After exploring both the team top 10 lists, overall top 150, and system rankings in our MLB Top Prospects series, we finish with a look at positional rankings. Today, we look at the top 10 second base prospects for 2018.
Our MLB Top Prospect series at Call to the Pen is spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten second base prospects for 2018.
We will explore each position with a top 10 list, and then after we get to #1, don’t leave as we will also highlight one player who is “on the rise” and could factor into the positional rankings after the 2018 season if they hold their current trajectory.
Each of these MLB Top Prospect rankings have come through the hundreds of games each summer Ben watches as well as speaking with multiple people throughout the game and gauging their opinions as well on players he has not had a good look at. This is a personal opinion, and a ranking position higher or lower than industry standard does not indicate “liking” or “hating” a certain player more or less – by just showing up on this list, there is a degree of appreciation of the talent a player brings!
We will start each position list with an overall look at the position itself within the game and the strength of the position.
Position overview
Second base has long been a position where teams send failed shortstops or shortstops who have too positive of a bat to keep out of the lineup, but don’t have the range to hang at short.
For example, currently at the very top of the list are a few players who have already made the transition to the keystone, but even then, they’re getting reps at other positions as well. That means that next season’s list could contain half of the list being guys who didn’t even qualify for the list this year.
At the big league level, the position does have a significant amount of established veterans, meaning most teams aren’t in a rush to develop their second baseman of the future right now. Of course, seeing guys like Whit Merrifield and Scooter Gennett come from little to no prospect status to being reliable and even impressive big leaguers will keep teams away from investing heavily at the position in their farm system.
Let’s take a look at the second basemen….
Next: #9 and #10