2026 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Preview: Ketel Marte, Jazz Chisholm Jr. lead a deep group

A position often considered weak, second base has built up some legitimate depth.

The top tier consists of two elite yet injury-prone options in Ketel Marte and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Each (predictably) missed some time last year which allowed Brice Turang to lead the position in a breakout season. Otherwise, even an aging Jose Altuve remains highly productive while Nico Hoerner has proven his consistency.

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Past that group, veterans Ozzie Albie, Brandon Lowe and Gleyber Torres offer different types of profiles along with youngsters Jackson Holliday, Luke Keaschall and Ceddanne Rafaela who could be ready to take a step forward.

Marcus Semien has a chance to rejuvenate his career after landing with the Mets and Jorge Polanco may just be their clean-up hitter. Matt McLain is another year removed from injury and don’t forget about Xavier Edwards, Bryson Stott, or José Caballero for stolen bases. There are a lot of options at this position and each fits a different archetype.

Below you’ll find what the Rotoworld staff forecasts for second base heading into spring drafts, along with profiles and projections for all the top options. More fantasy baseball draft prep content is on the way in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Other position previews:

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⚾ 2026 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings

** Rotoworld staff consensus rankings **

Editor’s Note: Projections and dollar values courtesy of Matthew Pouliot; player rankings are based on consensus.

⚾ 2026 Second Base Projections and Previews

1) Ketel Marte — Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 Outlook: There’s never been a productivity concern with Marte, just an availability one. He’s taken at least one trip to the injured list in six of the last seven seasons and missed a combined 64 games over the past two years. On the other hand, no second baseman has come close to his .913 OPS over that same two-year span. Just last season, the only qualified players with a higher OPS were Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, George Springer, Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber, and Juan Soto. That is the definition of elite company. Marte’s value takes a hit in rotisserie formats because stolen bases aren’t part of his game, but he has every chance to be one of the most valuable hitters in the league… if he manages to stay healthy.

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2026 projection: (Mixed $22): 520 AB, 93 R, 31 HR, 88 RBI, 4 SB, 29 2B, 2 3B, .283/.375/.525

2) Jazz Chisholm Jr. — New York Yankees

*also third base-eligible

2026 Outlook: It took a little longer than most fantasy enthusiasts might have hoped, but Chisholm finally reached the 30-30 mark for the first time in his career last season. The boost from Yankee Stadium was real, but the juicy production was backed by legitimate thump, including a 91st-percentile barrel rate. He remains a valuable source of speed and he should provide plenty of counting stats in the Yankees’ lineup. The batting average risk and injury history will keep him out of first-round consideration, but he profiles as a strong pick second-round target while carrying second base and third base eligibility.

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2026 projection: (Mixed $17) 498 AB, 75 R, 30 HR, 74 RBI, 30 SB, 18 2B, 2 3B, .239/.314/.464

3) Brice Turang – Milwaukee Brewers

2026 Outlook: In a shock, Turang was the top overall second baseman in 5×5 leagues last season. Even more shocking, his ascent came as his stolen base total tumbled from 50 in 2024 to just 24 in 2025. Rather than a profile driven by speed, Turang found his groove as a run-producer. His 97 runs scored led all second basemen, 81 RBI trailed only Brandon Lowe at the position, and 18 home runs more than doubled his previous career-high. He also put up a .288 batting average, good for top-20 among all qualified batters. This may not have been a total fluke either. For the first two years of Turang’s career, he had some of the worst power metrics in the league. Last season, his average bat jumped up from 66.2 mph to 70.7 mph. With that, he more than tripled his total barrels and raised his career max exit velocity by nearly three full ticks from 108.3 mph to 111.2 mph. To give more confidence these gains could be sticky, the three months in which Turang had his fastest average bat speed were the final three of the year. There was a moderate tradeoff in hunting for more power as his strikeout rate went up and contact rate down, but neither dramatically enough to outweigh the additional damage he was able to create. Turang is a consensus top-five second baseman heading into 2026.

2026 projection: (Mixed $14) 569 AB, 83 R, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 28 SB, 26 2B, 3 3B, .255/.324/.422

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4) Jose Altuve – Houston Astros

*also outfield-eligible

2026 Outlook: Is this the end for Altuve as an elite player? His .771 OPS was his lowest in a full season since 2013 and his .265 batting average was a stark break from his career norms. The speed also seems to be evaporating – which is not a shock for a 35-year-old – as he stole only 10 bases on 16 tries in 2025. On the other hand, Altuve still managed 26 home runs which tied for the fourth-most among second base eligible players despite power metrics that look more like that of a slap hitter. A failed experiment in the outfield has led to eligibility there this coming season, which is nice for his fantasy value too. Through it all, he graded out as a top-five second baseman last year and it’s hard to doubt that he can’t do so again. He’s earned that benefit of the doubt.

2026 projection: (Mixed $8): 565 AB, 80 R, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 15 SB, 25 2B, 1 3B, .262/.325/.432

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5) Luke Keaschall – Minnesota Twins

2026 Outlook: Keaschall broke on the scene like a mad-man with five stolen bases, three doubles, and more than twice as many walks than strikeouts during his first week as a big leaguer last April. Then, a fractured forearm knocked him out of action for over three months. He returned in early August and was still impressive, closing the season with a .795 OPS, four home runs, nine steals, and more excellent plate discipline over his final 42 games. He figures to hit near the top of the Twins’ lineup next season and could ride his contact-oriented approach with tremendous plate discipline to a high batting average, high on-base percentage, and sit near the league lead in stolen bases.

2026 projection: (Mixed $9) 545 AB, 78 R, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 31 SB, 31 2B, 2 3B, .264/.347/.411

6) Nico Hoerner – Chicago Cubs

2026 Outlook: Hoerner is a throwback type of player. Almost no one makes more contact than him and his other elite, carrying traits are speed and defense. That makes for a very steady player that’s easy to project. He’ll have a high batting average that can sneak near .300, something like 30 stolen bases and plenty of runs scored without any meaningful power production. He’s sat between the third and sixth most valuable second baseman by earned value three years running and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him fall in that same range again.

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2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 528 AB, 73 R, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 26 SB, 24 2B, 3 3B, .284/.344/.386

7) Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves

2026 Outlook: One of the game’s most productive second baseman since he debuted nine years ago, Albies carried a poor 2024 into a much worse 2025. This two-season downturn raises legitimate questions as to whether or not he can bounce back near his previous heights. Age shouldn’t be a concern yet since he’s still 29 years old, but there are troubling signs. Albies’ batted ball quality has drifted from solid to poor over the last three years and the Braves have responded to such by moving him down in their lineup. Runs and RBI used to be a staple of his fantasy value and he will get fewer of them hitting lower in the order. Possibly notable, he had a .272 batting average in the second half with nine homers and seven steals. That made him the third most valuable 2B after the break, so maybe there’s still value here.

2026 projection: (Mixed $—) 499 AB, 62 R, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 10 SB, 24 2B, 1 3B, .248/.307/.391

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8) Brandon Lowe – Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Outlook: Lowe’s 31 home runs tied with Jazz Chisholm Jr. to lead all second base-eligible players last season. It’s the second time he’s crossed the 30-homer threshold and coincidentally, those are the only times Lowe’s played more than 130 games in a single season. Funny how that works. If he can stay on the field, he has a chance to be atop the position power-wise. It is worth noting that his new home at PNC Park in Pittsburgh is one of the most difficult places for a left-handed hitter to homer out of whereas Steinbrenner Field – the Rays’ home field last year – was quite hitter-friendly.

2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 503 AB, 70 R, 25 HR, 75 RBI, 5 SB, 26 2B, 1 3B, .249/.3170.453

9) Gleyber Torres – Detroit Tigers

2026 Outlook: Torres is what he is at this point in his career: a 20-homer bat who will steal a handful of bases and get on base a ton without a particularly high batting average. It’s not an exciting profile production wise, but everything under the hood still looks so good. Few players in the league make better swing decisions and his contact rate is quite high. Yet, his bat speed and raw power just aren’t where they were once perceived to be and his all-fields approach severely knocks down his power projection, especially in a home park like Comerica in Detroit. This is a quality real-life player, just not an exciting one in fantasy anymore. He’ll be much more valuable in OBP and points-based leagues though.

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2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 564 AB, 85 R, 18 HR, 68 RBI, 5 SB, 26 2B, 1 3B, .264/.351/.410

10) Jackson Holliday – Baltimore Orioles

2026 Outlook: One of the more difficult players to project, Holliday still has the shine of a former number one overall prospect without yet producing as a big leaguer or showing the underlying skills to make us believe a jump to stardom is imminent. A near 20-20 season in 2025 came with a lowly .690 OPS, poor bat speed, and a below-average zone-contact rate. The clearest path for him to take a step forward would happen if he found a way to pull a much higher share of his fly balls. He was in the 15th percentile of such last year and that severely capped how many home runs his middling power could produce in Camden Yards which is much, much friendlier to right field compared to left. Growth there along with natural physical projection entering his age-22 season could make him a 30 homer threat overnight. Otherwise, taking him at his ADP near pick 130 requires a bit of a leap of faith.

2026 projections: (Mixed $8) 593 AB, 92 R, 22 HR, 71 RBI, 13 SB, 28 2B, 2 3B, .263/.339/.428

2026 Fantasy Baseball Top 300 Rankings: Judge and Ohtani at the top; Skenes and Skubal in Top 10

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Michael Harris II, Sal Stewart and Luis Robert Jr. are on the rise in our 5×5 player rankings for 2026.

11) Jorge Polanco – New York Mets

2026 Outlook: For the first shock of the Mets’ offseason, they signed Polanco in mid-December with the expectation that he’d replace Pete Alonso as their primary first baseman. Polanco has appeared in exactly one game at first as a pro, but reportedly got work there with the Mariners’ coaches last year and the Mets have given every indication he can not only handle that position defensively, but possibly even excel. Gaining eligibility there will be great for his fantasy profile. Joining a lineup with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Bo Bichette in it won’t hurt either. There’s a decent chance Polanco hits clean-up behind those three stars and with that, 30 home runs and 100 RBI are in play should he stay healthy. That’s always been the hold up with him though as he’s played over 120 games just twice in the last five seasons.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 545 AB, 74 R, 24 HR, 87 RBI, 6 SB, 28 2B, 1 3B, .255/.328/.442

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12) Xavier Edwards – Miami Marlins

*also shortstop-eligible

2026 Outlook: After a rollicking close to the 2024 season, Edwards came out of the gate with a .263/.337/.291 slash line and just four stolen bases over the first six weeks last year. At that point, he was placed on the injured list with a back strain and replaced at shortstop by Otto López. When Edwards came back, he was installed as the Marlins’ second baseman and closed the season with a .292 batting average and 16 stolen bases over his final 97 games. That’s not quite the level of production we saw to conclude 2024, but one that was good enough to be among the top-10 second basemen by year’s end. He profiles to be in that same range once again.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 580 AB, 77 R, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 30 SB, 24 2B, 6 3B, .291/.347/.384

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13) Bryson Stott – Philadelphia Phillies

2026 Outlook: Speed and defense will always keep Stott’s floor relatively high. His production at the plate also trended up last season, but more so because the Phillies have begun to hide him a bit more from left-handed pitchers rather than any true skill improvements. He did seem to make an adjustment to be a bit more passive at the plate. This allowed him to drop his chase rate and work deeper counts. However, pitchers responded by simply throwing more pitches in the zone, unafraid of the damage Stott could do. He’s a good bet to be a near league-average hitter who will hit 10 to 15 home runs and steal around 30 bases with a middling batting average in a touch less than a true full-time role.

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 502 AB, 68 R, 14 HR, 64 RBI, 25 SB, 24 2B, 3 3B, .263/.330/.406

14) Matt McLain – Cincinnati Reds

2026 Outlook: Evaluating McLain is a “beauty in the eye of the beholder” situation. He had a phenomenal 89-game sample in 2023 with 16 homers, 14 stolen bases, and an .864 OPS as a 23-year-old. It felt like he was one of the game’s ascending stars before a left labrum tear in spring training the following year forced him to miss the entire 2024 season. He returned last year, but was statistically one of the worst hitters in the league with a .643 OPS over 147 games. Funny enough, his profile as a hitter wasn’t extremely different in these two vastly different stretches production wise. His contact rates and the quality of his swing decisions were nearly identical. His batted ball quality dropped some, just not enough to constitute how much less damage he did. Perhaps another year removed from serious shoulder surgery helps that power come back and makes McLain a diamond in the rough after pick 200.

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2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 525 AB, 77 R, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 17 SB, 24 2B, 2 3B, .248/.328/.415

15) Ceddanne Rafaela – Boston Red Sox

*also outfield and shortstop-eligible

2026 Outlook: Players like Rafaela are so fun to watch. Defensively, he’s one of the game’s best centerfielders and routinely makes catches that seem impossible on contact. Yet, he found himself pushed to second base for 24 games last year because of the Red Sox’s logjam in the outfield. He was formidable there, but significantly less valuable in a real-life sense. Especially because he’s an agent of chaos at the plate. He steps in the box without much of a plan besides wanting to do damage and take war hacks. In doing so, he chased pitches out of the zone at one of the highest rates in the league. That approach led to an extreme feast or famine profile. For example, he put up a .647 OPS over the first two months of the season, then caught fire with an .861 OPS through June and July before faltering to a .622 OPS in August and September. That all led to a poor 91 wRC+ by season’s end and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he’ll ever become a more consistent hitter. Yet, 20 homers and 30 stolen bases are well within reach and that alone could make him a highly valuable second base eligible player.

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2026 projection: (Mixed $6) 527 AB, 75 R, 17 HR, 72 RBI, 21 SB, 30 2B, 4 3B, .260/.312/.429

16) Marcus Semien – New York Mets

2026 Outlook: Is a career revival possible for Semien? After a five-year run as one of the game’s best second basemen, age began to catch up with him in 2024 as his .699 OPS was a ten-year low (2020 notwithstanding). Then, he was even worse last season and it’s fair to ask whether or not he could ever be a plus hitter again. That being said, an abysmal first 56 games with a .173 batting average and shockingly low .485 OPS destroyed his full-season line past the point of no return. In his final 71 games, Semien slashed .270/.338/.464 with 14 home runs before a foul ball fractured his foot and ended his season in late-August. That looked more like the Semien of old and maybe a trade from the Rangers to the Mets could help him get back on track.

2026 projection: (Mixed $1) 533 AB, 75 R, 20 HR, 66 RBI, 11 SB, 22 2B, 2 3B, .236/.311/.398

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17) Brendan Donovan – Seattle Mariners

*also outfield-eligible

2026 Outlook: The Mariners swung a trade for Donovan late in the offseason that will likely increase his fantasy value. Without much power or speed, Donovan’s greatest assets as a player are his great hit tool and on-base ability. With the Mariners, there’s a decent chance he hits lead-off ahead of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, and Randy Arozarena which would help him score more runs than he ever has. It’s also possible he hits behind that quartet in the meat of the order, which could drive up his RBI total. Again, it’s still not a sexy profile without many homers or stolen bases to speak of, but he’ll be productive elsewhere.

2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 553 AB, 82 R, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 4 SB, 31 2B, 1 3B, .284/.355/.420

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18) Luis García Jr. – Washington Nationals

2026 Outlook: A popular breakout pick last year after a strong 2024, García flopped hard. He couldn’t keep his on-base percentage above .300 and played more like a replacement-level player than a starting caliber one. That’s called his role into question a bit as the Nationals front office underwent a regime change and there are rumblings he will get time at first base this coming season because of his inconsistent and mostly poor defense at second. Extra versatility and eligibility help his profile because it’s hard to project how productive he’ll be with a career .709 OPS. Yet, he still makes tons of contact, has slightly above average power, and is a willing base stealer. So, a 20-20 season is in play. He may lose his green light though with a shifting organizational philosophy and a poor track record of efficiency on the base paths.

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 494 AB, 62 R, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 11 SB, 27 2B, 1 3B, .281/.319/.449

19) Tommy Edman – Los Angeles Dodgers

*also outfield-eligible

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2026 Outlook: Edman has continued to trend in the wrong direction over the last year. A legendary run during the 2024 postseason gave way to a dreadful 2025 campaign that was overshadowed by a nagging ankle injury. The Dodgers didn’t acquire anyone to challenge him for playing time at second base heading into the season, but that same ankle injury hasn’t gone away and there are murmurs that he will miss Opening Day as we enter camp. Hyeseong Kim and Miguel Rojas will both get a chance to siphon off reps at second given the uncertainty surrounding Edman. Those two aren’t much competition for a healthy Edman though.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 522 AB, 75 R, 20 HR, 74 RBI, 20 SB, 23 2B, 2 3B, .247/.303/.414

20) Brett Baty – New York Mets

*also third base-eligible

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2026 Outlook: Baty entered last season as a bit of an afterthought for fantasy managers after the emergence of Mark Vientos in 2024, but the former top prospect ended up being the more productive player while showing maturity and growth defensively. The 26-year-old put himself back in the fantasy conversation with a strong month of May, but he really took off in the second half, slashing .291/.353/.477 with nine homers over 55 games while seeing time between second and third base. His improved selectivity at the plate showed up in a major jump in barrel percentage. Baty always flashed good power in the minors, so it’s very possible things are beginning to click for him. He’ll enter spring training as a bit of a question mark after the addition of Bo Bichette at third base, but there’s still plenty of opportunity for at-bats between first base, the DH spot, and left field. If the playing time is indeed there, he’ll be mixed league relevant as a multi-positional eligible player.

2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 474 AB, 67 R, 21 HR, 69 RBI, 6 SB, 25 2B, 1 3B, .262/.328/.451