Friday's Second Baseman Value Rankings
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Here are theScore's second baseman rankings for Friday, September 16 (all stats exclude Thursday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| DJ LeMahieu (COL) | vs. SD | 9 |
| Brian Dozier (MIN) | at NYM | 9 |
| Robinson Cano (SEA) | vs. HOU | 8 |
LeMahieu benefits greatly from his home park and a matchup against left-handed pitcher Christian Friedrich. In 359 career plate appearances at home against an LHP, the Rockies' second baseman has a line of .335/.397/.451. Hitting second in the lineup also gives him an opportunity to bat directly in front of Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, which is a good place to be indeed.
There's not much more to say about Dozier as he edges closer to the precipice of all-time greatness by a second baseman in a single season. He has a 1.404 OPS over his last 10 games, which includes seven home runs and four doubles. His 41 HRs are now just two behind Davey Johnson's record of 43.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Devon Travis (TOR) | at LAA | 7 |
| Brandon Phillips (CIN) | vs. PIT | 7 |
| Jason Kipnis (CLE) | vs. DET | 6 |
Travis has a .395 BA over his last 10 contests, and has an 11-game hitting streak. Unfortunately, he only has three runs since September 4 because of the struggles of the hitters directly behind him in the Blue Jays' order. That could change now that Josh Donaldson is back in the two-spot but Travis isn't quite the best use of salary. He can still be deployed in GPP contests, though.
Set to face presumptive AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer (2.76 ERA, 1.05 WHIP in 23 starts), Kipnis might not snap out of his recent slump in the batter's box. He's hitting just .200 over his last 40 at-bats with no home runs and just one stolen base. He offers some contrarian appeal.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Howie Kendrick (LAD) | at ARI | 4 |
| Starlin Castro (NYY) | at BOS | 4 |
| Dee Gordon (MIA) | at PHI | 3 |
Castro has hit well of late but he's better suited to games when he gets the benefit of facing a left-handed pitcher.
Gordon has a .268 OBP against lefties this season and his main contribution these days are steals. That doesn't bode well against an above-average steal-prevention defense. The Phillies have the 13th-best caught-stealing percentage (31.5 percent) while allowing the ninth-fewest stolen bases overall (63).