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If one asked 100 fans what the Twins' positions of need are ahead of 2025, the most common answers would probably include first base, right-handed outfielder, lefty reliever, any big bat, and maybe a backup center fielder. There are questions and a lack of depth at each of those positions, both at the MLB level and in the high minors.
Few have placed second base high on their list of concerns. That's understandable, but we may be overlooking the position to some degree. Although the position may not lack the depth of the other spots further up the list, it features as many—if not more—questions.
At present, there’s a long list of guys in this organization who could play second base, and some of them could play it pretty well, at least in theory. But each of them comes with their own concerns. FanGraphs projects the group to be middle-of-the-pack but doesn’t project any one player to man the position for even half the season.
Brooks Lee
Lee appears to be the frontrunner for the Opening Day job. He’s a recent first-round pick who was touted as a near-MLB-ready infielder on draft day. He smacked around minor-league competition and debuted less than two years after being drafted. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the former top-35 consensus prospect will get the job.
But he was bad last year. Rookies often go through it, and he certainly did. His OPS+ nearly matched Christian Vázquez's, and although he looked good with the glove (especially at second and third base), you can’t get by with backup catcher offense from an everyday player.
It might be a little presumptuous to expect Lee to figure it out and be at least average at bat. He did start his career strong, with a .947 OPS through his first eight games, but he slid down to a .585 OPS by the end of the season, in just 50 total games. Back problems plagued the beginning of his season, and he was briefly shut down with biceps tendonitis in August. It’s hard to know what we’ll see from Lee.
Edouard Julien
Last offseason, Julien was in far better standing than what Lee is now. Coming off a season in which he had a .381 on-base percentage and hit 15 homers in 109 games, Julien was slated to bat first and play second every day, at least against righties. His defense was mediocre, but he showed big improvements on that score in 2023. He seemed to have a chance at being a long-term asset.
But then 2024 happened. Seemingly incapable of pulling the trigger on pitches he didn’t love, Julien was 16th in baseball in taking called third strikes (47), despite only having 301 plate appearances. His batting average started with a 1, and his on-base percentage started with a 2. Add in his unimpressive glovework, and you’ve got a mess of a season. There’s definitely a future wherein Julien recaptures some of the promise from his rookie year, but it’s hard to count on it happening. Even if it does, he might also be needed at first base.
Willi Castro
Castro has been one of Minnesota’s most dependable players over the last couple of years, though he’s not without warts. The 2024 All-Star didn’t finish the season well, but overall, he was solidly above-average as a hitter and became the first player ever to log 25 appearances at five different positions—shortstop, center field, third base, second base, and left field.
If push comes to shove and Castro maintains his average-ish offensive output (which is no guarantee), he could certainly be a fine starting second baseman. But that takes some of his value away. Having a player like Castro who can plug a hole almost anywhere on the diamond is very useful. He’s been a fill-in for Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis in the wake of injuries. Suppose he needs to temporarily take over a position that way again in 2025; history tells us he will. In that case, the Twins land right back where they started with Lee or Julien at second base—which is an issue, especially if they’ve played badly enough that Castro has already taken their job.
Austin Martin and Michael Helman
I’m gonna make this quick, because there’s not a ton to talk about here. Both Helman and Martin are guys who could feasibly carve out a niche in MLB in the very near future. For now, at least, that’s probably as a bench player who can bounce around the diamond and provide a little speed.
But if we hit the point in the season where Castro is already the primary second baseman and there’s an injury, we might be seeing a lot of these guys at second. Not great. They’re fine—but if there are justifiable questions about both Lee and Julien and the team can’t count on Castro to fill in for months at a time, these aren’t names that put you at much more ease.
BONUS: Royce Lewis
The Twins have toyed with moving Lewis to second base, perhaps to stay there for years. There’s merit to that move, as Lewis’s arm is probably the weakest part of his profile, and it seems like Lee is a better long-term candidate to stick at third base defensively. So, there might be a switch here.
But that just shifts the question over to third base. Now you’ve still got questions about Lee, and the next guy is José Miranda (who will not be playing second base; I do not care what his Baseball Reference page said he did at Wichita in 2021), who has his own questions and creates a void at first base. Sure, it works out if Lee works out, but you can say the same thing with the original configuration.
BONUS: Luke Keaschall
I guess this is the X-factor, if you’re looking for one. Keaschall is a consensus top-50 prospect who has played first base, second base, third base, and center field since being drafted in 2023. He’s 21, but he looked great at both Double-A and High-A last year and has received a good bit of attention as a potential target for other teams in trade talks. He might be able to slide in this season and become a productive second baseman.
But that probably won’t happen until the second half, if it happens at all. Keaschall is also recovering from a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery last season. He might be restricted to first base or DH next season. It’s hard to count on him being the savior of a broken positional group, but I guess we can throw him on the pile.
BONUS: Payton Eeles
Eeles went from Indy ball to Triple-A last season, and I'm pulling for him. I haven't seen enough of this kid to feel anything amounting to confidence that he's the answer at second base. For everyone's sake, I hope we don't reach that point.
BONUS: Christian Vázquez
Just kidding.
After reviewing these names, I’m not sure how much recognizing the problems or questions actually matters. It’s doubtful that the Twins are going to bring in a starting-caliber second base-only guy, with a picture as crowded as this one. But maybe it’s a consideration as they try to scour what’s left on the tree this offseason.
There are more pressing needs, but it just seems like we’ve glossed over a position that probably has more questions than first base or righty outfielder. It could be an ongoing storyline this season, and I hope for the team’s sake that second base produces at least an answer or two.
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