Mid-Season National League 2B Rankings: All-Star Edition

A lot has happened over the course of the 1st half of the season, and it's time to adjust our position ranks accordingly. So, let's take a look at who has risen, who has fallen, and who was that break-out star of the 1st half. And most importantly, let's update our second baseman rankings in the National League going forward for the rest of the 2014 season.

Breakout: Dee Gordon 

Rising: Anthony Rendon, Scooter Gennett, Arismendy Alcantara

Falling: Brandon Phillips, Jedd Gyorko, Marco Scutaro

1.        LAD - Dee Gordon - The current league leader in stolen bases has been a savior to fantasy managers that drafted him late or scooped him up off the waiver wire. Easily the best option in the NL, could be the 1^st second baseman of the board in mixed leagues in 2015. Look out Robinson Cano...

2.        WAS - Anthony Rendon - Another late round option that has helped carry fantasy teams. We still haven't seen the best of this future star, who just keeps getting better. If the young slugger replaces Ryan Zimmerman at 3B, the second base position will just get that much weaker.

3.        NYM - Daniel Murphy - Murphy is currently on pace to put up a stat line of .293-12-63-96-18. With similar numbers last year, it seems this is what we should expect going forward.

4.       MLW - Scooter Gennett - I have seen enough to believe Gennett will continue to be a smooth-swinging, high batting average fantasy option for a long time. I believe this two-bagger could end up being a young, left-handed Dustin Pedroia-Lite. 

5.       CHI - Arismendy Alcantara - Double-A is no lock to stay in the majors, but he is doing his best to force the club's hand. It shouldn't take much to supplant Darwin Barney, and I have to believe another week of this type of production will make him a big leaguer for good.

6.       PHI - Chase Utley - Utley is currently sitting at 355 at-bats on the year and is on pace for 611 AB's. His at-bat totals over the past 4 seasons: 476, 301, 398, 425. The injury is coming, and the Phillies need to get some prospects before it happens, and his fantasy owners might want to cash in as well... SELL! SELL! SELL!

7.       PIT - Neil Walker - After putting up similar stat lines in each of his first 4 seasons as a big leaguer, it appears Walker is having himself a mini-breakout. Either that, or he is in store to have a terrible 2^nd half; see: Law of Averages.

8.       ATL - Tommy La Stella - So far we have received a decent batting average, with no power and little speed. That's what we were expecting, but a few HR's + SB's every once in a while wouldn't hurt. This youngster is about to send Dan Uggla out of Atlanta.

9.       STL - Kolten Wong - The Cardinals' second baseman can steal some bases while hitting the occasional long-ball. As soon as the batting average rises, so will Wong. That was wong, I mean wrong.

10.   COL - DJ LeMahieu - For the first few months of the season, it looked as though every Colorado hitter was going to the All-Star game. With a .315 BA at home compared to a .248 clip on the road, you might want to have a decent alternative to platoon if you are counting on this second baseman.

11.   ARI - Aaron Hill - Hill has been having about as bad of a year for fantasy managers as the Diamondbacks are having in real baseball. At this point, a trade could only help get his season going in the right direction. 

12.   SD - Jedd Gyorko - A favorite of many websites and writers in the pre-season, and I was one of those duped into being a believer. This might be the biggest bust of the year at the second base position. It looks like this was the year to wait and fill your 2B slots later in the draft.

13.   CIN - Brandon Phillips - With the recent injury, Ramon Santiago will fill in until Phillips is able to return. It could be the end of August before we see the slick fielding second baseman back on the field, and even then he might not be back to 100%.

14.   FLO - Donovan Solano - If you are counting on Solano to hold down your 2B slot in route to a fantasy championship this year, I hope you are playing in a 50-team league.

15.   SFG - Marco Scutaro - Scutaro will require the occasional day off because of his age. Those might be the days he helps out your fantasy lineup the most (by not going 0-for-4).

Other qualifying options at 2B:

 Matt Carpenter - Carpenter has fallen off from his 200-hit pace in 2013, but remains a quality option at a shallow 2B position.

 Martin Prado - Prado has been somewhat of a disappointment this season, but could rebound in the second half.

 Josh Harrison - This utility-man was able to earn a trip to the All-Star game with his play in 2014. Harrison has been a nice surprise for fantasy owners.