MLB Rankings: Top Second Basemen of 2019

8. Rougned Odor, Texas Rangers

While Odor didn’t replicate the 30 homers he hit in 2017, the Rangers second baseman actually had a better year in 2018 in 33 fewer games.

How?

Well even though he hit those 30 homers in 2017, he only slugged .397 and had an OPS of .649, not exactly the power numbers you’d like out of a guy with 30 or even 40 homer potential.

In 2018 Odor rounded his game out. He only hit 18 home runs, but he hit .253/.326/.424 overall, a big improvement from 2017. He also provided a lot of value on defense, logging 10 defensive runs saved and a 6.9 UZR, which ranked third out of all second basemen.

If he can stay healthy and carry over that same rounded approach to 2019 the Rangers could be sending Odor to the All-Star game.

7.Joey Wendle, Tampa Bay Rays

Last offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Joey Wendle from the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named later. It made sense, Wendle was 27-years-old and had struggled to break through with the A’s.

In 2018, the Rays won 90 games in the powerhouse AL East and Wendle slashed .300/.354/.435, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He rated above average in all defensive metrics at second base and at least average at third and in the outfield.

Wendle isn’t a player with a lot of home run ability but he has good contact skills and gap-to-gap power, he had 33 doubles and six triples in 2018.

The one thing the Rays would probably like to see Wendle improve on in 2019 is his walk rate, which was just 6.8 percent in 2018. Wendle has speed, as shown by his 16 stolen bases in 2018, but if he could draw a few more walks he could probably push that number into the mid-20s and provide further value.