Once upon a time, second base was not often seen as a position that would provide a ton of offensive impact.

Boy, have times changed.

At the big league level, there are MVP candidates like Ketel Marte with his 151 wRC+ and 36 homers. Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve hit at least 20 homers in 2024. Down on the farm, it’s not much different. Eight of the prospects on this year’s new Top 10 second basemen list have at least average power, more than half of the list finished the 2024 season with 120 or higher wRC+ and two members of the 2024 Draft class come in with a combined 62 homers from their final seasons in college. There’s plenty of thump coming from the keystone and much of it could make a big league lineup near you soon.

The Top 10 (ETA)

1. Kristian Campbell, Red Sox (2025)
2. Travis Bazzana, Guardians (2025)
3. Luke Keaschall, Twins (2025)
4. Christian Moore, Angels (2025)
5. James Triantos, Cubs (2025)
6. Termarr Johnson, Pirates (2026)
7. Sal Stewart, Reds (2026)
8. Michael Arroyo, Mariners (2026)
9. Demetrio Crisantes, D-backs (2027)
10. Orelvis Martinez, Blue Jays (2025)
Complete list »

Top tools

Hit: Bazzana (70)
The No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, Bazzana has almost no weaknesses at the plate and slashed .407/.568/.911 during his junior year at Oregon State, finishing second among all Division I hitters in on-base percentage and OPS (1.479). He has a compact and super-fast left-handed swing, makes strong swing decisions and produces high-end exit velocities regularly.

Power: Campbell, Moore, Martinez (60)
Campbell’s shift to being more aggressive and lofting more balls in the air led the breakout prospect to launch 20 homers with 32 doubles and a .558 slugging percentage in his first full season. Moore, the Angels’ first-rounder in 2024, set a Tennessee career mark with 61 homers and his 34 in 2024 was third among all Division I hitters (another school record). Martinez hit a combined 86 homers over three seasons while making his way up the ladder, with 17 more in 74 Minor League games in 2024. A suspension leaves a bit of a cloud over him for the time being (more on that in a bit).

Run: Campbell, Bazzana (60)
Campbell put his plus speed to use on the basepaths for the first time after not being a threat to steal at Georgia Tech, and his 24 thefts put him in the 20/20 club. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Bazzana do that as well as he swiped 36 bags as a Beavers sophomore, then 16 more in 2024.

Arm: Triantos, Stewart, Martinez (55)
It’s not exactly the most important tool for the right side of the infield, but Triantos has seen time at third, where his accuracy wasn’t always consistent, and more recently in the outfield. Both Stewart and Martinez have seen time at the hot corner as well, with enough arm for that spot.

Field: 6 tied (50)
It’s an offensive-minded group for sure, though most of the list should be just fine at the keystone. While eight of the 10 have gotten reps at multiple positions (Bazzana and Moore are the lone second base-only guys), Campbell, Bazzana, Keaschall, Moore, Johnson and Arroyo all project to be average defenders at second base.

Superlatives

Highest ceiling: Campbell
With a more aggressive approach and a shift in bat path to get more loft, Campbell took off in 2024 and there are those who think he should be in the conversation for top prospect overall. He looks like he could hit 25 or more homers annually and he started using his plus speed effectively on the basepaths, giving him 20/20 potential.

Highest floor: Bazzana
You could make the argument that he has as high a ceiling as Campbell, but the floor is so high because there’s so much certainty he’ll hit at the big league level, and soon. There’s power and speed here, too.

Rookie of the Year candidate: Campbell
It’s looking like Campbell will be given every opportunity to win the Red Sox second base job on Opening Day. The big league club needs some right-handed hitting and there isn’t a clear starter on the roster. His ability to move around the field defensively should also help ensure he breaks camp with the team, even if he isn’t at the keystone every day.

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Highest riser: Campbell
Campbell wasn’t even on the Red Sox Top 30 at the start of the 2024 season, going from off that list to topping it and landing in the top 10 of our Top 100 list, thanks to an ascendant year in which he climbed from High-A to the Minors' highest level and finished with a combined .997 OPS.

Humblest beginning: Campbell
Taken in the compensation round right after Round 4 in 2023, Campbell signed for slot after a solid season at Georgia Tech (following a redshirt year in 2022). So there wasn’t much college track record and he wasn’t ranked on our Draft Top 250 list, flying under the radar until he burst onto the scene last year.

Most to prove: Martinez
Martinez has put up excellent power numbers at several stops and seemed to erase a rough patch in 2022, but his suspension in 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance Clomiphene means he’ll have to show the production earlier in his career wasn't a result of that.

Keep an eye on: Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers
Initially signed by the Phillies in July 2021, Lee was sent to the Tigers at the 2023 Trade Deadline in the Michael Lorenzen deal. He has the chance to really hit, and his .851 OPS in Double-A last year was a career high as he got back to pulling balls with authority. He’s yet to play over 100 games in a season, and a fully healthy campaign could allow Lee to reach his offensive ceiling.