullish on Cesar Hernandez, the guy who’s expected to hit leadoff for this club.
Hernandez is coming off a 15/19 season, he’s reached base at a .357 career rate and he seems like a great bet to top last year’s 91 runs. There’s almost no chance he won’t deliver a profit in the mid or late rounds.
Scott: Jonathan Villar fell from favor in Milwaukee — not that his 87-game sample last year didn’t have fantasy juice (six homers, 14 steals). But Villar really kicked things into gear when he joined the Orioles, giving us this 54-game bonanza: 28 runs, eight homers, 24 RBI, 21 steals in 24 attempts. Those numbers made him a Top-15 hitter in 5×5 formats over the last two months.
The Orioles are going to be a dead team walking in 2019, no one disputes that. But they’ve made a commitment to Villar, signing him to a $4.825 million contract (avoiding arbitration) and giving him the likely keys to the leadoff spot. They’re also likely to let him run as much as he wants; the Orioles need something to sell and Villar is one of the few assets. For all the sunshine thrown at Adalberto Mondesi, Villar is a middle infielder you can get about 40 picks later in a typical draft.
If you’d like a value play outside the Top 250, Jed Lowrie — classic Ibanez All-Star (coming soon) — and Nik Goodrum also hold appeal for me.
Dalton: Rougned Odor’s counting stats fell off some last year thanks to injuries, but he bounced back at the plate after a down 2017 (when he still went 30/15 despite a .224 BABIP). His defense improved so much, Odor finished with the highest WAR of his career last season despite not reaching 130 games, and he’s just now entering his prime at age 25.
THE BAT projects a .256-87-29-83-19 season from Odor, who’s somehow not being drafted even among the top-12 second basemen right now. Slated to hit atop Texas’ lineup and in a home park that’s boosted run scoring more than any in baseball other than Coors Field over the last three years, Odor is someone to target.
Conversely, who do you think will be a fantasy bust at the position?
Andy: Robinson Cano is 36 years old, he served a PED suspension last season and he’s coming off arthroscopic knee surgery. So yeah, there are a few red flags here. Cano has of course been one of the most reliable upper-tier assets in fantasy over the past decade, so it’s not as if he’s on the list of players to avoid at all costs.
It’s worth noting that he raked after his return from suspension last year. Still, fantasy owners should target him at a price where a 70-20-80-.280 season is acceptable. If you’re paying for vintage Cano, you’re likely to be disappointed.
Dalton: Matt Carpenter isn’t a bad pick or anything, and it’s always nice getting a second baseman who’s actually playing a less taxing corner position, but his price tag is high coming off a career year at age 32 (which is especially crazy given he had a .576 OPS in mid-May). This is more about cost and not paying for last year’s stats when it comes to Carpenter, who’s going more than 100 spots ahead of Jonathan Schoop, who can provide similar power (also with no speed while hitting in the .250s).
Scott: Player development is not always linear, so perhaps I shouldn’t be concerned about what Ozzie Albies did last year. But let’s examine the scan anyway. The 24 homers were lovely, but he also walked less, struck out more, and was less interested in running (after going 8-for-9 in steals two years ago over 57 games, he gave us a modest 14-for-17 in 158 games last year). Albies also had a crash in the second half of the season (.226/.282/.342), when pitchers found some exploitable holes in his swing.
Albies just turned 22 last month, so there’s lot of time for him to figure things out. But in the fourth or fifth round, I’d like a safer bet, a surer thing.
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Let’s look ahead. Which 2B prospect do you think will have an impact soon?
Andy: Dynasty owners should take a long look at Nick Madrigal as a final round long-term investment. He was the fourth overall selection in last year’s MLB draft following a stellar career at Oregon State. Madrigal is Altuve-sized (5-foot-7) and his power upside is limited, but he’s a lock to hit for average. He struck out only five times in 43 minor league games last season; his contact skills are exceptional.
Madrigal turns 22 in March, so it’s not crazy to think he’ll rise quickly through the White Sox system. Whenever he arrives in the big leagues (possibly as soon as 2020), he’ll be an on-base/line-drive machine at the top of the order for Chicago.
Dalton: Luis Urias is returning from a hamstring injury that prematurely ended his cup of coffee last year with a job in San Diego’s middle infield ready for him after Freddy Galvis left during the offseason.
Urias isn’t likely to hit for a ton of power or run a lot, but he should bat toward the top of the Padres’ lineup, and he has solid on-base ability. At a position that appears as deep as ever, a prospect like Urias can be helpful, but he’s more of a deeper league option.
Scott: The Brewers were one game away from the NL Pennant last year, and they have a deep roster entering 2019. But Keston Hiura could bust his way into the mix around the middle of the year. Hiura, 22, had a snappy .293/.357/.464 run at two stops in the minors last year (eventually rising to Double-A), then was the MVP of the Arizona Fall League (five homers, seven steals, .323 average over 23 games). He’s on the fast track.
