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MLB 2017: Top ten second basemen

By Joshua Sadlock

Jul 5, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) on deck agains the Seattle Mariners in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. Astros won 5 to 2. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 5, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) on deck agains the Seattle Mariners in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. Astros won 5 to 2. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 10, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier (2) hits a single during the twelfth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Minnesota Twins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier (2) hits a single during the twelfth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Minnesota Twins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins

For now, Brian Dozier is staying with the Minnesota Twins, and that may or may not work out for them. For months, Dozier was on the verge of being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the sides could not work out an agreement. In the end, the Dodgers walked away and made a trade for Logan Forsythe, and the Twins are left holding onto Dozier with the hope that his 2016 season was not a fluke.

Down the stretch last year, Dozier was seemingly homering every day. He hit 23 of his 42 home runs in August and September, one every 10.4 at-bats. Dozier finished the second half with 28 home runs and a .291/.344/.646 line. That explosion came on the heels of a first half where he batted .244/.335/.450, numbers that align almost exactly with his career averages.

It is up to Dozier to prove that his second half was not the product of pitchers feeling free to attack him with fastballs while the rest of the Twins lineup floundered. Only 12 of his homers came with men on base, after all. Dozier chalked his home runs up to feeling more comfortable with changes to his swing, and the results do go against the second-half swoon he encountered in 2015. If Dozier comes out raking, the Twins will be able to fetch a major prospect haul for him at the deadline. If not, he still has a very movable contract, but the return will be lesser than it would have been this winter.

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