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2026 Prospect Second Base Preview

Prospects Live January 26, 2026

Second base, the keystone. It’s never been a position with the star-studded flash of shortstop, nor the monstrous impact of first base. It’s always been a sort of no-man’s land. The positional liminal space comprised of prospects not athletic enough to man the left side of the infield or those lacking the power to call the corners their home.

More than in prior years, that characterization continues to hold true for the forgotten position of the infield, which is in a period of transition. Some of the traditional stalwarts of the position have started to succumb to age, like Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien. Those who were primed to be the stars of the 2020s, like Gleyber Torres and Ozzie Albies, never sustained the heights of their prospect pedigree and early major league success. Bleakening the positional outlook further, those tapped to be the next wave of transcendent stars, raising the position back to its former glory, have taken steps back from their minor league performance, like Kristian Campbell and Jackson Holliday. That said, second base doesn’t consist entirely of doom and gloom; there are reasons for optimism for savvy dynasty players capable of sorting through the admittedly shallow position.

In 1965, the English band The Who wrote a song entitled “The Kids Are Alright” about the hope and optimism for future generations, and that song’s ethos applies to the brewing youth movement at the minor league level for the keystone position. What used to be a position for washed-out shortstops has slowly trended towards a more athletic trajectory with the increased emphasis on defense by most teams. If a prospect isn’t a premium athlete, then the other analytical approach takes over, i.e., that the player better rake to offset any potentially booted grounders.

At the tip of the spear is the trio of JJ Wetherholt, Travis Bazzana, and Luis Pena. All three prospects seem to serve as models for the modern archetypes of the second base position. Wetherholt is a do-it-all prospect, a true five-tool player, who would likely be at SS in most other organizations. He just happens to be on the same team as Masyn Winn, one of the few 70-grade defenders at the position. Travis Bazzana is of a different mold: the patient masher. The former #1 overall draft pick and Oregon State Beaver has one of the best batting eyes in the minors, sporting a preposterous MILB career OBP of .384. While the power he demonstrated in Corvallis, where he hit 28 HR in just 60 games during his final collegiate year, hasn’t entirely shown up yet, there is plenty of reason to believe there is more to come. Finally, Luis Pena, the youngest of the trio, mirrors the speedster class that has firmly taken hold of the majors. The best comparison for Pena’s game may be in his own organization at the Major League level right now: Brice Turang, who represents the Charizard to Nico Hoerner’s Charmeleon, and Xavier Edwards’s Charmander. Where Pena ultimately falls on that evolutionary continuum depends on his power output. There are reasons for optimism there after 9 HR in approximately a half season last year, but it seems unlikely for him to develop a 30/30 upside like the current King of the Keystone, Jazz Chisholm.

Beyond that trio, prospects like Michael Arroyo, Jett Williams, and Jefferson Rojas all fall into one of those three archetypes with lower ceilings. Arroyo mirrors Bazzana’s patient power approach. Jett joined the Brewers as part of the Freddy Peralta trade as a clear echoing of the organizational ideology embodied by Pena, and while Rojas has a lot of refinement to do, it’s not hard to envision a world where he could become a 15/15 or even 20/20 threat with fantastic defense as he continues to mature. Further off, names like Roldy Brito, Marconi German, and Bruin Agbayani have viable prospect shine that should keep them on your radar as 2026 breakouts.

Overall, second base is not the most star-studded position, but the youth wave rising through the minors is welcome, given that over the last decade, some of its brightest stars have started to fade while others have failed to truly cement themselves on the mantle. For the dynasty managers who can accurately discern who is going to breakout at the position in 2026 and beyond, they will gain a tremendous advantage over their peers, given how shallow the position is at the major league level.

Dynasty Buys and Sells at the end of the article.

2026 Prospect Previews - Prospects LiveProspects LiveProspects Live Staff

Top Prospect Second Basemen

Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our November update.

1. JJ Wetherholt STL, 2B (AAA)

154 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 17 HR, 14 SB, 11.4% BB, 17.0% K, .263/.359/.423, 122 wRC+

Photo Credit: PJ Maigi

While there wasn't much room for Wetherholt to improve his stock from his preseason top 25 status, he did everything he needed to — and then some — on his way to becoming a borderline top 5 prospect in the game. His advanced plate discipline (18% chase rate and 12% walk rate in Triple-A) and contact skills (24% whiff rate and 15% K rate at the level) are his best offensive tools, but he's no slouch in the power or speed departments either. After hitting seven home runs in 62 Double-A contests (.166 ISO), he earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he started punishing the baseball on a more consistent basis, knocking 10 balls out of the park in 47 games and boosting his ISO to .249 over that span. Much like his power, his speed is more average to above-average than truly plus, but he's a smart baserunner and was able to swipe 23 bags on 26 attempts (88% success) between the two levels. At peak, he could be a 20 HR/20 SB asset with strong ratios that will make him a consistent fantasy contributor regardless of format. The only question will be his defensive home, with 2B looking most likely, though 3B could be an option with Nolan Arenado being moved to Arizona. - Kyle Sonntag

2. Luis Peña MIL, 2B, SS (A+)

154 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 21 HR, 35 SB, 6.6% BB, 17.5% K, .267/.319/.449, 114 wRC+

Photo Credit: mlb.com

Pena was one of the biggest fantasy risers last year and even ranked ahead of Jesús Made in some places. But once he reached High-A, Pena hit a wall. In 25 games, he batted just .168 and wasn’t able to make contact at the same rate he did in Single-A. There were bound to be growing pains, but there’s still plenty to like with Pena. For one, he’s an excellent base stealer—he swiped 44 bags in 2025. He also crushes lefties, posting a .337/.378/.614 line in 83 at-bats. And despite his smaller frame, he has a quick bat and enough strength to leave the yard with consistency. Pena’s plus hit tool and speed give him a high floor. He’ll have to quiet our concerns by making an adjustment in High-A, making better contact against righties. The ceiling may not be quite as lofty as we once projected, but he remains a top-25 prospect. - Tom Gates

3. Travis Bazzana CLE, 2B (AAA)

129 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 14 HR, 9 SB, 13.4% BB, 26.3% K, .222/.335/.366, 101 wRC+

Photo Credit: Jay Gehres

First overall draft picks always inherit a high level of expectations, and Bazzana had his work cut out for him more than most, given that he shared a draft year with the likes of Nick Kurtz, Trey Yesavage, and Chase Burns. While he did not sprint to the majors in the same fashion as these other names, Bazzana did put together a respectable first full season as a professional. Injuries limited the former Oregon State standout to just 77 games played between Double-A and Triple-A, but he performed well above average at both levels (combined 136 wRC+). His full-season slash line of .245/.389/.424 also sells short just how polished and mature Bazzana looked at the plate; upon reaching Triple-A, the Aussie infielder walked at a remarkable 24.2% rate, and hardly strayed outside the strike zone (13.2% chase rate). Fantasy skeptics will point to his nine homers and twelve steals as mediocre output, but these seem like a reasonable return against such advanced competition and in an injury-shortened season. Bazzana heads into 2026 as a top-25 prospect in baseball and someone who could potentially break camp with the big league team. - Lucas Morel

4. Jett Williams MIL, 2B, OF (AAA)

156 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 17 HR, 25 SB, 12.7% BB, 23.3% K, .244/.348/.417, 117 wRC+

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