Friday's Second Baseman Value Rankings
Here are theScore's second baseman value rankings for Friday, May 6 (all stats exclude Thursday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Brett Lawrie (CWS) | vs. MIN | 9 |
| Jose Altuve (HOU) | vs. SEA | 9 |
| Robinson Cano (SEA) | at HOU | 9 |
| Brian Dozier (MIN) | at CWS | 8 |
| Neil Walker (NYM) | at SD | 8 |
Lawrie's Achilles heel at the plate has always been his inability to lay off bad pitches. His career high in walks coming into this season was 33. This year, he has already walked 16 times. The patient approach has led to a .281/.389/.490 slash line. Look for Lawrie, who has always had the raw talent, to continue his success against middling right-hander Ricky Nolasco.
Dozier is showing signs of heating up after a slow start to the season. He has a .348 OBP with two home runs and 10 RBIs in his last 10 games. The entire Twins offense looks to be turning a corner, which could mean trouble for Mat Latos, who has been incredibly lucky this season. His .228 BABIP is well below the league average of .300.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Utley (LAD) | at TOR | 7 |
| Rougned Odor (TEX) | at DET | 7 |
| Ian Kinsler (DET) | vs. TEX | 7 |
| Logan Forsythe (TB) | at LAA | 6 |
| Dustin Pedroia (BOS) | at NYY | 6 |
| Jason Kipnis (CLE) | vs. KC | 6 |
| Jean Segura (ARI) | at ATL | 6 |
| Jed Lowrie (OAK) | at BAL | 6 |
| Josh Harrison (PIT) | at STL | 5 |
| Howie Kendrick (LAD) | at TOR | 5 |
Utley has immense value when he hits leadoff for the Dodgers, which is usually the case when facing a right-handed starter. Utley comes very cheap, and has a nice .388 OBP so far this season. The Dodgers' lineup is filled with run producers like Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson, who can drive in Utley when he gets on base.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Zobrist (CHC) | vs. WAS | 3 |
| Brandon Phillips (CIN) | vs. MIL | 3 |
| Chris Coghlan (OAK) | at BAL | 3 |
| Joe Panik (SF) | vs. COL | 2 |
| DJ LeMahieu (COL) | at SF | 2 |
| Jose Ramirez (CLE) | vs. KC | 2 |
| Omar Infante (KC) | at CLE | 2 |
| Kolten Wong (STL) | vs. PIT | 1 |
Panik is dealing with a groin injury and isn't worth the risk in case he isn't in the lineup.
Infante has an awful .286 OBP this season and can't be trusted in any formats against RHP Danny Salazar, who is one of the best strikeout pitchers in all of baseball.
HEADLINES
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- What's next: Where the West's 1st-round outs go from here
- Nylander scores a pair as Maple Leafs beat Panthers in Game 1
- Padres' Shildt tossed after expletive-laden exchange with umpire