Ranking the Top 25 Second Basemen of the 2024 MLB Season

It's time to put a bow on the 2024 MLB season with Bleacher Report's final positional rankings of the year.

Throughout the 2024 campaign, we released monthly updates to our position-by-position rankings, selecting the top 10 players at each spot. Now it's time to finalize that exercise while expanding the list to the 25 best at each position.

Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order—this is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2024.

There were no specific qualifications for inclusion, though each player was only eligible to appear in these rankings at one position.

That notably excluded Jake Cronenworth (first base), Jordan Westburg (third base) and Luis Rengifo (third base) who will all show up in later versions of these rankings when we get to their primary positions.

For now, let's dive into the top 25 second basemen of the 2024 season.

Catch up on the Top 25 in 2024 series: Shortstops

These second basemen received preliminary consideration but fell short of earning a spot in the Top 25:

Andy Ibáñez, DET
Nicky Lopez, CWS
Jorge Mateo, BAL
Richie Palacios, TB
Casey Schmitt, SF
Will Wagner, TOR
Brett Wisely, SF

25. Nolan Gorman, St. Louis Cardinals

Gorman hit .203 with a 37.6 percent strikeout rate and provided poor defensive metrics (-4 DRS, -17.0 UZR/150) at second base, raising questions about his long-term upside. The 24-year-old still flashed plus power, slugging 19 home runs in 402 plate appearances, but that won't be enough to hold onto an everyday job if he can't provide any secondary value.

24. Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners

After three straight seasons with an OPS+ above 100 while playing for the Twins, Polanco was traded to the Mariners last offseason, and he failed to match that level of production in Seattle. He hit .213/.296/.355 for a 93 OPS+ with 16 home runs and 45 RBI in 118 games, and his 2025 club option was declined.

23. Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Gonzales struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, but he put together a promising follow-up in 2024. He hit .270/.311/.398 with 29 extra-base hits in 387 plate appearances, and he should get the first shot at winning the second base job next spring, though Nick Yorke and Jared Triolo will also be in the mix for playing time.

22. Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies

A former top prospect, Rodgers has shown flashes when healthy, winning 2022 NL Gold Glove honors in a 4.3-WAR season. He hit .267/.314/.407 with 29 doubles, 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 2024 while topping 110 games played for just the second time in his career. With free agency looming after the 2025 season, he will be a trade candidate this winter.

21. Zack Gelof, Oakland Athletics

Gelof was a 2.6-WAR player over just 69 games as a rookie in 2023 when he posted a 134 OPS+ with 20 doubles, 14 home runs and 14 steals. The 25-year-old failed to match that production over his first full season, hitting .211/.270/.362 for an 82 OPS+ while racking up an AL-leading 188 strikeouts, though he did tally 20 doubles, 17 home runs, 49 RBI, 25 steals and 1.3 WAR along the way.

20. Spencer Horwitz, Toronto Blue Jays

After playing primarily first base and left field in the minors, Horwitz added second base to his repertoire in 2024 and earned his first extended look in the big leagues. The 26-year-old rookie hit .265/.357/.433 with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 381 plate appearances, and while his defensive metrics (-5 DRS, -5.2 UZR/150) were not great, his ability to play a passable second base provided a way to get his bat into the lineup.

19. Jeff McNeil, New York Mets

McNeil has fallen off considerably since winning the 2022 NL batting title with a .326/.382/.454 batting line. He hit just .238/.308/.384 for a 97 OPS+ this season while tallying 26 doubles, 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 129 games, and the Mets are still on the hook for a $15.75 million salary in 2025 and 2026. With a contact-over-power approach, there is still room for him to bounce back, even as he enters his age-33 season.

18. Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres

Bogaerts had a solid debut in San Diego in 2023 after signing an 11-year, $280 million deal in free agency, but the Padres shifted him to second base last spring in favor of Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop. The 32-year-old hit .264/.307/.381 for a 92 OPS+ in 2024, marking the first time since 2017 that he failed to produce a 100 OPS+ or higher, and now he is set to earn $25.5 million annually through the 2033 season.

17. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves

A fractured left wrist cost Albies 55 games during the second half of the season, but even before the injury, he was not his usual All-Star self at the plate. He hit .251/.303/.404 for a 95 OPS+ with 29 doubles, 10 home runs and 53 RBI in 99 games, and his 1.6 WAR left him well off the pace of his 4.7-WAR season in 2023.

16. Michael Massey, Kansas City Royals

After a 15-homer, 55-RBI season in 2023, Massey provided a more well-rounded offensive game this season, hitting .259/.294/.449 with 17 doubles, 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 100 games while raising his OPS almost 100 points. The 26-year-old might offer the most offensive upside of anyone on the Royals roster outside of Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino.

15. Otto López, Miami Marlins

The Marlins claimed López off waivers from the Giants shortly after Opening Day. The 26-year-old eventually took over as Miami's everyday second baseman after Luis Arraez was traded to the Padres, and he hit .270/.313/.377 with 30 extra-base hits and 20 steals in 117 games while also logging elite defensive metrics (9 DRS, 5.8 UZR/150) en route to a 2.6-WAR campaign.

14. Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers signed Keith to a six-year, $28.6 million extension last January despite him not yet making his MLB debut, paving the way for him to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 23-year-old hit .260/.309/.380 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs and 61 RBI in 148 games, and he had a huge month of July where he posted a 1.048 OPS with seven home runs and 17 RBI in 25 games.

13. Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers

After missing the entire 2023 season recovering from a torn ACL, Lux was expected to take over as the everyday shortstop in his return, but his defensive struggles during spring training led to the Dodgers shifting him to second base and moving Mookie Betts into the infield. Lux, 26, hit .251/.320/.383 for a 101 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 10 home runs, 50 RBI and 2.1 WAR in 139 games.

12. Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies

Stott had a 103 OPS+ and 4.3 WAR in a breakout 2023 season, and while he took a step backward this year, he was still a productive everyday player on a contending team. He hit .245/.315/.356 with 19 doubles, 11 home runs, 57 RBI and 32 steals in 35 attempts, and he again provided steady defense (7 DRS) as a natural shortstop who shifted to second following the Trea Turner signing.

11. Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees

Torres has never lived up to the high bar he set with a 38-homer performance in his age-22 season, but he has been a productive player since making the full-time shift from shortstop to second base in 2022. Over the last three years, his 8.8 WAR ranks seventh among all second basemen, and at 27 years old he will be a prime candidate for a long-term deal in free agency this winter.

Stats: 121 OPS+, .244/.311/.473, 43 XBH (21 HR), 58 RBI, 5 SB, 2.4 WAR

Brandon Lowe has averaged 33 home runs, 96 RBI and 4.2 WAR per 162 games over the course of his seven seasons in the big leagues.

The trouble is, he has only stayed healthy enough to play more than 110 games once in his career, and the result was a 39-homer, 99-RBI, 4.5-WAR campaign in 2021 when he finished 10th in AL MVP balloting.

The Rays exercised his $10.5 million club options to begin the offseason, but looks like an obvious trade candidate for an organization that generally flips productive veterans before they reach their peak earning power.

Stats: 137 OPS+, .337/.381/.448, 21 XBH (4 HR), 26 RBI, 6 SB, 3.1 WAR

The Mets signed veteran Jose Iglesias to a minor league deal last offseason, and he spent the first two months of the season playing at Triple-A Syracuse before he was finally called up to the MLB roster on May 31.

Despite playing just 85 games for the MLB club, his 3.1 WAR was good for the second-highest total on a team that won 89 games and reached the NLCS, making him one of the best bargain pickups of the winter.

The 34-year-old has long been a steady defender and elite contact hitter, and he should be able to find a guaranteed MLB deal with a healthy raise this winter following his terrific 2024 campaign.

Stats: 105 OPS+, .248/.357/.392, 45 XBH (15 HR), 58 RBI, 13 SB, 1.7 WAR

Jonathan India ultimately stayed put after an offseason of trade rumors, and with Matt McLain battling injury and Noelvi Marte serving a PED suspension, he ended up being a key piece of what was expected to be an infield logjam in Cincinnati.

The 27-year-old ranked third in the National League with 80 walks, which helped propel him to a terrific .357 on-base percentage and 84 runs scored hitting primarily out of the leadoff spot in the lineup.

The 2021 NL Rookie of the Year is controllable through the 2026 season, and after a nice bounce-back performance, he could hear his name on the trade block once again this winter.

Stats: 115 OPS+, .282/.318/.444, 44 XBH (18 HR), 70 RBI, 22 SB, 2.2 WAR

Luis García Jr. debuted shortly after his 20th birthday during the shortened 2020 season, and while he showed flashes of being a solid everyday player the last few years, he had yet to fully stake claim to the starting second base job.

That changed in 2024 when he was one of the best offensive players in the league at his positions and a clear standout on a rebuilding Washington Nationals roster.

Marked improvements to his hard-hit rate (36.5 to 41.7 percent), exit velocity (88.3 to 89.1 mph) and barrel rate (5.8 to 8.0 percent) lend some credibility to his breakout performance, and his .280 expected batting average ranked in the 89th percentile.

Stats: 101 OPS+, .273/.335/.373, 43 XBH (7 HR), 48 RBI, 31 SB, 3.7 WAR

An elite defender and a dynamic threat on the bases, Nico Hoerner has quietly been one of the most valuable players in baseball over the past three seasons, racking up 13.0 WAR in 436 games for the Cubs.

The 27-year-old was a standout defender at shortstop in 2022 before the Cubs signed Dansby Swanson and shifted him across the bag to second base, and in a thin market for shortstops this offseason, he could generate some trade interest from teams eyeing a potential move back to his natural position.

The Cubs bought out his arbitration years with a three-year, $35 million extension that will pay him $11.5 million in 2025 and $12 million in 2026, which is still a team-friendly salary relative to his production.

Stats: 82 OPS+, .252/.298/.340, 32 XBH (9 HR), 63 RBI, 30 SB, 4.0 WAR

Andrés Giménez continues to be one of baseball's best all-around defensive players, and after winning AL Platinum Glove honors in 2023, he took home his third straight Gold Glove this year.

The 26-year-old may never replicate his offensive production from his breakout 2022 season when he posted a 141 OPS+ and finished sixth in AL MVP voting, but he does more than enough at the plate to back up his extremely valuable glove work.

He signed a seven-year, $106.5 million extension prior to the 2023 season, and he has produced 9.3 WAR over the first two seasons of that contract.

Stats: 85 OPS+, .254/.316/.349, 35 XBH (7 HR), 57 RBI, 50 SB, 4.7 WAR

Brice Turang was one of the worst offensive players in baseball during his rookie season in 2023, hitting .218/.285/.300 for a 61 OPS+ that ranked 211th out of the 212 players who recorded at least 400 plate appearances.

However, his defense afforded him a long runway to figure things out at the plate, and he took a major step forward offensively in 2024 while also winning NL Gold Glove honors and posting elite defensive metrics (22 DRS, 2.1 UZR/150).

Even with below-average offensive numbers overall, he was still a 4.7-WAR player thanks to his defense and his speed, and his 50 steals came in only 56 attempts.

Stats: 126 OPS+, .295/.350/.439, 51 XBH (20 HR), 65 RBI, 22 SB, 3.4 WAR

The Astros signed Jose Altuve to a five-year, $125 million extension during the offseason, locking him up through his age-39 season in 2029 and all but guaranteeing the homegrown star will spend his entire career in Houston.

The back end of that contract could be questionable, but for now, he is showing no signs of slowing down offensively as he continues to build a potential Hall of Fame case.

The 34-year-old had the ninth 3-WAR season of his career in 2024, and his 52.8 WAR for his career ranks 20th all-time among second basemen. Another 3-WAR performance in 2025 would move him up to No. 17 on that list.

Stats: 100 OPS+, .237/.308/.391, 52 XBH (23 HR), 74 RBI, 8 SB, 4.1 WAR

Marcus Semien is now three seasons into his seven-year, $175 million deal with the Texas Rangers, and during his time with the club, he has won a World Series ring, made two All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger and piled up 17.0 WAR in 482 games.

He did not match the offensive numbers he posted in 2023, but still had his fourth straight 20-homer, 70-RBI, 100-run season while playing his usual elite defense and taking the field almost every single day.

At 34 years old, it remains to be seen how the second half of that contract will play out, but so far it has been one of the best signings in Rangers franchise history.

Stats: 155 OPS+, .292/.372/.560, 61 XBH (36 HR), 95 RBI, 7 SB, 6.8 WAR

Ketel Marte led the charge during the Arizona Diamondbacks' unexpected run to the World Series in 2023, and he picked up right where he left off in 2024, putting up a season that closely resembled his breakout 2019 campaign when he finished fourth in NL MVP voting.

• 2019: 144 G, 149 OPS+, 32 HR, 92 RBI, 6.9 WAR
• 2024: 136 G, 155 OPS+, 36 HR, 95 RBI, 6.8 WAR

The 31-year-old is the best player on the D-backs roster, he was the best all-around second baseman in baseball in 2024, and he stands as one of the best bargains in baseball playing on a five-year, $76 million deal.