An All-Star break tradition, here are my mostly-for-fun 2025 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be 20-game eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with contract options for next year have an asterisk included with their team names.
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Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH
Early 2025 Second Baseman rankings
| 2025 | Second basemen | Team | 2024 | July |
| 1 | Mookie Betts | Dodgers | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | Jose Altuve | Astros | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Marcus Semien | Rangers | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | Ketel Marte | Diamondbacks | 7 | 3 |
| 5 | Ozzie Albies | Braves | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | Matt McLain | Reds | 27 | 23 |
| 7 | Maikel Garcia | Royals | 8 3B | 4 |
| 8 | Jordan Westburg | Orioles | 26 | 6 |
| 9 | Bryson Stott | Phillies | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | Nico Hoerner | Cubs | 5 | 10 |
| 11 | Gleyber Torres | 6 | 14 | |
| 12 | Xander Bogaerts | Padres | 11 SS | 34 |
| 13 | Andres Gimenez | Guardians | 9 | 11 |
| 14 | Jackson Holliday | Orioles | 21 SS | 39 |
| 15 | Christian Encarnacion-Strand | Reds | 10 | 16 |
| 16 | Jonathan India | Reds | 11 | 18 |
| 17 | Jeimer Candelario | Reds | 34 | 17 |
| 18 | Brice Turang | Brewers | 32 | 13 |
| 19 | Luis Rengifo | Angels | 29 | 15 |
| 20 | Brendan Donovan | Cardinals | 12 | 19 |
| 21 | Zack Gelof | Athletics | 16 | 24 |
| 22 | Colt Keith | Tigers | 24 3B | 44 |
| 23 | Tommy Edman | Cardinals | 18 | 30 |
| 24 | Nolan Gorman | Cardinals | 19 | 21 |
| 25 | Luis Garcia Jr. | Nationals | 28 | 27 |
| 26 | Brandon Lowe | Rays* | 22 | 28 |
| 27 | Brendan Rodgers | Rockies | 15 | 25 |
| 28 | David Hamilton | Red Sox | 49 SS | 26 |
| 29 | Willi Castro | Twins | 36 3B | 22 |
| 30 | Amed Rosario | 31 | 35 | |
| 31 | Edouard Julien | Twins | 17 | 38 |
| 32 | Vaughn Grissom | Red Sox | 23 SS | 37 |
| 33 | Davis Schneider | Blue Jays | 38 | 29 |
| 34 | Jorge Polanco | Mariners* | 21 | 42 |
| 35 | Connor Norby | Orioles | 68 | NR |
| 36 | Justin Foscue | Rangers | 67 | NR |
| 37 | Ben Rice | Yankees | 13 DH | 33 |
| 38 | Jeff McNeil | Mets | 25 | 47 |
| 39 | Michael Massey | Royals | 35 | 51 |
| 40 | Gavin Lux | Dodgers | 24 | 55 |
| 41 | Ronny Mauricio | Mets | 73 | NR |
| 42 | Nick Gonzales | Pirates | 91 | 50 |
| 43 | Jose Caballero | Rays | 30 | 32 |
| 44 | James Triantos | Cubs | NR | NR |
| 45 | Orelvis Martinez | Blue Jays | 76 SS | NR |
| 46 | Jorge Mateo | Orioles | 30 SS | 58 |
| 47 | Brandon Drury | 23 | 56 | |
| 48 | Thairo Estrada | Giants | 20 | 40 |
| 49 | Ryan Bliss | Mariners | 52 | 61 |
| 49 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | Blue Jays | 44 SS | 43 |
| 50 | Richie Palacios | Rays | 152 OF | 54 |
| 52 | Dylan Moore | Mariners | 42 | 36 |
| 53 | Juan Brito | Guardians | 89 | NR |
| 54 | Adael Amador | Rockies | 58 SS | NR |
| 55 | Curtis Mead | Rays | 53 3B | NR |
| 56 | Nick Yorke | Red Sox | 74 | NR |
| 57 | Whit Merrifield | 36 | 62 | |
| 58 | Jonathan Aranda | Rays | 46 | 53 |
| 59 | Enmanuel Valdez | Red Sox | 50 | 69 |
| 60 | Jared Triolo | Pirates | 25 3B | NR |
| 61 | Blaze Alexander | Diamondbacks | 57 SS | NR |
| 62 | Jose Fermin | Cardinals | 75 | 64 |
| 63 | Otto Lopez | Marlins | 80 SS | 70 |
| 64 | Liover Peguero | Pirates | 56 | NR |
| 65 | Rodolfo Castro | Phillies | 86 | NR |
- I don’t know exactly what will give in Baltimore, but I’m projecting both Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo to play regularly next year, with Mayo checking in at No. 13 at third base. Holliday is No. 14 here, six spots below Jordan Westburg. I might bet on Holliday having a better OPS than Westburg next year, but he’s not likely to be exceptional when it comes to homers and steals. He’s currently at .273/.442/.471 with eight homers and seven steals in 64 games in Triple-A.
- The Red Sox were one of the more difficult teams to deal with here, as they have several prospects who should arrive in 2025 and also have Trevor Story coming back. The 2025 projected lineup probably looks something like this:
LF Jarred Duran
2B Vaughn Grissom
1B Triston Casas
3B Rafael Devers
SS Trevor Story
RF Wilyer Abreu
C Connor Wong
DH Masataka Yoshida
CF Ceddanne Rafaela
I imagine they’d prefer to re-sign Tyler O’Neill or bring in another quality righty bat for the top third of the order, perhaps turning Yoshida into a very expensive bench bat. Their big three prospects - SS Marcelo Mayer, OF Roman Anthony and C Kyle Teel - are also left-handed hitters. None of them rank too highly because I can’t see penciling in any for Opening Day, but I think Teel will overtake Wong at some point and Mayer might be too good to keep in the minors even if Story does manage to stay healthy.
Grissom is a question mark already, just 23 games into what was supposed to be a lengthy run as the Red Sox’s starting second baseman. David Hamilton and Enmanuel Valdez both have pluses and minuses. Mayer could slide over to second if needed. The resurgent Nick Yorke looks like he might become a factor, Kristian Campbell is putting up absurd numbers in Double-A and fellow prospects Chase Meidroth and Matthew Lugo have also had surprisingly impressive seasons that make them look like potential utilitymen at least. The Red Sox can also plug Rafaela into the middle infield whenever they’d like, though my guess is that he’ll settle in as the everyday center fielder next year.