Early 2027 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at second base underscores import of Fernando Tatis' eligibility
| 1 |  Fernando Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres RF |
| Tatis tried closing up his stance and taking aim for the opposite field in an attempt to improve his batting average, and it backfired so badly that he didn't hit his first home run until May 30. Fortunately, the rebound after reverting to his old stance was equally outrageous, such that he averaged 4.03 Head-to-Head points per game from May 30 on. Now that he's eligible at a position forever starved for early-round production, he'll be valued more highly than he has in years. | |
| 2 |  Brice Turang Milwaukee Brewers 2B |
| The exit velocity gains from 2025 mostly held for Turang, and if you excise a horrendous August in which he was playing through knee tendinitis, his numbers are that much more impressive. He may not be quite the stolen base standout he once was, but with five-category ability now demonstrated twice over, he's one of the few second basemen worth targeting in the early rounds. | |
| 3 |  Jazz Chisholm Jr. New York Yankees 2B |
| You may not believe it given the steep decline in home runs, but Chisholm hit the ball harder on average in 2026 than in 2025, which offers hope for a bounce-back in his upcoming age-29 season. Of course, finding out where he ultimately signs will better contextualize that hope, but the possibility of a 25-homer, 40-steal campaign is too enticing to pass up at this position. | |
| 4 |  Ketel Marte Arizona Diamondbacks 2B |
| Marte was trending toward his usual stud outcome before his knee began giving him trouble in July, and his attempts to play through it finally came to a head in mid-August, when he simply stayed home for a series against the Red Sox and ultimately wound up going on the IL. His contact quality and plate discipline remain as good as ever, but he's 33 and facing renewed character concerns on account of going AWOL. | |
| 5 |  Brandon Lowe Pittsburgh Pirates 2B |
| Staying healthy and getting the full benefit of the doubt against lefties unlocked Lowe's full potential in 2026, giving him by far the most home runs at the position, at least among those still eligible. Of course, we have to see if he's going to get the same benefit of the doubt with his new team, whichever it is, but suffice it to say that this perpetually undervalued player will be undervalued no longer. | |
| 6 |  Luke Keaschall Minnesota Twins 2B |
| Keaschall didn't entirely live up to the breakout hype in 2026, but I'd argue he halfway did, slashing .324/.422/.508 over the final three months. Eight of his 10 home runs came during that stretch, buoyed by a pull-air rate more in line with what he showed in the minors, which helps complete a picture that already depicted a natural inclination for batting average and stolen bases. | |
| 7 |  JJ Wetherholt St. Louis Cardinals 2B |
| Wetherholt had a huge first month in the majors and continued to perform respectably right up until the All-Star break, when his attempts to play through a bum wrist tanked his numbers and landed him on the IL for most of September. Whether that excuse will fly for most drafters next year remains to be seen, but he flashed enough power and speed to sustain a must-start trajectory, I think, particularly with how good his approach is. | |
| 8 |  Nico Hoerner Chicago Cubs 2B |
| The trouble with a non-power hitter who's drafted early is that he leaves no margin for error when everything else isn't at its utmost, and that's what sank Hoerner in 2026, when he hit .263. You can take some solace in the fact that his xBA was actually higher than in 2025, when he hit .297, and lo, he batted .307 after the All-Star break. | |
| 9 |  Travis Bazzana Cleveland Guardians 2B |
| Looking at all the blue on Bazzana's Baseball Savant page, you wouldn't think he had a successful season, and yet the 15 homers and 19 steals in 124 games paint a much rosier picture. Of course, second base isn't known for producing Statcast darlings, and Bazzana at least earns plusses for plate discipline and pull-air rate. He also finished the year on his highest note, so drafting him with the expectation of more isn't unreasonable. | |
| 10 |  Ozzie Albies Atlanta Braves 2B |
| Albies seemed like he was on a redemption arc with a big April, but he began to lose steam in the months that followed before falling flat on his face with a .178 (33 for 185) batting average in August and September. His final OPS (.685) ended up being about the same as in his 2025 flop (.685), but he's still a good compiler given that he plays basically every game when healthy. | |
| 11 |  Bryson Stott Philadelphia Phillies 2B |
| Stott added about 2 mph in average exit velocity in 2026 and also did a better job of pulling the ball in the air. Neither made much of a difference to his stat line, but it's not hard to envision a 15-homer, 30-steal outcome if those gains hold. What really clinches this spot for him is the added third base eligibility, though the position he'll be manning in 2027 is up in the air because ... | |
| 12 |  Luis Arraez Philadelphia Phillies 2B |
| Arraez hits the free agent market again a year after struggling to find a team, but he should have better offers this time around after Ron Washington turned his greatest liability (defense) into a strength in San Francisco. As a hitter, he's been the same guy wherever he's gone. He's limited but potentially the perfect fit if you need batting average help in the middle-to-late rounds. | |
| 13 |  Sam Antonacci Chicago White Sox LF |
| Antonacci has a swing that's geared for batting average and is a good enough base-stealer to swipe 20-30 bags per year. His upside case is probably along the lines of a Nico Hoerner, but because he bats left-handed, the White Sox were reluctant to play him every day as a rookie. | |
| 14 |  Xavier Edwards Miami Marlins 2B |
| It's a fine line between Edwards and Nico Hoerner and an even finer one between Edwards and Sam Antonacci. The reasons why Edwards ranks last of the three are threefold: He bats in the worst lineup, he has the least pop (limited though all of theirs are), and he seems to be at the greatest risk of falling off, having hit .230 (38 for 165) in the second half this year. | |
| 15 |  Javier Sanoja Miami Marlins 3B |
| Sanoja graduated from being just a utility player to a super utility player over the course of 2026, earning everyday at-bats all over the diamond with his superlative contact skills. He really took off in the final two months, though -- batting .339 with eight homers, five steals and a .931 OPS -- to make him a viable option at any of the three positions (third base and outfield being the others) where he's eligible. | |
| 16 |  Kody Clemens Minnesota Twins 2B |
| It's time to stop dismissing Clemens as a nepo baby and acknowledge that he's probably the Twins' best answer at second base for now, having made a significant power contribution for a second straight year. He doesn't bring much to the table otherwise, likely to hurt more than help in batting average while contributing just a handful of steals, but you won't find many hitters capable of 25-plus home runs at this position. | |
| 17 |  Chase Meidroth Chicago White Sox 2B |
| Meidroth may have achieved his final form in the second half, bringing his strikeout rate back in line after it got away from him early and also doing a much better job of elevating to his pull side. The resulting .286/.364/.473 slash line paints a favorable picture for 2027, provided he can sustain those gains, though I should note that contact quality remains a significant hurdle. | |
| 18 |  Jose Altuve Houston Astros 2B |
| How the mighty have fallen, yes, but I can no longer whistle past the graveyard on Altuve, whose production appears to be in free fall at age 36. You can't count on him for batting average or stolen bases anymore, and what little power he's able to generate is mostly a product of where he's playing his home games. His one saving grace is that his contract should keep him entrenched in what should remain a pretty good lineup. | |
| 19 |  Willi Castro Colorado Rockies 2B |
| Castro's resurgent season seems to be entirely a manifestation of Coors Field, seeing as he hit .309 with an .836 OPS there versus .315 with a .669 OPS everywhere else, but the good news is that he's under contract with the Rockies for another year. He doesn't excel in any one area but should make relevant contributions across the board as long he plays regularly enough while bouncing around the infield. | |
| 20 |  Ezequiel Duran Texas Rangers 3B |
| At least from a Fantasy perspective, Duran has a lot in common with Willi Castro, lacking in any standout offensive trait but managing to cobble together a useful stat line while shifting all around the diamond. He ranks a spot lower because he doesn't get the benefit of playing half his games Coors Field, but he may be the better bet for everyday duty since he brings so much more to the table defensively. | |
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