2024 MLB Draft Preview: Second Basemen

[Jeremy Nygaard]

2024 MLB draft coverage is kicking off with positional previews. During this focus - second baseman - you’ll notice that it’s exclusively college players. The reason for that is pretty simple: all the preps are paying shortstop and won’t become second baseman until they are moved off the position after being drafted… or in college.

We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position (or, in this case, region). For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name. 

The second basemen group has decent depth but is headlined by two players destined to go in the Top 10, possibly higher, with one of them likely to go first or second overall.

Travis Bazzana, L/R 2B, Oregon State (2)
Bazzana is a 6'0, 200-pound Australian second baseman who has hit at an extremely high level since arriving on campus at Corvallis.

Bazzana has some interesting elements to his swing, starting with a shoulder-level bat-tip and having a decent-sized leg kick. His swing is direct to the ball, however, and his offensive profile is underpinned by a great combination of excellent bat-to-ball skills and a great eye at the plate. 

Defensively, Bazzana is strong at second base, with good defensive actions and an average arm. He's also a problem on the base paths, with plus speed that has led to 50 stolen bases over his first two seasons for the Beavers.

After hitting 11 home runs in 2023, Bazzana worked at Driveline before the 2024 season to tap into more power and the results were positive. He batted .407/.568/.911 (1.479) on the season with 28 home runs and double the amount of walks (76) than strikeouts (37). He also stole 16 bases.

Bazzana is the betting favorite to go first overall to Cleveland.

JJ Wetherholt, L/R 2B, West Virginia (7)
At 5'10, 190 pounds, JJ Wetherholt is a compact second baseman with maybe the best hit tool in the entire 2024 draft class.

Wetherholt had a massive breakout in his sophomore season at West Virginia, hitting .449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs and 36 stolen bases. 
Wetherholt has a smooth, simple swing from the left side of the plate, with good bat speed and quick hands. He recognizes pitches out of the hand well and hasn't yet shown significant struggles against higher velocity, or breaking pitches. Wetherholt's bat-to-ball skills are some of the best in the class, and he ran a Contact% of ~90% in 2023.

His sophomore season showed more evidence of power and that projects to be at least average as a professional. 

Defensively, Wetherholt is playing shortstop for the first time in 2024 having previously played at second and third base. His ability to adjust to the position defensively will have a bearing on his draft stock, if a drafting team believes he can stick at short, that's a significant value add.
More of an above-average, savvy, aggressive runner than a burner, Wetherholt will likely continue to steal plenty of bases at the next level.

Regardless of the defensive uncertainty, the bat-to-ball skills are special and he'll still likely hear his name called in the first handful of picks in July despite missing a significant portion of his junior season due to a hamstring injury.

In 36 games, Wetherholt batted .331/.472/.589 (1.061), which were significant drops from his sophomore season. The leg injury may have sapped his power (24 doubles, five triples, and 16 home runs to eight doubles and eight home runs), but Wetherholt still showed a great eye at the plate, walking 30 times to only 17 strikeouts. 

Christian Moore, R/R 2B, Tennessee (33)
Moore epitomized consistent SEC production in his first two years as the starting second baseman at Tennessee, following up a 1.062 OPS as a freshman with a 1.046 OPS in 2023, his first season as a full-time player, but then blew up as a junior posting a .375/.453/.796 (1.249) slash for the country’s best team coming into the College World Series.

A stockily built player at 6'1, 210 pounds, Moore has plenty of physicality and athleticism that leads to good bat speed and the potential for above-average to plus power to all fields with a swing designed to lift the ball.

Moore does have some areas of refinement in an intriguing offensive profile. He takes plenty of walks, but his on-base skills are offset by a propensity to chase and some questions about his bat-to-ball skills. The concern has been somewhat quieted by taking 35 walks versus 45 strikeouts, an improvement from the 67 strikeouts last year (though he did walk 50 times). 

Defensively, it's a set of solid average tools. Moore doesn't have a ton of burst but moves well on the bases when he gets going. A solid glove and average arm make second base his most likely defensive home as a professional. Moore has been climbing boards all spring and should go in the first round.

Peyton Stovall, L/R 2B, Arkansas (91)
Stovall was one of the best prep prospects in the 2021 class to make it to campus, turning down top 40 interest to do so. His progress and performance as a college player have been somewhat dampened by injuries.

Stovall has an above-average hit tool underpinned by a picaresque left-handed swing. It's line drive power all over the field, he can pull a home run but his power tool projects to be fringy to average at best.

Stovall fits best as a second baseman professionally, with a solid glove and arm, and above-average speed.

Coming off surgery in the back half of 2023 to repair his labrum, Stovall had a healthy 2024 and produced a .340/.409/.535 (.944) slashline, all of which were career highs, though the power and speed profile remains limited.

Honorable Mentions: Emilien Pitre, L/R 2B, Kentucky (182), Duce Gourson, L/R 2B, UCLA (210), Kolby Branch, R/R, Georgia (281)

Who excites you from the second basemen class in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below.

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Find more draft coverage here:

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Midwest Highlights

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Third Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Shortstops

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Catcher

Mock Drafts!

Mock Draft v. 1.0 (Nygaard Edition): An Unusual Target

Mock Draft v.2.0 (Cameron Edition): Twins Lean into Prep Class

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[Dman]

Bazana is an absolute beast.  He is the perfect Cleveland hitter.  Gonna hate facing him when he goes against the Twins.

There's a chance Moore could be there when the Twins pick, but with all the second base types in the system not sure he would be my first pick there, but depending on what is left at 21 I wouldn't mind if they picked Moore.  He seems like the type of player the Twins would go after.  He can hit for average and has good power.  The chase issue does concern me some, but given the numbers not that much.

I'm just not that high on 2nd basemen given we have so many as it is.  Would prefer they go up the middle with their higher picks.

[DocBauer]

I won't say the Twins won't or shouldn't draft a 2B. They probably will. And you do draft best player available. And there's a couple guys here that seem to fit the Twins draft profile the past couple of years. But there is a point where you do look not only at the board, but what's in your system. I just don't see a 2B for the Twins in the first 2-3 rounds.

We'll share thoughts and opinions over the next couple of weeks as we get closer to the draft, of course. But honestly, the more I read, listen, and reflect, I'm really thinking that with the $ the Twins have to work with...and the state of the system right now...I'm starting to think the Twins might go HS heavy the first couple of rounds. I agree the draft is probably a circus after the first 10 picks or so. And there's always a surprise or two. 

But I'm honestly thinking a HS SS who they believe will stick, a HS arm, very possibly a 2nd HS arm since there seems to be a deep group there through the first couple of rounds, and a college BAT, probably OF. Just think it's the right time and place to grab 2-3 HS kids with the $ to play with to sign them and look at college arms later as they usually do. 

[ashbury]

Don't draft anybody as a second baseman.  Be honest and call him a good defensive first baseman or so-so left fielder, and draft because you totally believe his bat plays if he's stationed there.  This is even if he's a college man.  Because, a quick scan of first rounds of the draft a decade or so ago suggests this is what you end up with on a draftee designated "2B". 2B leads you to fool yourself that he's almost good enough to play SS - but he won't be.  Tons of guys with the SS label in the draft aren't good enough to stick there either, so don't kid around about 2Bmen.  You'll get your 2Bmen from the SS who wash out.

What's that? Edouard Julien was drafted as a second baseman?  Yeah, as an 18th rounder.  This is a first-round discussion, yes?  (And plenty of folks will argue that Eddie's not destined to stick at second, even now.)

(I have to go back to 2011 to find a first-round exception, the illustrious Cory Spangenberg. Oh, okay, Kolten Wong, later that same first round - yeah he's been good.)

[Fatbat]

Lets skip drafting 2B men for a year or three. There is always a pitcher available with more upside!

[darin617]

Never should a team be purely focusing on a position to draft a player. A team should always be taking the best available players. 

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Did any of you watch Moore on Friday night? Hit for the cycle, looked like an absolute beast? I'd drat him at 21 with zero reservations about what position he plays.

[2wins87]

The weakness of this draft might be more a lack of SS prospects at all levels than just the weakness of the HS class.  The thinness of the HS hitter class contributes since a lot of HS hitters are drafted as SS, but the college class also doesn't seem to have a single guy that projects to hit at a high level and stick at SS.  Focusing on getting a SS in a class like this is how you end up with Levi Michael types in the first round.

The CF class is a little more promising, and of course there are always pitchers, though they are by definition risky.  There will likely be some options there at 21.

But given the makeup of this draft class, the projected position should not be much of a deterrent against taking someone that can really hit.  The guys that can really hit and play a premium position just aren't there like they normally are.

I think Wetherholt will be drafted as a SS and whoever drafts him will try to keep him there as long as possible.  From what I've seen he's flashed a bit of potential at SS and in this draft that might be all a team is looking for.

For the Twins, I would not be at all upset about Christian Moore being the pick at 21.  He's getting a lot of top 20 buzz recently so he may not even make it that far.

[jishfish]

I've personally always been a fan of Stovall dating back to his original HS draft year, so I would not be mad at all to see the Twins take him at 60 or 69. I know Keith Law is pretty high on him (I believe #23 in his latest rankings), although I definitely wouldn't take him that high.