The second base position is in rougher shape than I initially thought. There is useful depth available here for 2027, but it is light on real difference makers. And that is largely because of who isn't going to be eligible at second base.
Abrams won't be, at least to start, though he does seem very likely as of now to end up eligible at second base pretty early on in the season. That is, unfortunately, less true for the likes of Sal Stewart and Otto Lopez, two of the biggest breakout stars at the position, though for opposite reasons; Stewart because he just isn't good enough defensively to justify much time there, Lopez because he's probably too good at shortstop to move back to the keystone. You have something similar with Luis Garcia Jr. (likely just a first baseman moving forward) and Ceddanne Rafaela (too good in center field to play him anywhere else).
And they aren't the only ones losing eligibility for 2027. Curtis Mead, Casey Schmitt, Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, and Zack Gelof were all at least useful starters at second base in 2026, and none of them played there enough to retain eligibility. Gelof's is the most frustrating case, because he played his 19th game at second base in late August and never appeared there again, coming just one appearance short of retaining eligibility.
Even if you're skeptical of his 2026 breakout (as I am), losing him hurts the position. Right now, I'd say there are maybe six second basemen I feel very good about as my starter for 2026, and then another few who seem like decent starters, and then a whole bunch of useful, but ultimately replaceable options. Does that mean second base is where we should play the positional scarcity game?
Well, if you are the type of Fantasy player who cares about such things, go for it. Second base looks like clearly the weakest position in Fantasy (non-catcher, anyway) for 2027, both in terms of impact bats and viable starting options. So, if you want to nudge Fernando Tatis up a few spots in your overall rankings to ensure you get elite production out of that lineup spot, go for it.
I don't really care all that much about positional scarcity, so I won't be doing much waiting there. I don't mind targeting Tatis in the first round, obviously, but the fact that he is second base eligible only plays a small factor. In part, that's because I just don't care that much about positional scarcity in drafts – we aren't as good as we think we are at projecting which positions will actually be weak and which will be strong in any given season, so I'll just try to draft the best players and not worry too much about which position they'll slot in at.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
