Growing up, one of the classic baseball adages we all learned was that second basemen were all just wishing they had the arm to play shortstop. In 2024, though, that doesn't appear to be such a surefire bet as we look at the rankings for the top MLB second basemen.
There are second basemen who can hit, run and field with the best at any position across the entire MLB. It also seems more and more apparent that championship teams tend to be anchored by a stud second baseman at the top of the lineup (case in point: each of the last three World Series winners).
So given the importance of the position across MLB right now, the accuracy of these rankings feels particularly critical. Unfortunately, the mixture of youth and experience makes being accurate feel nearly impossible. But what the heck, let's give it a whirl and look at the 2024 MLB positional rankings for second basemen.
Just Missed: Gleyber Torres, Zack Gelof, Nico Hoerner
These three couldn't be more different as ballplayers, but they're all excellent. If you're a Yankees, A's or Cubs fan, you love tuning in on a nightly basis to watch these three do their thing. Ultimately, Zack Gelof didn't have the sample size, while Gleyber Torres and Nico Hoerner are lacking in at least one of the major tools. But no one would blink if one of these three had made this year's ranking of MLB's top second basemen — or if they found themselves on next year's, too.
10. Edouard Julien, Twins
Edouard Julien might end up the best Canadian ballplayer since Joey Votto if he keeps up the production he displayed in his first 109 big-league games. A .381 on-base percentage as a 24-year-old rookie is as legit as it gets. The Twins were so confident Julien could be a fixture at second base that they showed no hesitation in dealing Jorge Polanco for prospect depth and bullpen help. Now he just has to prove he can stay on the field and deliver for a full 162.
9. Bryson Stott, Phillies
Bryson Stott’s grand slam with nothing but ballpark noise
Chills pic.twitter.com/GkroNIJr4q
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 5, 2023
If not for a bad September, Bryson Stott might have found himself a few spots higher on this 2024 rankings list of MLB second basemen. He was the engine that made the Phillies' offense keep ticking despite struggles from almost every marquee name in the team's lineup last season and played excellent defense all the while. The ballpark audio-only version of his Wild Card Series grand slam stands as one of the best social media clips in baseball history, too.
8. Matt McLain, Reds
Whatever the ceiling is for McLain's offensive prowess, we likely haven't come close to seeing it yet. He lit the Pac-12 on fire in 2020 and '21, set the minor leagues ablaze in '22 and early '23, then basically carried the Reds' offense from May to August before his injury. Best of all, he's the perfect undersized, soft-spoken counterpart to Elly De La Cruz, who will lead all the Cincinnati hype montages for years to come. Don't be surprised if McLain's OPS ends up starting with a nine this season.
7. Andrés Giménez, Guardians
It was obvious Andrés Giménez was bound for some offensive regression heading into last season, but the magnitude of his drop-off, especially early in the season, was enough to shake the confidence of even his most ardent backers. However, he laid a good foundation for a bounce-back year with an .859 September OPS. And even if he's only an average hitter for the rest of his career, he could still justify his contract value purely through his Platinum Glove defense.
6. Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
WALK US OFF KETEL!!! pic.twitter.com/kEwDXVGXpO
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 19, 2023
Ketel Marte was so, so good in the postseason that we wouldn't blame Diamondbacks fans who are miffed by his exclusion from the top five. He had his best season since 2019 a year ago, while fully settling in as a respectable glove at second base. For as long as it feels like he has been around, Marte only turned 30 in October, so expect him to be a fixture of this resurgent era of Arizona baseball for the foreseeable future.
5. Ozzie Albies, Braves
Switch-hitter? Check. 33 homers last year? Check. 20 career WAR before his 27th birthday? Check again. Ozzie Albies is so awesome for so many reasons and, once again, if you're a Braves fan, you're happy to go to war in the internet streets for the diminutive Curacaoan. He's the type of player you write on the lineup card and worry about anything and everything else.
4. Xander Bogaerts, Padres
Much has been made of Xander Bogaerts' struggles in the dog days of his first of 11 years on the Padres' payroll, but the end output was … pretty Xander Bogaerts-ish? It wouldn't be the slightest bit shocking to see his offense and defense both tick upward with his impending move to second base, either. He has said he wants to win a third ring at a third infield position, and even if you don't think the Pads can get that done, being able to say that is more than enough of a flex to earn the respect of these rankings.
3. Luis Arraez, Marlins
No one is more unfairly impacted by the analytics revolution in baseball discourse than Luis Arraez, who would have been treated as a very serious MVP candidate if last year were 1999. That actually makes his value to the Marlins greater than a metric like OPS or WAR can quantify — peppering opposing pitchers to the tune of 1.38 hits per game wears out a staff and gives the Marlins a psychological advantage at the top of their order. If he could even play just medium-bad defense at second base, he'd have an excellent case for No.1 in these rankings.
2. Marcus Semien, Rangers
Marcus Semien completed a crazy trilogy last season: he now has three career third-place MVP finishes. If he breaks through and actually wins the trophy for once, it's hard to imagine much surprise across the industry. You can set your watch to Semien — he's going to lead off, play a great second base and do it in all 162 games you want him for. That 45 in the homer column from his 2021 season still shocks you when you read his Baseball Reference page, too.
1. Jose Altuve, Astros
Jose Altuve has quietly played at his 2017 MVP level each of the past two season. He has posted a 157 OPS+ in 231 games since the start of 2022. He has more postseason experience than the rest of these guys can ever dream to have. And as the only MVP winner on this rankings list of the MLB's top second basemen, the No. 1 spot is Altuve's to have until he definitively proves he's on the decline. The injury gauntlet last year was a scary sight for a 5'6″ 34-year-old, though, so here's to hoping for a much healthier 2024.
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