Fantasy Baseball 2016 Second Basemen Rankings 15-11

After spending nine seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Howie Kendrick was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. After dealing with a strained hamstring, he played in just 117 games, lowest since 2009. He hit nine home runs, 54 RBI and .295/.336/.409. He was the 12th-best second baseman at the end of the season.

Despite striking out just 82 times, Kendrick’s strikeout rate (strikeouts divided by plate appearances) rose 0.3 percent. His walk rate dropped 1.6 percent. He hit more line drives than fly balls last season, but his HR/FB rate went up almost eight percent. He is a free-swinging hitter, swinging at 34.1 of pitches out of the strike zone and made just contact 65.7 percent of the time. He had a 81.4 contact rate, T-78 among hitters with at least 450 plate appearances.

With the struggles Chase Utley had last season, this is Kendrick’s job to lose. He will begin the season as the Dodgers second baseman. He could reach double-digit home runs with 50 RBI and a .290 average. The power isn’t there, but he will help your team average and OBP.

Next: No. 14: Logan Forsythe

Logan Forsythe is one of the more versatile players in fantasy baseball. He spent time playing second base as well as first and third base last season. He just missed first base eligibility for this season by one game (20-game minimum in ESPN leagues). He will still likely play at both corner spots throughout the season and earn eligibility there (10 games for same season).

He improved greatly after his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays. Forsythe finished as the ninth-best second baseman on the Player Rater in a career year. He played in 153 games and hit 17 home runs, 68 RBI and .281 with nine steals. He also had 33 doubles and two triples. He had a .50 BB/K ratio with a 39.6 ground ball and 40.6 fly ball rate.

If Forsythe can gain eligibility at either first or third base this season, his fantasy value will rise even more. Until then, he is just a top-14 second basemen. I don’t think he’ll reach the same numbers he did in 2015, but will still be productive. I predict a 14 HR/60 RBI/.260 season from Forsythe.

Next: No. 13: Anthony Rendon

Anthony Rendon will be the Nationals starting third baseman, but he has second base eligibility after playing 58 games there last season. Last season was a big disappointment for Rendon owners. He played in just 80 games after dealing with knee and oblique injuries. Rendon joined the team on June 4. He hit five home runs, 25 RBI and .264.

It’s hard to rate Rendon’s 2015 season because of the time missed compared to the other second basemen, but I’ll do my best. He had a 10.1 walk rate and 19.7 strikeout rate. He had a 45.3 ground ball and 33.3 fly ball rates. He had a .344 on-base percentage, mostly because of his plate discipline. He rarely swung at pitches outside of the strike zone, 17.5 O-swing percentage. If he can remain patient and wait for his pitch, he’ll be more effective at the plate and make great contact with the ball.

The Nationals signed their starting second baseman in the offseason, and he’s on this list, but Rendon can be slotted at this position. In a full season, he should hit 15 home runs, 63 RBI and .280. However, there are better second basemen to choose from before reaching for Rendon.

Next: No. 12: Ben Zobrist

Ben Zobrist spent nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and then split time with the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals last season. He signed a four-year deal with the Chicago Cubs and will be a big part of the rise of the Cubs. In 2015, he hit 13 home runs, 56 RBI and .276. He finished as the No. 14 second baseman on the Player Rater.

Zobrist is a great hitter. He’s improved his on-base percentage, walk rate and strikeout rate over the last three seasons. He had a 10.3 walk and 13.0 strikeout rates with .354 OBP in 2013. Last season, he a had a 11.6 walk and 10.5 strikeout rates with a .359 OBP. He also limits the percentage of swings to pitches out of the strike zone, 22.9 O-swing rate. When he does swing at those pitches, he makes contact 80.9 percent of the time.

The move of Starlin Castro to the New York Yankees opened up second base. Addison Russell is slotted as the shortstop and the Cubs went out and signed the skillful Zobrist. He’ll put up big numbers now that he’s on a team with a great lineup.

Next: No. 11: Daniel Murphy

Daniel Murphy‘s great postseason led to a big payday this offseason. He had a good regular season, 14 home runs, 73 RBI and a.281 average. He finished 13th on the Player Rater among second basemen. His postseason performance opened the eyes of a lot of people. He hit seven home runs between the NLDS and NLCS. The Nationals let some people go and signed Murphy to a three-year deal.

In 130 games last season, Murphy only struck out 38 times, 7.1 percent. He didn’t walk a lot, 5.8 percent, so most of his .322 came from his hits. The majority of Murphy’s hits were either ground balls (42.8 percent) or fly balls (36.0 percent). His 8.3 HR/FB rate was the highest of his career. He also improved his hard hit rate from 28.7 to 30.8 percent.

The reason I like Murphy more than the others in this list is because he stayed within the division. He knows the pitching of the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. And he spent eight years with the New York Mets organization. That kind of visibility to the same pitchers will help his fantasy value in 2016.

Next: Wrap Up

So, as you can see, the second base pool isn’t that deep. There are some good names, but no one you can trust as your only second baseman. These players listed here are better options as a middle infielder or second baseman in deeper leagues.

The one player I am keeping my eyes on is Daniel Murphy. He was good last season, but not a top-10 guy. I want to see how he adjusts in the Nationals lineup. He won’t drop off as much if he left the division. He’s familiar with all the pitching and the ballparks and now is the time to make that next step in the rankings.

Another player to keep tabs on throughout Spring Training and early in the season is Ben Zobrist. He is now in the National League Central on a team with good hitters and a high ceiling. He’s a good piece to hit towards the back of the lineup.

Did I forget someone? Who did I rank too high? Too low? Let me know in the comments.

Next: White Sox Sign Jimmy Rollins

Next up is my top-10 second basemen. You should already know who the top three are.