Bleacher Report's MLB 25 in '25: Predicting the Top 25 Second Basemen in 2025
Welcome to B/R's MLB 25 in '25 rankings!
In the coming weeks, we'll take a crack at predicting who the 25 best players will be at each position in five years, during the 2025 season.
Loyal readers will remember we did something similar in 2015 with our "20 for '20" series.
That edition had a few swings and misses (see: Hanson, Alen), and there will undoubtedly be some whiffs this time around. That's just the nature of the beast.
However, I like to think I've grown a good deal as a talent evaluator in those five years, so hopefully this one is more hit than miss.
Players are ranked based on their long-term upside, path to playing time, production and projectable tools. Ages refer to how old a player will be July 1, 2025.
Along with analysis on the 25 second basemen selected, you'll find a list of notable veteran omissions based on age and expected regression. We also predicted the top 10 second base prospects for 2025, complete with a few college players who are 2021 draft prospects.
This is going to be a lot of fun, and I look forward to discussing my picks in the app throughout the process.
Let's get started.
Catch up on our MLB 25 in '25 series: Catchers, First Basemen
Notable Veteran Omissions
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The following players were excluded because of age and expected regression. Their 2025 age is included in parentheses:
- Hanser Alberto (32)
- Jose Altuve (35)
- Starlin Castro (35)
- Adam Frazier (33)
- Cesar Hernandez (35)
- Jason Kipnis (38)
- Tommy La Stella (36)
- DJ LeMahieu (36)
- Whit Merrifield (36)
- Mike Moustakas (36)
- Rougned Odor (31)
- Jonathan Schoop (33)
- Donovan Solano (37)
- Kolten Wong (34)
Top 10 Second Base Prospects in 2025
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A big part of this process was projecting prospects into future MLB roles. As such, it's only fair that we filled that void by predicting who will be the 10 best second base prospects in 2025:
- Aaron Bracho, Cleveland
- Justin Foscue, Texas Rangers
- Adrian Placencia, Los Angeles Angels
- Ezequiel Duran, New York Yankees
- Tyler Callihan, Cincinnati Reds
- Jeremiah Jackson, Los Angeles Angels
- Miguel Hiraldo, Toronto Blue Jays
- Max Ferguson, University of Tennessee (2021 draft prospect)
- Tucupita Marcano, San Diego Padres
- Eddy Diaz, Colorado Rockies
Nos. 25-21
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25. Isan Diaz, Miami Marlins (2025 Age: 29)
Diaz has hit .174/.251/.294 with a strikeout rate close to 30 percent in 223 plate appearances at the MLB level the past two seasons, but there's still time for him to deliver on lofty expectations. At Triple-A in 2019, he hit .305/.395/.578 with 21 doubles and 26 home runs in 102 games.
24. Sheldon Neuse, Oakland Athletics (2025 Age: 30)
Firmly blocked by Matt Chapman at his natural position of third base, Neuse played 20 games at second base during his MLB debut in 2019. Acquired from the Washington Nationals in the trade that brought Jesus Luzardo to Oakland, he hit .317/.389/.550 with 31 doubles, 27 home runs and 102 RBI in 126 games at Triple-A in 2019.
23. Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs (2025 Age: 28)
The No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Hoerner made his MLB debut the following year filling in for an injured Javier Baez. He showed enough in a 20-game debut to be in the running for the starting second base job last spring, but veteran Jason Kipnis beat him out. As expected, it did not take him long to reach the big leagues, but he may be more floor than ceiling in the long run.
22. Luis Arraez, Minnesota Twins (2025 Age: 28)
Arraez has one of the best hit tools around, posting a .331/.390/.429 line in 487 plate appearances over the past two seasons to carve out a regular role in the Minnesota lineup. He has more walks (44) than strikeouts (40), and he could stake a claim to the everyday second base job in 2021 after splitting time with Marwin Gonzalez this year.
21. Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals (2025 Age: 30)
The St. Louis Cardinals' decision to decline a $12.5 million club option on Gold Glove winner Kolten Wong likely has a lot to do with Edman's emergence. Never mentioned among the team's top prospects during his time in the minors, he hit .304/.350/.500 with 35 extra-base hits and 15 steals in 92 games as a rookie in 2019. He's spent the past two seasons in a super-utility role but will likely slot in as the everyday second baseman going forward.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Nick Solak, Texas Rangers (2025 Age: 30)
A .294/.383/.468 hitter over four minor league seasons, Solak will go as far as his terrific hit tool carries him. He split his time between second base, left field and center field in 2020, and he's not a perfect fit at any of those positions. However, second base is where he profiles best, and incumbent Rougned Odor is only signed through the 2022 season.
19. Xavier Edwards, Tampa Bay Rays (2025 Age: 25)
In two minor league seasons since going No. 38 overall in the 2018 draft, Edwards has hit .328/.395/.399 with 36 extra-base hits and 56 steals in 168 games. It's unclear how he fits into a crowded middle infield situation in Tampa Bay, but his contact ability and top-of-the-scale speed give him leadoff hitter potential, even if he never hits for much power. Think former Marlins standout Luis Castillo in his prime.
18. Scott Kingery, Philadelphia Phillies (2025 Age: 31)
The Philadelphia Phillies gave Kingery a six-year, $24 million extension before he made his MLB debut, but they have yet to give him an everyday position to call his own. That could have something to do with his lackluster .233/.284/.393 batting line in parts of three MLB seasons. After all, he hit .304/.359/.530 with 29 doubles, 26 home runs and 29 steals in his last full season in the minors in 2017. The departure of Didi Gregorius could finally pave the way for him to be the everyday second baseman.
17. Jeff McNeil, New York Mets (2025 Age: 33)
A late bloomer with a contact-oriented approach, McNeil should age better than most middle infielders. He has seen more time in the outfield than at second base the past two seasons, but the Robinson Cano suspension figures to change that in 2021. He may never be locked into a position, similar to Ben Zobrist throughout his impressive career, but he'll play enough second base to justify inclusion here.
16. Michael Busch, Los Angeles Dodgers (2025 Age: 27)
Busch hit .284/.436/.547 with 16 home runs during his junior season at North Carolina before going No. 31 overall in the 2019 draft. He played primarily first base and the outfield in college, but the Dodgers decided to move him to second base to begin his pro career. He's played just 10 pro games, but as one of the most polished bats in his draft class, he has a chance to fill a role similar to Max Muncy with more of a focus on second base.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Luis Garcia, Washington Nationals (2025 Age: 25)
A surprise call-up last season, Garcia made his MLB debut just a few months after his 20th birthday. He held his own despite never playing above Double-A, hitting .276/.302/.366 in 139 plate appearances, and he'll be given every chance to stick in the majors. A strong hit tool and solid glove will drive his value.
14. Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies (2025 Age: 28)
It feels like Rodgers has been part of the top prospect picture for the past decade, and it doesn't help that the two players chosen ahead of him in the 2015 draft (Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman) are both established big league regulars. Injuries have kept him from breaking through in the majors, but he can flat-out hit with a .296/.352/.503 line and 176 extra-base hits in 387 games in the minors.
13. Jake Cronenworth, San Diego Padres (2025 Age: 31)
A throw-in of sorts in the Tommy Pham-Hunter Renfroe swap last offseason, Cronenworth ended up being the most important part of that five-player trade between the Padres and Rays. He hit .285/.354/.477 with 22 extra-base hits and 1.6 WAR in 54 games to finish second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, settling in as the starting second baseman after initially filling a utility role.
12. Willi Castro, Detroit Tigers (2025 Age: 28)
One of the biggest surprises of 2020, Castro hit .349/.381/.550 with 12 extra-base hits in 140 plate appearances to finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting as part of Detroit's youth movement. A bloated .448 BABIP points to some likely regression to come, and he struggled defensively at shortstop (minus-7 defensive runs saved, minus-7.1 UZR/150). However, there's no reason he can't develop into an offensive-minded second baseman and a big part of the Tigers' future.
11. Jeter Downs, Boston Red Sox (2025 Age: 26)
The prospect centerpiece of last winter's Mookie Betts blockbuster, Downs hit .276/.362/.526 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 86 RBI and 24 steals in 2019 while closing out his age-20 season at Double-A. There's a void to fill at second base in the big leagues, and he could take over the job as soon as the upcoming season. Offensively at least, Downs and Xander Bogaerts have a chance to form one of the best middle infields in baseball.
10. Nick Madrigal, Chicago White Sox
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2025 Age: 28
Nick Madrigal has one of the highest floors of any prospect in years thanks to a truly elite hit tool, but he also has a fairly limited ceiling.
He hit .340 as a rookie but with a middling 108 OPS+ as he tallied just three extra-base hits in 109 plate appearances. That lines up with his minor league production when he logged a punchless .398 slugging percentage in 163 games.
There's plenty of value in a perennial .300 hitter who sets the table and is a strong defender, and that's why he snags a place in the top 10 of these rankings. Just don't expect him to develop into a superstar.
9. Vidal Brujan, Tampa Bay Rays
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2025 Age: 27
With a 60-grade hit tool and 70-grade speed, Vidal Brujan has a chance to be a game-changing presence at the top of an MLB lineup.
The emergence of Brandon Lowe raises questions about whether that future will be at second base or even with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, but for the time being, he fits in as a future top-10 player at his natural position.
A .294/.377/.417 hitter with 151 steals in 399 minor league games, Brujan has nearly as many walks (187) as strikeouts (197). His on-base ability will help drive his offensive value and allow him to make the most of his electric speed.
8. Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates
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2025 Age: 26
Nick Gonzales was a man among boys during his three seasons at New Mexico State.
He hit .399/.502/.747 in 128 games, including an absurd .448/.610/1.155 line with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 16 games this spring before the season was halted.
Gonzales answered concerns about the level of competition he faced when he won Cape Cod League MVP in 2019 with a .351/.451/.630 line and 25 extra-base hits in 42 games. The biggest lingering question is where he fits defensively.
He'll likely begin his pro career at shortstop, but second base looks like his ultimate landing spot.
7. Keston Hiura, Milwaukee Brewers
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2025 Age: 28
Which Keston Hiura will show up in 2021?
With one of the most polished hit tools among prospects in recent years, Hiura surprised no one by exploding onto the scene in 2019.
He hit .303/.368/.570 with 23 doubles, 19 home runs and 49 RBI in 84 games. By season's end, he was hitting cleanup for a playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers team.
However, he looked like a different player in 2020 when he hit just .212 and led the NL with 85 strikeouts on a 34.6 percent strikeout rate. Furthermore, his exit velocity (-4.0 mph) and hard-hit rate (-10.4%) both plummeted, even though he ranked in the 91st percentile in barrel percentage.
He's a good enough hitter to rebound and still be a star in Milwaukee, but the 2021 season will be telling.
6. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
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2025 Age: 31
Ketel Marte used a strong second half in 2018 as a springboard to a breakout season the following year, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting after hitting .329/.389/.592 with 36 doubles, 32 home runs and 92 RBI in a 7.2-WAR season.
He failed to duplicate that production in 2020, but plenty of players struggled during an unprecedented 60-game season. His hard-hit rate (40.0 to 40.5 percent) and exit velocity (90 to 89.2 mph) remained largely unchanged from the previous year.
His five-year, $24 million contract includes a pair of option years that could keep him in Arizona through the 2024 season, so it's worth watching to see where he's playing when 2025 rolls around.
5. Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2025 Age: 27
I'm not completely sold on Gavin Lux.
Plenty of players have struggled in their first taste of MLB action before breaking through, but he was optioned to the team's alternate site ahead of Opening Day in part because he arrived late to camp and looked lost once he showed up.
When he did finally get the call, he hit .175 with 19 strikeouts in 69 plate appearances, proving to be a non-factor in a season that began with NL Rookie of the Year aspirations.
All of that being said, there's no ignoring that he hit .347/.421/.607 with 25 doubles and 26 home runs in 113 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019.
He has a chance to be great, but the four guys listed ahead of him have already proved themselves in the big leagues with ample room for further growth.
4. Cavan Biggio, Toronto Blue Jays
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2025 Age: 30
Considering he has seen time at first base, second base, third base, left field, center field and right field in his brief MLB career, it's fair to wonder where Cavan Biggio will be playing defensively five years from now. An abundance of middle infield talent in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system only raises more questions.
However, second base remains his primary position. Even in a utility role, that is where he is likely to see the bulk of his action.
In roughly a full season's worth of games (159) the past two years, he's hit .240/.368/.430 with 33 doubles, 24 home runs, 76 RBI, 107 runs scored, 20 steals and 4.9 WAR. His 112 walks and 16.1 percent walk rate have effectively offset his mediocre batting average, which is the only real flaw in his game.
For all the hype that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette receive, Biggio has been the best young player on the Toronto roster the past two years.
3. Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees
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2025 Age: 28
Gleyber Torres is not a shortstop.
That doesn't mean the New York Yankees won't continue to try to use him there, but he has been a defensive liability (-12 DRS, -10.7 UZR/150).
Eventually, he's going to be the full-time second baseman, and he has shown the offensive tools to be a superstar at the position.
He hit .278/.337/.535 with 38 home runs and 90 RBI in his age-22 season in 2019. After a slow start this past season, he hit .300/.411/.463 with nine extra-base hits and 13 RBI over his final 25 games, and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to rake.
2. Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
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2025 Age: 30
Brandon Lowe hit .276/.339/.523 with 17 doubles, 16 home runs and 49 RBI during the first half of the 2019 season to earn a spot on the AL All-Star team as a rookie.
However, injuries limited him to six games in the second half, and he entered the 2020 season under the radar despite a third-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
He proved his impressive rookie campaign was the real deal, hitting .269/.362/.554 with 25 extra-base hits and 2.4 WAR in 56 games to finish eighth in AL MVP balloting.
As Wander Franco, Vidal Brujan and Xavier Edwards rise through the ranks in the Tampa Bay farm system, it's unclear if Lowe will be manning second base five years from now. He's posted solid defensive metrics (4 DRS, 4.3 UZR/150), but he's also been a capable corner outfielder when called upon.
1. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
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2025 Age: 28
It's easy to forget that Ozzie Albies is just 23 years old.
He made his MLB debut at the age of 20 in 2017, was an All-Star for the first time the following year and then took home Silver Slugger honors in 2019 when he led the NL with 189 hits.
Along with those 189 hits, he posted a .295/.352/.500 line with 43 doubles, 24 home runs, 86 RBI, 102 runs scored and 15 steals in a 5.2-WAR season, at an age when most players are still cutting their teeth in the minors.
His 2020 season was hampered by a right wrist injury, but he hit .338/.372/.581 with five home runs and 13 RBI in his final 18 games.
Albies is already a star and one of the elite players at his position, and he's just getting started.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant. Prospect tool ratings via MLB.com.
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