Early 2023 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings: Top 20 reveals few standouts, led by Jose Altuve

If you're going to play the position scarcity game in 2023 -- and seeing as we're back to a more typical home run distribution after the craziness that was the juice ball era, I think it makes sense -- then second base is one position you'll want to target early.

Not as early as Round 1, mind you. Trea Turner and Mookie Betts won't be retaining their eligibility at the position, and no other second baseman is worth drafting quite that high. You could make a case for the top two, Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien, as early as Round 2, precisely because the position is so scarce, but I'm not sure the consensus will see it that way. More likely, you'll have between Rounds 3 and 6 to nab one of the top six at the position before it quickly descends into uncertainty and mediocrity.

Early rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

That uncertainty and mediocrity continue for quite some time, so there comes a point where it no longer makes sense to reach, at least not in standard-size leagues. You could argue that takes some of the pressure off, but in this new environment, I think it pays not to get left out at any position.

Note that the focus here is standard 5x5 scoring (such as Rotisserie leagues), but scroll a little further and you'll see my rankings for points leagues.

Top 20 second basemen for 2023

1	Jose Altuve Houston Astros 2B
Take out Trea Turner, take out Mookie Betts, and the gap between Altuve and the No. 2 second baseman is bigger than at any position other than outfield (Aaron Judge, as measured by Head-to-Head points per game). His final two months were especially productive, seeing him bat over .330, and it looks like he's back to being a viable base-stealer as well.
2	Marcus Semien Texas Rangers 2B
Semien's modest exit velocities certainly didn't measure up in a humidor-hampered April, when he hit only .157, but as the weather heated up, so did his bat, resulting in him being one of just four 25/25 guys in 2022. Slow starts may become the norm for him, but second basemen with his sort of upside are vanishingly few.
3	Ozzie Albies Atlanta Braves 2B
Albies' .247 batting average and .703 OPS were his lowest ever, but he spent much of the year on the IL and didn't get a chance to rebound from the coldest stretch of the season (temperature-wise) when so many around the league were struggling. With his foot and finger healed, there's a good chance the 25-year-old gets back to being the power/speed threat we've known him to be.
4	Jazz Chisholm Miami Marlins 2B
Durability has to be a major concern for Chisholm at this point, but the production is becoming harder to deny. He found another gear as a power hitter by putting the ball in the air more, and the strikeout rate is at least trending the right direction even if it continues to hold back his batting average. He's a near lock for a 25/25 season if he stays healthy.
5	Trevor Story Boston Red Sox 2B
A spiking strikeout rate prevented Story from making the most of Fenway Park, where -- let's face it -- he was never going to see as much BABIP benefit as at Coors Field. Injuries may have hampered his production as well, but we're to the point where you have to factor in some batting average risk along with the power and speed.
6	Tommy Edman St. Louis Cardinals 2B
Edman's best quality is that he runs a lot, and that's the been the most important quality for any hitter in Rotisserie leagues the past few years. His downsides are pretty clear, too, particularly after back-to-back years of almost identical numbers. Let's call him an impactful but limited player.
7	Andres Gimenez Cleveland Guardians 2B
Gimenez has developed into an even better real-life player, but he's pretty good in the Fantasy game, too, having come close to 20/20 production in his age-23 season. There's reason to believe the batting average and home runs could both regress next year, but he's so young that continued growth is also a reasonable expectation.
8	Max Muncy Los Angeles Dodgers 3B
Muncy went the rest-and-rehabilitation route with his mangled elbow last offseason, and what followed was four months of weak contact and easy outs. But he looked more like himself over the final two months, in terms of both production and quality of contact. Position scarcity compels me to see the glass half full.
9	Ketel Marte Arizona Diamondbacks 2B
Marte is in the running for most frustrating player in Fantasy, regularly delivering premium exit velocities -- and with the sort of launch angles that should allow them to play up -- but failing to deliver the expected power. Still, the upside is obvious, and we're already to the point in the second base rankings where it doesn't pay to fixate on a player's downside.
10	Jorge Polanco Minnesota Twins 2B
Even more than with Marte, the underlying data suggests Polanco shouldn't have fallen off as much as he did in 2022, and I suspect that if he hadn't lost about a third of the season to injury, the production would have matched up better. A return to the 25-homer range seems likely, and I suspect he'll run more, too.
11	Brandon Lowe Tampa Bay Rays 2B
Lowe's 39 home runs in 2021 were among the most ever by a second baseman, and his entire career up to that point gave no reason to doubt his power credentials. Maybe, then, we can chalk up his disappointing 2022 to a back issue that first popped up in May and ultimately wasn't resolved by season's end, but more concerning was how sporadically the Rays played him even when he was available.
12	Brandon Drury San Diego Padres 1B
One of 2022's biggest surprises, Drury will retain his versatility heading into next year, qualifying at first and third base as well as second. But the truth is the 30-year-old didn't hit particularly well outside of Great American Ball Park, so unless he re-signs with the Reds following his stint with the Padres, it's hard to say what he'll give you.
13	Gleyber Torres New York Yankees 2B
An offensive resurgence accompanied Torres' return to second base, lending credence to the idea that he's just more comfortable there. It was still a far cry from the 38 homers he hit in 2019, when the juiced ball was at its juiciest, but at least you can trust him to make a positive contribution again even if he's not a true standout.
14	Jon Berti Miami Marlins 2B
This may turn out to be a terrible ranking for Berti, who was the majors' only 40-steal guy in 2022 and accomplished it despite sporadic playing time. Stolen bases have been the most coveted stat in Rotisserie league in recent years, but seeing as he'll be 33 next year and brings little else to the table, who's to say he'll even stick in the lineup?
15	Jake Cronenworth San Diego Padres 2B
Judging from the elevated fly-ball rate, Cronenworth may have sold out a little too hard for power in 2022, trying to live up to his 21 homers the year before, and compromised his batting average as a result. It'll probably be a tradeoff between the two with the ball no longer carrying like it used to, and I expect Cronenworth will find his sweet spot.
16	DJ LeMahieu New York Yankees 3B
There was a stretch in the middle of the season when LeMahieu looked to be recapturing his 2019-20 form, but in the end, his 2022 looked a lot like his 2021, leaving little reason to believe he'll reverse the trend at age 34. His stock is bolstered just from batting high in the Yankees lineup, but notably, they'll be looking to break in some young infielders next year.
17	Jean Segura Philadelphia Phillies 2B
Segura isn't getting any younger, turning 33 in the spring, and he may not land in as favorable a spot when he hits the open market this offseason. But provided he still has a starting role and is healthy enough to take the field every day, you have to figure he'll deliver his usual 10-15 homers and 15-20 steals along with a respectable batting average.
18	Brendan Rodgers Colorado Rockies 2B
It's tempting to treat Rodgers' underwhelming 2022 like the last straw and conclude that he'll never get the most out of his stellar pedigree or venue. But he hit the ball harder and more often this season, rating well above-average in both, so mostly it's a matter of him learning to lift the ball more. That seems doable for a 26-year-old.
19	Jonathan India Cincinnati Reds 2B
The 2021 NL Rookie of the Year winner could never get anything going during his sophomore season, not only failing to measure up in home runs and stolen bases but also slipping in the on-base department. He spent so much of the first half battling the same hamstring injury, though, that he deserves at least a partial pass.
20	Jeff McNeil New York Mets 2B
It's tough call between McNeil and Luis Arraez for batting average specialist du jour, but between the two left-handed hitters, McNeil is slightly less of a platoon risk and also plays in a better lineup. His secondary eligibility (outfield) is also more valuable than Arraez's (first base).