Rotoprofessor

Second base was once thought of as a shallow position, but certainly no more.  With the emergence of Ben Zobrist and Aaron Hill in 2009 to go along with players like Chase Utley, Ian Kinsler and Brian Roberts, there are more than enough quality options for fantasy owners.  Let’s take a look at how I currently rank them:

1. Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies
2. Ian Kinsler - Texas Rangers
3. Brandon Phillips - Cincinnati Reds
4. Dustin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox
5. Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
6. Ben Zobrist - Tampa Bay Rays
7. Aaron Hill - Toronto Blue Jays
8. Brian Roberts - Baltimore Orioles
9. Dan Uggla - Florida Marlins
10. Jose Lopez - Seattle Mariners
11. Ian Stewart - Colorado Rockies
12. Howie Kendrick - Los Angeles Angels
13. Placido Polanco - Philadelphia Phillies
14. Clint Barmes - Colorado Rockies
15. Rickie Weeks - Milwaukee Brewers

Thoughts:

• As I’ve done my projections Pedroia’s value over some of the other 3rd tier (I have him a step below Kinsler & Phillips) has become clear.  His average alone gives him an advantage over the rest of the field, but throw in the runs and the outside potential to reach 20/20 (he’ll likely go 15/15) and he moves up a few spots.
• I recently discussed Jose Lopez (click here to read) and determined that he wasn’t a player that I would look at drafting in the tenth round.  He just doesn’t have the potential to score enough runs, putting you at a disadvantage in that category.
• Placido Polanco jumps into these rankings, though I still view him as nothing more than a middle infielder.  He just doesn’t have much power or speed, but brings a solid average and the potential to score a significant number of runs, especially if the Phillies bat him second as expected.
• I’ve spoken about Clint Barmes (as well as Scott Sizemore) as a potential late round draft choice (click here to view).  Barmes could be a similar player to Jose Lopez, meaning he has the potential to hit around .270 with 20+ home run power.  He’s a risk, having hit .245 last season, but that did come courtesy of a .276 BABIP.  Look for a rebound.
• I flip-flopped Dan Uggla and Jose Lopez this time around.  While Uggla’s average could potentially hurt, he is likely to outperform Lopez in HR, RBI and R.  With neither of them having much speed, winning three categories is more than enough.
• Has Howie Kendrick finally put things together?  He hit .356 with 6 HR, 36 RBI, 33 R and 4 SB in the second half, so there certainly is a chance.  Obviously, don’t look for that average to continue at quite that level, but he does have the potential to be a perennial .300+ hitter with some power and some speed.  If I miss out on the top options I wouldn’t hesitate taking the gamble on him and another player, that way I have a better chance of one of them sticking.

What are your thoughts on the rankings?  Who’s too high?  Too low?  Who was the biggest omission?

Make sure to place your order for the Rotoprofessor 2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here.

Make sure to check out our other early rankings:

• Catchers
• First Basemen
• Third Baseman
• Shortstops
• Outfielders
• Starting Pitchers
• Closers

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