Matt Johnson
Who is the best second baseman in MLB? As part of our preview for the 2026 Major League Baseball season, we’re ranking every position before Opening Day. Based on a variety of MLB stats from 2025 and recent seasons, we’re determining who we see as the best second basemen in MLB right now. Of note, the position feels thinner than it has in years and it’s the weakest in baseball.
Based on both run production and fielding ability, here are the 10 best MLB second basemen in 2026.
1. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Ketel Marte is the best second baseman in baseball. The subject of MLB trade rumors for months, he’ll at least start the 2026 campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Over the last two seasons, he’s led all second basemen in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement (9.5)—one of just two with an fWAR of 8-plus—and he tops the leaderboard in home runs (54), OPS (.911) and RBI (143), with the second-best batting average (.287) and fourth-most runs scored (155). Heading into his age-32 season, Marte should deliver a fourth consecutive campaign with an .840-plus OPS, 20-plus home runs and 70-plus RBI.
Related: Best MLB Pitchers 2026
2. Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs
Nico Hoerner is the most well-rounded second baseman in MLB. In 2025, he led the position in Defensive Runs Saved (17) and ranked in the 98th percentile for Outs Above Average (15). Additionally, the Chicago Cubs homegrown infielder reached 29-plus steals for the third consecutive year and boasted the highest batting average (.296) while being the only second baseman with a strikeout rate (7.4 percent) under 10 percent. Hoerner doesn’t hit for much power, but that doesn’t really matter when you can get on base 34 percent of the time (.339 OBP the last three seasons), add value on the base paths and win the Gold Glove Award.
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3. Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
Brice Turang is just the latest breakout star from the Milwaukee Brewers’ player development pipeline. He earned a Gold Glove Award in 2024 and is tied for the most Defensive Runs Saved (29) at second base over the last two seasons. Turang took a bit of a step back defensively (34th percentile Outs Above Average [-1] and 7 Defensive Runs Saved [ninth]), but he made up for it with career highs in OPS (.794), home runs (18), RBI (81) and batting average (.288). He’s also outstanding on the bases, leading the position in steals (74) over the last two seasons. Turang has a great shot at earning his first All-Star selection in 2026.
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4. Jazz Chisholm Jr, New York Yankees
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has found a nice home at second base with the New York Yankees. Since joining the club midway through the 2024 season, he’s put up an .816 OPS with 103 runs scored, 49 steals, 32 home runs, 22 doubles and that many RBI across 638 at-bats. Those numbers at second base, with league-average defense, are incredibly valuable at a time when the position is so thin. However, in a contract year, teams looking ahead to MLB free agency might question his .207 batting average and .299 OBP outside Yankee Stadium in 2025.
Related: Best MLB First Basemen 2026
5. Brendan Donovan, Seattle Mariners
One of the many skills Brendan Donovan brings to the table is his versatility. He’s appeared in 153 games at second base and 123 in left field over the last two seasons, with appearances also at third base (nine games) and shortstop (six games). Now with the Seattle Mariners, he’ll be spending a lot more time at the hot corner this season. Donovan earned his first All-Star selection in 2025 and finished the campaign with a .775 OPS, 32 doubles and a .287 batting average. It matches his production since his major-league debut in 2022, and he ranks fourth in batting average (.278) and sixth in OPS (.753) in that four-season span. With even more talent surrounding him in the Mariners’ lineup, Donovan has a shot at putting up even better numbers in 2026.
Related: Best MLB Third Basemen 2026
6. Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays
By the end of the season, Toronto Blue Jays fan-favorite Ernie Clement could be viewed as one of the five best second basemen in MLB. Defensively, despite only playing 60 games at the position last year, he had the third-most Defensive Runs Saved (10) and placed in the 98th percentile for Outs Above Average (15). Winning the Gold Glove Award is very much on the table. We’re also buying into his performance in October. Clement set the single-season MLB postseason record for hits (30), putting up an incredible .411/.416/.562 triple-slash line with a .977 OPS, 13 runs scored and 9 RBI in 18 playoff games. Gold Glove-caliber defense with a .760-plus OPS makes you one of the best players in MLB at second.
Read More: MLB Power Rankings 2026, Evaluating all 30 Teams
7. Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers
Five years after earning his second All-Star selection in 2019, Gleyber Torres made it back in his first year with the Detroit Tigers. Leaving the Yankees proved to be the best thing for him, as evidenced by his career-best .358 OBP this past season with 74 RBI, 22 doubles, 16 home runs and nearly as many walks (85) as strikeouts (101) in 532 at-bats. Torres ranks fifth in OPS (.754) among second basemen in the last three seasons. Run production is about the only positive with the 29-year-old’s game, but he’s firmly established himself as one of the 10 best players at his position.
8. Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins
A former top prospect with the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays, landing with the Miami Marlins really seemed to turn the trajectory of Xavier Edwards’ career around. Miami moved him from short to second base this past year, and the results were impressive. He finished with the second-most Defensive Runs Saved (12) and placed in the 77th percentile for Outs Above Average (2). At the plate, he now sports a .298/.361/.375 triple-slash line with a .736 OPS, 69 RBI, 68 steals and 32 doubles over the last two years. Miami has him under contract through 2029, so he’ll also be one of the most cost-effective second basemen for a few years.
9. Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies
It’s at this tier with the best MLB second basemen where we’re talking about everyday players who are worth about 2–3 Wins Above Replacement per season. Bryson Stott seemed to be an emerging star in 2023, putting up a .280/.329/.419 line with a .747 OPS, 15 home runs and 32 doubles with a 4.3 bWAR. Stott has since been worth 4.7 bWAR combined over the last two seasons. From 2024–25, he ranked 14th in batting average (.254) and 15th in OPS (.698) among second basemen. He’s an above-average everyday player at this stage of his career, but the version of him we saw a few seasons ago clearly isn’t coming back.
10. Marcus Semien, New York Mets
From 2021–23, Marcus Semien hit 100 home runs with 285 RBI and had a .263/.329/.482 triple-slash line with an .811 OPS. Those marks twice landed him on the All-MLB First Team and got him into the All-Star Game twice. Unfortunately, getting into his mid-30s, the hitting has tailed off considerably. Semien is responsible for a .686 OPS (19th at second base) with a .234 batting average (21st) over the last two seasons. The New York Mets are probably going to get more of the same in 2026, but Semien (92nd percentile Outs Above Average) is still very good defensively.
