Minnesota Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Second Base

When longtime Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco departed via free agency a year ago, Edouard Julien looked to be heir apparent coming off a stellar rookie campaign. Julien had emerged as the team's leadoff hitter in 2023, and his improvement with the glove that season inspired hope he could entrench himself as Minnesota's fixture at second base for years.

Unfortunately, the 2024 campaign was an all-around flop for Julien, who posted replacement-level production and now finds himself trying to battle his way back into the picture, with current and former top prospects also making their cases in spring training.

TWINS SECOND BASEMEN AT A GLANCE

Starter: Brooks Lee
Backup: Edouard Julien
Depth: Willi Castro, Austin Martin, Royce Lewis
Prospects: Luke Keaschall (NRI), Kyle DeBarge, Tanner Schobel

Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 25th out of 30
Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 19th out of 30

THE GOOD
During his time as manager, Ron Gardenhire famously loved to place middle infielders at the top of the batting order, regardless of the suitability of their skill sets. He would be delighted by all the legit leadoff-type profiles comprising Minnesota's current group of second base options. 

Julien was a prototypical fit as lineup catalyst in 2023, thanks to his exceptional discipline and on-base skills. He eventually gave way last year to Willi Castro, who might be the default starter at second base coming out of camp if no one else proves ready. The speedy switch-hitter led all Twins in starts as leadoff man last year, with 48. He's a nice floor-setting option at second base. 

But the Twins are surely hoping that Brooks Lee can step up and plant a flag at second base this spring. Lee too offers a leadoff profile, with his switch-hitting ability, competitive at-bats and high contact rates. Enthusiasm around Lee's offensive potential made him a top-10 draft pick in 2022 and a top-20 global prospect last year ahead of his debut. He has an .841 OPS in the minors and slashed .308/.368/.606 at Triple-A last year, forcing the issue for a big-league call-up.

Lee flashed his A-game out of the gates after joining the Twins last year, driving in nine runs with a .950 OPS in his first eight contests before injuries and opponent adjustments stymied his production the rest of the way. While his prolonged second-half slump was concerning to a degree, Lee's season was promising overall for a 23-year-old and now he's primed to fully establish himself in the majors.

Even if his bat is still not quite living up to its potential, Lee's defensive chops should give him an edge. Unlike most former shortstops who are playing second, he isn't on the right side because he wasn't good enough for short. Some guy named Carlos Correa just happens to occupy that position for the Twins. Lee is probably Minnesota's second-best defensive shortstop and their best defender at second and third. 

This underscores why I believe Lee is very likely to make the roster, barring a completely barren offensive showing this spring. But it also underscores why I don't think he'll be an everyday second baseman, even if that's where he starts on Opening Day. To maximize the team's defensive strength, he should be the top choice to fill in at short or third when Correa or Royce Lewis need a break, or get hurt, and Lee himself will need days off. 

In other words, there should still be plenty of playing time available at second for Julien to claim, if he's up to the task. Personally, I'm bullish. The 25-year-old had an astonishingly consistent track record of hitting prior to last season; things really seemed to spiral and snowball on him over the course of the summer. I'm curious to see how he looks following an offseason to reflect and reset.

The clock is ticking on Julien to regain a foothold at second base, because Lee isn't the only impressive young infielder pushing his way into the team's plans. Top prospect Luke Keaschall, yet another leadoff prototype, is back from elbow surgery and participating in big-league camp, following a fantastic season in the minors that saw him slash .303/.420/.483 while reaching Double-A. He's played around the field but second base may be his most likely landing spot in the majors.

THE BAD
While there's more promise at second base than first, the same fundamental thing is true here: The Twins are counting on people to rebound from failure rather than build on success.

Julien was a mess for almost the entire season last year, and looked more lost than ever in September, when he posted a .361 OPS with 16 strikeouts and one walk. He was unrecognizable in comparison to the dominating force we saw in 2023. His struggles against breaking balls worsened to the point where Julien had almost no chance of success at the plate against pitchers who were ready to exploit his tendencies.

Lee was an even worse hitter than Julien on balance, finishing with a .585 OPS that barely edged Christian Vázquez. The most concerning part of Lee's performance is that his most renowned offensive skills were actually on display — he controlled the strike zone, rarely struck out, squared the ball up frequently. He simply didn't make contact with any authority, producing an 85-MPH average exit velocity and managing only 10 extra-base hits in 185 plate appearances.

Sure, there are reasons to think either or both can rebound, but at last sight, these guys were awful hitters. If the Twins don't become convinced that at least one is ready to shake off his second half in short order, we could see Castro playing regularly at second in the early going. That's not the worst thing, but it takes away from the utilityman's value as a flexible piece to move around the field, and also, if Minnesota can't count on Julien or Lee to be an asset to their lineup, it's probably a bad sign for the club's offensive outlook.

THE BOTTOM LINE
I'm not sure I'd feel confident betting right now on which player will make the most starts at second base for the Twins this year, but I would in feel confident in betting that second basemen will lead the team in leadoff appearances. That speaks to the offensive prowess brewing within candidates like Julien, Lee and Keaschall, although all have their own hurdles and setbacks to overcome.

Castro is on hand as a fallback option (at second base and leadoff), with Royce Lewis evidently being kept ready as an emergency valve. The Twins should be able to avoid downright horrible production at second, but their middling projection reflects the lack of assurance within their collective mix. 

They need Julien or Lee to step up, because the team's drop-off at second base, from ranking No. 3 in fWAR in 2023 to 25th in 2024, was one of the most easily isolated culprits in Minnesota's overall regression. A swing back in the right direction would do much to bolster the Twins' fortunes.

Share your thoughts on the outlook at second base below and check out the rest of our Position Analysis series:

• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Catcher
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: First Base