I Fixed the 2026 Second Base Rankings: No Overrated Jazz Slot, Just the Real Top 10

Second base is the weird little cousin of baseball positions. It's for guys who want to be shortstops but don't have aura.

It’s where you find Gold Glove vacuum cleaners, sneaky leadoff hitters, chaos merchants, and at least one guy every year who makes you say, “Wait, he had that season?” It is not always glamorous, but heading into 2026, it is quietly one of the more interesting spots on the diamond. FanGraphs’ 2026 second-base power rankings put Arizona, the Cubs, the Mets, and the Yankees at the top of the position group leaguewide, while ESPN’s player list starts with Ketel Marte, Nico Hoerner, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. 

Also, let’s clear out two things right away.

Second, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is not second on my list. He is excellent, and he is one of the most explosive players at the position, but if we’re doing a grounded, up-to-date ranking instead of a pure ceiling contest, there are better bets right now. ESPN had him third at the position, and that feels much closer to reality.

So here’s the cleaned-up, factual version.

1. Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks

Projected line: .274 / .359 / .487, 560 PA, 4.2 WAR.

This is the easy one. FanGraphs called him “the best all-around second baseman in baseball” and basically begged readers to “accept no substitutes.” Since 2019, he has been one of the most productive hitters at the position, and the projection systems still love the whole package. ESPN also put him first, noting he posted a 145 OPS+ with 28 homers and 87 runs in 126 games last year.

Marte is the rare second baseman who does not really have a glaring weakness. He’s not flashy in the way Jazz is flashy, but he’s the grown-up answer here. He’s the second-base equivalent of ordering the best thing on the menu instead of trying to be interesting.

2. Nico Hoerner, Cubs

Projected line: .281 / .336 / .387, 651 PA, 3.9 WAR.

If you prefer your second baseman with less sizzle and more “I ruin your afternoon 162 games a year,” Hoerner is your guy. FanGraphs projects him for another high-contact, strong-defense season, and ESPN ranked him second after a year in which he led second basemen in fWAR, won another Gold Glove, scored 89 runs, and stole 29 bases. He also struck out just 7.6% of the time, which in modern baseball is basically witchcraft.

He’s not going to win a Home Run Derby, but he will absolutely annoy every pitcher, every infield coach, and every team that thought “we’ll just challenge him in the zone.”

3. Brice Turang, Brewers

Projected line: .259 / .328 / .387, 630 PA, 2.9 WAR.

This is where the list gets fun. FanGraphs had Milwaukee only eighth in the team power rankings at second because the projection systems are still a little suspicious, but the write-up openly says Turang’s breakout was so good that models may need time to catch up. ESPN put him fourth among individual players after a season with 97 runs, 18 homers, 24 steals, and a 121 OPS+.

That is enough for me to move him ahead of Jazz in a “who do I trust over six months?” ranking. Turang feels like the second baseman who used to win with speed and defense, then one day looked in the mirror and said, “What if I also hit now?”

Rude.

4. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees

Projected line: .238 / .318 / .440, 595 PA, 3.1 WAR.

Now we get to the fireworks. FanGraphs still loves the power-speed package, and ESPN had him third after a 31-homer, 31-steal season. He’s dynamic, loud, marketable, and strong enough that one evaluator told ESPN he could hit 40 homers in a season.

But he is fourth here because of the exact thing both FanGraphs and ESPN pointed out: consistency. The peaks are ridiculous. The valleys can look like a man trying to hit a fly with a canoe paddle. If he strings together the good months, he can absolutely finish this season as the best second baseman in baseball. If not, he’ll still be one of the most entertaining.

Which, to be fair, is not a bad fallback career.

5. Brendan Donovan, Mariners

Projected line: .273 / .348 / .404, 147 PA at 2B in FanGraphs’ positional split; ESPN notes a 119 OPS+, 32 doubles, and 10 homers last year.

This is one of the best under-the-radar baseball players in the sport. The key thing with Donovan is that he gets on base and makes lineups function better. He is not the loudest second baseman in baseball. He is the second baseman your team suddenly misses after he goes 2-for-4 three nights in a row and casually starts six rallies.

He’s baseball’s version of a really good drum fill: not always the first thing you notice, but the song falls apart without it.

6. Gleyber Torres, Tigers

Why he’s here: No. 6 second baseman after a season with 136 hits, a career-high 85 walks, and a reduced strikeout rate.

Torres accepted the qualifying offer in Detroit, which is either a great setup for a big walk year or a sign he misread the room. Either way, the bat still plays. He has his improved walk rate and lower strikeouts, and that blend matters at a position where offensive stability can disappear fast.

He’s not as trendy as some of the younger names, but if you look up in late July and he’s hitting .275 with 15-18 homers and a good on-base percentage, nobody should act surprised.

7. Xavier Edwards, Marlins

Projected line: .281 / .345 / .365, 602 PA, 2.8 WAR.

Edwards is one of the strangest and most delightful players at the position. FanGraphs loves the plate discipline, contact skill, and defensive value, even while openly joking that if he did “like 50 more push-ups a week,” he could become a star. ESPN ranked him seventh after a year in which he piled up 159 hits and posted strong defensive numbers after moving from shortstop to second.

He is basically the anti-slugger. No thunder, all table-setting. If baseball still made old-school baseball cards with speed lines behind the player photo, Edwards would lead the league.

8. Bryson Stott, Phillies

Projected line: .258 / .327 / .390, 609 PA, 2.8 WAR.

Stott is one of the easiest “sleeper to jump this list” candidates because FanGraphs specifically pointed out his strong second half: .294 / .368 / .487 after the break. ESPN ranked him ninth but noted he stole 24 bases last season and still brings defensive value.

If the second-half bat is real, he could absolutely move into the top six or even top five. If not, he is still a very useful player. He’s one of those guys who is always one swing tweak away from making everyone say, “Wait, why didn’t I rank him higher?”

9. Jose Altuve, Astros

Projected line: .266 / .334 / .428, 504 PA, 2.2 WAR.

This is where age, role, and reputation all collide. ESPN left Altuve in the honorable mentions because Houston has been trying him in left field due to the defensive issues at second, but his offensive résumé still makes him impossible to ignore. FanGraphs’ team preview for the Astros at second still gives him the bulk of the projected second-base plate appearances.

He’s no longer the automatic top-three answer. That much is true. But if you leave him off the list entirely, you’re trying too hard to be the smart person in the room.

10. Ernie Clement, Blue Jays

Why he’s here: ESPN’s No. 10 second baseman entering 2026. They specifically cited his strong postseason bat and 10 defensive runs saved in only 423 innings at second last year.

This is the “light the comment section on fire” slot, but I kind of like it. Clement is not a star, but he’s a useful player with real defensive value, and sometimes that’s what makes a second baseman worth ranking. He is not going to scare anyone in the on-deck circle. He is, however, going to make the routine plays, annoy pitchers by putting the ball in play, and accidentally end up on a contender’s “wow, he helps” list by June.

That counts.

Who just missed?

Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg are the two names people will want to yell about, but both are hurt right now. Holliday had hamate surgery and is expected to miss the start of the season, while Westburg’s elbow issue takes him out through at least late April. They’re talented enough to move into this conversation later, but not for a “heading into the season” ranking.

Marcus Semien is still in the mix and was ESPN’s No. 8 second baseman, but his offensive slide the last two seasons is real.

Ozzie Albies and Brandon Lowe are the classic “if they bounce back, this list looks dumb” names. That is the danger of making lists in March. They age like avocados.

Best sleeper to rise?

I’d go with Bryson Stott first and Xavier Edwards second.

Stott’s second-half surge gives him a real path to jump a few spots if the bat keeps moving forward. Edwards, meanwhile, is already an extremely useful player and only needs a little extra punch to become much more than that. FanGraphs basically said as much with the push-up joke, which is maybe the most lovingly passive-aggressive scouting note I’ve read in a while.

Second base in 2026 is not loaded with ten superstars. It’s more interesting than that.

It’s a position full of specialists, shapeshifters, comeback bets, and chaos engines. Marte is the king. Hoerner is the safest answer. Turang is rising. Jazz is still the most fun. And somewhere around June, one of the names from the “just missed” pile will force everyone to rewrite the list anyway.

Which is baseball’s way of reminding us that rankings are temporary, but arguing about them is forever.