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Welcome officially to the 2022 fantasy baseball season! Now that an MLB deal is in place, a lot more fantasy drafts will be taking place -- and we're here as always to guide you through it. Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players with upside that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to start taking a risk or two on a variety of different players, including emerging prospects, overlooked veterans, players returning from injury, or even talented players who may have some playing time concerns. The early rounds are critical and the middle rounds shape the core of your starting squad, but the late rounds are where you have the opportunity to select hidden gems who can play a huge role for your fantasy team.
Today, we're looking at some late-round second basemen for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a late-round sleeper draft target that you're going to want to prioritize? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2022 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all of our in-depth 2022 player outlooks, and many other premium articles and tools, available exclusively in our 2022 Draft Kit.
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Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees
What a strange case Torres has been over the years. After smashing 62 homers in his first two years with the Yankees (267 games), he has hit just 12 more over the last two seasons (169 games). His raw power is lacking (max exit velocity of 111.6 in his career, has never posted a barrel rate above 10%), but his contact ability has been impressive the last two seasons (17.5% K% in 2020, 20.2% in 2021). He even stole 14 bases in his 127 games in 2021, which is very valuable in today's league.
Add on to this the fact that Torres is just 25, and we are looking at a decent floor with plenty of ceiling as well. The Yankees lineup bolsters the counting stats for everybody in there, the batting average should be decent given the low strikeout rate, and a power resurgence is well within the range of outcomes given the age. He comes really cheap in drafts now with an ADP of 176, making him a very interesting guy to take a stab at this year.
-- Jon Anderson - RotoBaller
Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies
Brendan Rodgers, the young Rockies' infielder, quietly put together an interesting 2021 season. In his 415 plate appearances, the 25-year-old slashed .284/.328/.470 with 15 homers. The barrel rate (6.2%) and max exit velocity (111 mph) cast a bit of doubt over his potential power upside, but he did make a ton of contact (80% contact rate, 20.2% K%) while providing a non-zero amount of power. One big positive was his ability to be an effective hitter on the road (.289/.337/.536 in 194 PA), while most of the rest of his teammates were brutal at the plate away from Coors Field. Rodgers comes with former top-prospect pedigree and has plenty of time left to improve his game. The contact skills are a good base to build on, and it is much too early to say he will never be a significant power threat.
On paper, his lack of raw power and steals make him look like a low-upside player, but it is never wise to write talented players off this early on. Playing time should not be much of a concern with Trevor Story leaving town, which means there will be lots of opportunities for improvement. Rodgers is a great guy to take a late-round flier on with an ADP around 160. The worst-case scenario here still results in a positive batting average, which can be hard to find late in the draft.
-- Jon Anderson - RotoBaller
Jonathan Schoop, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers infielder Jonathan Schoop enjoyed another solid campaign in Detroit. After joining the Tigers prior to the 2020 season, 2021 marked the veteran's first full season in the Motor City. He responded by hitting .278 with a .320 on-base percentage, 22 home runs, and a pair of steals in 674 plate appearances. He also chipped in with 85 runs scored and 84 RBI. It was the second straight season Schoop has hit .278. If his track record is anything to go by, the veteran will have an excellent shot at topping 20 home runs.
Dating back to 2016, Schoop has topped the 20 home run mark in each of his last five full seasons. The relatively high runs scored and RBI numbers should continue for the infielder, who should benefit from Javier Baez, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene joining him in the Tigers' lineup. Per the NFBC, Schoop is currently being selected as the 23rd second-baseman off draft boards with an ADP of 196.61. However, it would surprise no one if he easily outperforms that draft position given his track record and the improved nature of the Tigers lineup.
-- Ben Rosener - RotoBaller
Kolten Wong, Milwaukee Brewers
On paper, Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong had one of, if not his best offensive campaign. He hit .272 with 14 HRs, 12 SBs, 70 runs, and 50 RBI in 116 games, good value for where he was being selected. His ADP hasn't shifted much this season, though, going around 198th overall. Part of that is thanks to his underlying numbers. His 34.7% hard-hit rate and 47.7 GB% didn't do him any favors, leading to a .247 xBA that was far from matching his actual mark. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him hit above .270 again, considering he's outpaced his xBA by at least 25 points for the past five seasons, and his .305 BABIP was around his career norm. Wong posted career highs in most Statcast metrics, including Barrel%, sweet spot rate, and xHRs. He isn't the fastest, but Milwaukee has swiped the 11th most bases since 2019, and he's stolen 17 bags in his last 169 games with below-average speed.
Wong isn't a huge power threat, given his 5.5 Barrel%, but he'll continue to benefit from playing his home games at American Family Field. The Brewers don't have the strongest lineup, but assuming he leads off again, we could see a run total just below his 162 game pace of 98 from last season. All told, Wong could contribute a bit in every category and may have a greater impact than the more one-dimensional Eduardo Escobar and Ryan McMahon, the former going 11 picks ahead of Wong and the latter 22.
-- Spencer Seguin - RotoBaller
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