2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft. Second Baseman can be a tough position to draft in fantasy baseball. Do you go for batting average, power, or a mix of both statistics? A lot will depend on one’s overall draft strategy for 2009 and which players are left on the board in the later rounds. There is no shortage of good hybrid players, howerver, in the top five second baseman heading into the 2009 Fantasy Baseball draft. My top five for the 2009 season are: Chase Utley, Ian Kinsler, Brandon Phillips, Alexei Ramirez, and Dustin Pedroia.
Top 5 Second Basemen – Fantasy Draft Guide 2009
#1 Position Battles Second Basemen – Fantasy Baseball 2009: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Utley had a strong season in 2008 although he cooled down a bit at the end of the regular season to a .292 batting average to go with his 33 HRs and 104 RBI’s before hitting post season play. Look for Utley to return to his 2007 form and bat .310 in 2009 with 30 HRs, and 110 RBIs! Definitely a great pick to take by the fifth round in the 2009 Fantasy baseball draft if he’s still on the board!
#2 Position Battles Second Basemen – Fantasy Baseball 2009: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Ian Kinsler is coming off of a great 2008 season where he was named to the AL All Star team for the first time! He finished the season batting .319 in only 121 games. He had decent power numbers for a second baseman with 18 HRs and 71 RBIs. Ranke number two behin Utley solely because he hasn’t performed for multiple seasons in a row yet in his major league career. Look for him to bat .320 in 2009 an improve on his power numbers somewhat with 25 HRs an 90 RBIs.
#3 Position Battles Second Basemen – Fantasy Baseball 2009: Brandon Phillips, Cincinatti Reds
One bright spot in the 2008 Cincinatti season was the play of Brandon Phillips! He was able to win his first Golden Glove in the major leagues last season while putting up some solid power numbers for a second baseman. He had a .312 OBP, but only hit .261 last season to go with his 21 HRs and 78 RBIs. Look for Phillips to improve his hitting in the 2009 season to .280, with 25 HRs, and 90 RBIs. A great deep pick in the 2009 Fantasy baseball draf if he’s still available!
#4 Position Battles Second Basemen – Fantasy Baseball 2009: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
In his rookie season, Ramirez put up some solid numbers batting .291 with 21 HRs and 77 RBIs over 136 games. Look for Ramirez to improve on these numbers in 2009 and bat .300 with 25 HRs, and 92 RBIs over the 2009 season. Definitely a toss-up between taking Ramirez and Phillips in the 2009 fantasy baseball draft if they’re both on the board still in later rounds.
#5 Position Battles Second Basemen – Fantasy Baseball 2009: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia had his second great season in a row for the BoSox in 2008 batting .326 with 17 HRs and 83 RBI’s. Look for him to drop a bit on his batting average in 2009 to .290, but improve his power numbers to 25 HRs, and 94 RBIs. Definitely a safe pick to take for the second baseman position in the 2009 fantasy baseball draft!