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Eric Cross' top 10 second base prospects rankings for 2023 fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. Make sure to target these top 2B MLB prospects in dynasty leagues.
After breaking down my top 10 MLB catcher prospects and first base prospects for fantasy baseball dynasty leagues, we shift over to the keystone today with my top 10 second base dynasty prospects.
The second base position has seen an uptick in talent over the last half-decade with the likes of Ozzie Albies, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Andres Gimenez, Vaughn Grissom, and others debuting. The uptick isn't going to end with those names either as we have several more talented names set to join them in the very near future.
Out of the 10 names below, we could see as many as eight of them debut during the 2023 season along with several others that might wind up at this position eventually as well. And while there aren't any stud names here, there are plenty of intriguing names to target in dynasty leagues. Most of which can be acquired for a reasonable cost via trade or startup draft.
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Second Base Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball
10. Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
We begin our top 10 second base prospect rankings with a player that is a sneaky value target in both redraft and dynasty leagues right now. After back-to-back lackluster seasons in 2019 and 2021, Turang righted the ship in 2022 to the tune of a .286/.360/.412 slash line in 603 plate appearances with 24 doubles, 13 home runs, and 34 steals in 36 attempts.
At the plate, Turang won't provide more than 10-12 home runs annually, but he's consistently proven to be a high-OBP asset with a career .363 OBP and 12.9% walk rate in the minors. There's also plus speed in Turang's profile and he's stolen bases with incredible efficiency in the minors, converting on 94.4% of his 36 attempts last season and 84.5% of his 116 attempts as a professional.
Long-term, the upside is a .270/10/20+ player that exceeds a .350 OBP annually. Turang is also currently in the running for Milwaukee's starting second base gig this spring.
9. Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates
For me, Nick Gonzales is a hard one to rank right now. After being selected seventh overall back in the shortened 2020 MLB draft, Gonzales has been limited to only 154 games over the last two minor league seasons due to injury.
However, it's hard to argue with a .285/.384/.506 slash line, 44 doubles, 25 home runs, and 13 steals in those 154 games. But with that said, Gonzales' power dropped off considerably in 2022, with his SLG dropping 130 points and ISO 96 points. Some of that could be attributed to injuries, though.
When looking at Gonzales' profile, he's a bat-first prospect that will really need to continue hitting to stick as a Major League regular. The upside is there for that to happen with Gonzales potentially winding up as a 55-hit, 55-power, 50-speed prospect, but we've also seen him struggle with a higher velocity at times, too.
8. Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds
While he was drafted as a shortstop, Matt McLain has played some second base too and it's more likely that he winds up there or in the outfield given all the other options Cincinnati has for the shortstop position. In 2022, it was an up-and-down season for McLain.
He was able to rack up 21 doubles, 17 home runs, 27 steals, and a 15.5% walk rate in only 103 games, but also struck out 28.1% of the time and hit just .232. This was followed up by a .190 AVG and a 32% strikeout rate in 97 Arizona Fall League plate appearances. However, he also added two home runs, six steals, and a 14.4% walk rate.
The lower AVG and higher strikeout rate pushed McLain down my rankings throughout the season and into the offseason. However, I feel I dropped him a bit too far, and McLain's SwStr rate was only 11.1%. McLain possesses around average raw power and above-average or better speed that could have him flirting with 15/20 seasons in Great American Ball Park.
He's also consistently proven to be a high OBP asset capable of an OBP north of .350. However, he's too passive at times and it gets him into too many two-strike counts. Overall, he's a solid buy in dynasty right now.
7. Carlos Jorge, Cincinnati Reds
We go from one Cincinnati Reds prospect to another one a few years younger. Still only 19 years old, Carlos Jorge is coming off two impressive seasons in rookie ball and should rise to full-season Single-A this season.
In each of the last two seasons, Jorge has posted an OBP above .400, an SLG above .500, and an ISO above .230 while racking up 54 steals in 89 games. Many scouts and evaluators have slapped an above-average or plus grade on his hit tool, and I agree with that.
Jorge has quick bat speed and can drive the ball to all fields while drawing walks at a high clip and keeping his strikeout rate in check. He's also shown sneaky raw power from his 5'9 frame and I believe there's more to be unlocked there if he continues growing.
This is the type of offensive profile that could really stand out at second base if everything clicks, and Jorge can still be acquired for a very reasonable price tag in dynasty leagues. Don't sleep on him.
6. Michael Busch, Los Angeles Dodgers
We go from the second youngest player on this list in Jorge to the oldest in Michael Busch. In general, some level of prospect fatigue has set in with Busch. He's already 25 years old and has accumulated a whopping 249 games in the upper minors over the last two seasons.
It's not like he's struggled either. Busch slashed .267/.386/.484 with 20 home runs in 207 games in 2021 and followed that up with another 32 home runs in 142 games last season to go along with 37 doubles and a .274/.365/.516 slash line.
This is what Busch is and he really has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues. Busch projects to be a .250-.265 hitter in the Majors with a strong OBP and the ability to reach or exceed 25 home runs annually. Over his minor league career, Busch has played mostly second base with a bit of first base and outfield thrown in as well.
Hopefully, he's able to finally break into the Dodgers' starting lineup at one of those spots this season because it's time to see what Busch can do at the Major League level. If the price on Busch has come down at all in your dynasty league(s) due to prospect fatigue, I'd be fine with trying to acquire him right now.
5. Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles
Honestly, I have no idea where Jordan Westburg is going to wind up on the diamond as Baltimore has plenty of exciting and talented infield prospects right now. Throughout his minor league career, Westburg has played plenty of second base, third base, and shortstop, and has the offensive skills to make an impact at any of the three positions.
Honestly, Westburg might be one of the most underrated top 100 prospects around right now. All he's done over the last two seasons is perform well across the board offensively.
2021 (A/A+/AA): 506 PA, .285/.389/.479, 27 2B, 15 HR, 17 SB (5 CS), 12.1% BB, 25.1% K, .194 ISO
2022 (AA/AAA): 622 PA, .265/.355/.496, 39 2B, 27 HR, 12 SB (3 CS), 11.3% BB, 23.6% K, .231 ISO
Despite the strong production above, Westburg still feels a bit undervalued. That's mostly due to all the big names in this Baltimore farm system along with the fact that Westburg doesn't possess any standout offensive tools.
He doesn't have huge raw power or big speed upside, but Westburg does project as a player that will be average to above-average across the board offensively and will likely have some sort of multi-positional eligibility.
4. Luisangel Acuna, Texas Rangers
While Acuña has played a bit more shortstop than second base, I'm a believer that his below-average arm strength will push him to second base long-term. But regardless of which position he winds up at, Acuña has the skills to stand out offensively, especially at the keystone.
Acuña is deceptively strong for his smaller size and hit several tanks during batting practice for the AFL Fall Stars game back in November (video above). Given his combination of bat speed, strength, and natural loft, seeing Acuña reach or exceed 20 home runs in a season is certainly in play.
On top of that, Acuña is a plus runner that has exceeded 40 steals in each of the last two minor league seasons. I'm not expecting him to be much more than a .260 hitter with an OBP of around .340 or so, but when that comes with a 20/25 upside, you'll take that all day.
3. Edouard Julien, Minnesota Twins
Edouard Julien is a very interesting prospect. The 23-year-old Canadian was merely an 18th-round selection by the Twins in the 2019 draft, but back-to-back strong performances in the minors have vaulted Julien up inside the top 50 of nearly every fantasy-focused prospect rankings list.
Over the last two seasons, 10 prospects aged 24 or under have posted an OBP above .380 and an ISO above .190 while having more than 200 plate appearances each season. If you raise the OBP threshold to .400, that list shrinks to just Julien.
The level of patience that Julien displays at the plate is both positive and negative. Obviously, you want to see a player show patience and not be too aggressive. But at the same time, when a player becomes too patient, it can limit their overall impact and upside.
That's the line Julien is flirting with right now. Overall, Julien could be an OBP monster with 20/10 seasons in his future while scoring plenty of runs. But I'd really like to see him become a tad more aggressive at the plate and hunt out pitches to drive. He also needs to improve against left-handed pitchers after his uninspiring .210 AVG, .276 SLG, and .066 ISO against them in 2022.
2. Termarr Johnson, Pittsburgh Pirates
Without question, Termarr Johnson was one of the best pure hitters in the 2022 draft class, regardless of age. Although he's a bit undersized at a listed 5'8/175, Johnson really packs a punch at the plate, displaying exceptional contact skills and a great feel for the barrel.
Johnson projects as a plus or better hitter capable of flirting with or exceeding that magical .300 AVG threshold and should hit in the top third of Pittsburgh's lineup long-term. He's also displayed above-average to plus raw power, with projection to add more, and should be at least an average base runner as well.
I'm obviously not saying he's going to become another Wander Franco, but there are some similarities in the profile, led by an elite hit tool. It's not unrealistic to project Johnson as a top-15 dynasty prospect by the end of the 2023 season.
1. Connor Norby, Baltimore Orioles
Admittedly, I'm probably one of the most passionate analysts around when it comes to Connor Norby, but there's a reason why I have him first in this position. After a breakout final collegiate season at East Carolina University, the Baltimore Orioles selected Norby 41st overall in the 2021 draft.
After the draft, Norby immediately made his presence felt in Lo-A, hitting .283 with a .413 OBP in 26 games. That was just the beginning as Norby fully broke out in 2022, slashing .279/.360/.526 with 29 home runs and 16 steals in 122 games between Hi-A, Double-A, and seven games at Triple-A to end the season.
Norby is an above-average to plus hitter that should be able to post a solid AVG and OBP while exceeding 20 home runs annually thanks to his above-average or better power. On the bases, Norby is probably only an average runner, but that should be enough to allow him to add double-digit steals annually given his OBP abilities.
This isn't a profile that will wow you, but the sum of the parts makes Norby incredibly exciting for fantasy purposes, especially in an up-and-coming Baltimore lineup that could be really dangerous in the next year or two.
For those wondering, Curtis Mead would rank first here if I included him, but I'll discuss him in my upcoming third base prospect rankings article.
If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.
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