Spring training camps are underway, which means it is time to look at the state of baseball. As part of our 2025 MLB season preview, ESPN's Buster Olney is bringing back his positional ranking series, in which he surveyed those around the industry to help him rank the top 10 players at every position.
Today, we rank the best of the best at second base, including a familiar name moving to the position with a new team.
The objective of this exercise is to identify the best players for the 2025 season, not who might be best in five years or over their career. We will roll out a position per day over the next two weeks. Here's the rest of the schedule: catchers, first basemen, third basemen (2/20), shortstops (2/21), corner outfielders (2/24), center fielders (2/25), designated hitters (2/26), starting pitchers (2/27) and relievers (2/28).
Alex Bregman played third base for the Astros for the past nine seasons, winning a Gold Glove last season. If he moves to second base for the Red Sox this season, he'll still be high among the top 10 second basemen in the sport (as you'll see below), but there will be adjustments. He'll have to refine his movement to his right, something that is not as not much of a factor at third base, and he'll need to get comfortable in feeding the ball to the shortstop on double-play attempts.
But Bregman was a middle infielder in his baseball life before joining the Astros. Given that history, Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington -- a longtime infield instructor -- said recently that "The transition will be very easy."
"They will have to help him adjust to the angles, and he'll have to get comfortable with the footwork on double plays. But Bregman is a player with a tremendous skill set, and second base will definitely be easier than third base -- and we know how he played third base. He will be at least the same quality of a second baseman as he was at third, and maybe even better."
"At second base, he will see everything. At third, it was just reaction and instinct. He just extended his leg life. That was a great move for Boston, and an even greater move for Bregman. There's less work mentally at third."
Rafael Devers has been Boston's third baseman for almost as long as Bregman. He is a three-time All-Star and the highest-paid player in the history of the franchise. But while Alex Cora openly mused about Bregman moving to second base while the infielder was a free agent, Cora hasn't confirmed this shift since Bregman agreed to a three-year deal with the Red Sox -- and some rival evaluators don't believe it will happen.
"You've got the best third baseman in the American League on your roster -- and he's not going to play third base?" one asked rhetorically. "That makes no sense. They'll work through that in spring training. They just have to talk to Raffy."
Devers has always been close with Cora, a relationship that will be important if and when the conversation about a move happens. What Cora could say to Devers, reasonably, is the Red Sox are a better team with Bregman at third.
If Devers, who has been battling shoulder issues in recent years and is considered a subpar defender anyway, moves to designated hitter and Bregman takes third, that'll also provide a path for Kristian Campbell -- one of baseball's best prospects -- to play second base for the Red Sox at the outset of the season. Campbell hit .330 while progressing across three levels of the minors last season; in 115 games, he had 32 doubles, three triples, 20 homers and stole 24 bases. Said one rival evaluator: "The best-case scenario for the Red Sox is that [Campbell] comes into spring training and shows he's ready for the big leagues, and he makes it obvious to Devers -- to everyone -- that he needs to be part of the lineup."
But until Devers moves, we'll list Bregman among the second basemen. The ranking below is based on feedback from evaluators around the sport.
Top 10 second basemen
1. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
If not for the excellence of Shohei Ohtani and a second-half injury, Marte would have been a strong candidate for NL MVP honors. He mustered 6.8 WAR in just 136 games, hitting 36 homers and scoring 93 runs. The only middle infielders with a higher wRC+ than Marte's 151 were Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson.
2. Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers
If the Rangers' offense is going to bounce back, Bruce Bochy will need more from Semien, whose OBP dipped to .308 last season. But even in a down year, he still hit 23 homers and scored 101 runs.
Semien also continues to be an elite defender: Only Brice Turang and Andres Gimenez had more Defensive Runs Saved than Semien last season.
3. Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox
The best possible outcome for Bregman and the 2025 Red Sox would be if he has a monster first year in Fenway Park, as Adrian Beltre once did, and then opts out of his contract and relaunches into free agency next fall. Bregman's numbers in Fenway Park are remarkable: a .375/.490/.750 slash line over 21 games, and whether he hits in front of Rafael Devers or behind him, he's likely to have tons of protection because he'll often come to the plate with runners on base and the opposing pitcher backed into a corner.
4. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
The Astros have talked about giving Altuve reps in left field, and Altuve is open to the idea, a reflection of the regression in his defense. But Altuve, who turns 35 in May, still rakes -- he batted .295 last year, compiling 185 hits and an Adjusted OPS+ of 126. Altuve may reach the 2,400-hit and 250-homer benchmarks in his career by year's end.
5. Jonathan India, Kansas City Royals
It's not clear how India will be deployed in the field, perhaps splitting time between second base -- the position he mostly played with the Reds -- and third base and left field. But there is no mystery about where he is expected to be in the lineup. Last year, K.C.'s (many) leadoff hitters combined for a wRC+ of 66, which ranked dead last in the majors, and this year, India will likely take over that spot. Last year, he generated an OBP of .357, with some pop and some speed. He and Bobby Witt Jr. will likely create plenty of opportunities for Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino and those who follow to drive them home.
6. Andres Gimenez, Toronto Blue Jays
Cleveland moved the three-time Gold Glover to Toronto because of his contract -- he's owed about $87.5 million over his next five seasons -- but also because of his diminished offense: His Adjusted OPS+ dropped from 141 in 2022 to 82 last year, with a .298 on-base percentage. But his defense is special: You could make a case that he's MLB's best defensive player at any position. Only Washington center fielder Jacob Young compiled more Outs Above Average than Jimenez.
7. Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals
He would be getting more attention if St. Louis was a playoff contender; after three seasons, he has a career OBP of .364 with a 116 OPS+.
8. Luis Garcia Jr., Washington Nationals
He turns 25 in May and is part of the reason Washington might be a surprise team this year. He's got some power (18 homers last season) and speed (22 steals).
He had elbow surgery last fall and the Cubs aren't sure exactly when he'll be ready to rejoin the lineup. But whenever he does, manager Craig Counsell will again have excellent defense at second. Hoerner hit .273 last season, with a respectable .335 OBP.
10. Jazz Chisholm, New York Yankees
He's back to second base after roaming to shortstop, center field and third base, but his primary value to the Yankees will be what he does at the plate. Last year, Chisholm hit 24 homers and swiped 40 and put up his best numbers of the season after arriving in New York at the trade deadline.
Honorable mentions
Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves: He's coming off a season filled with injury, with his Adjusted OPS+ falling to 95 last season from a career-best 126 mark in 2023.
Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers: Lots of speed (50 steals in 56 attempts) and lots of defense (he was the MLB leader in Defensive Runs Saved last season) and he's only 25.
Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays: When he stays on the field, he does damage: He had 21 homers in 107 games in '24. But he has missed 205 games over the last three seasons.
Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds: Cincinnati is hopeful he'll bounce back after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. To review: He had an Adjusted OPS+ of 127 in '23.