We continue through our journey of looking at players that burst on the scene in 2015. Since we are moving to the middle infield, we will begin to see a number of players that will be eligible at multiple positions. A number of second basemen are eligible at shortstop and third base. Listing them here is not necessarily an editorial opinion about where you should play them. In many cases, it happens to be a matter of convenience.

Addison Russell— Chicago Cubs

Key Stats: .242, 13 HR, 60 Runs, 54 RBI, 4 SB

Overview

Russell got the call up in May and never really looked back. They started him at second base and then let him take his natural spot at shortstop. Russell was the key part of the Jon Lester trade for the Cubs and like many other positions, he eventually paid off. A .696 OPS won’t blow anyone’s skirt up, but being eligible at second and short might allow him to play up on draft day. Of course, many are expecting him to take a step forward in 2016.

Barriers to Launch

The Cubs have a glut of talent in the middle infield. Starlin Castro played better at second base after he finally got his spot back, but Javier Baez also deserves a spot somewhere. Russell will get the job at short to start the season, but if he stumbles, there will be multiple players there to take his slot. If he does take the next step forward, that will include a better batting average (and on base percentage) and some additional power.

Devon Travis— Toronto Blue Jays

Key Numbers: .304, 8 HR, 38 Runs, 35 RBI, 3 SB

Overview

The season started off like gangbusters for Travis as he looked like the odds on Rookie of the Year favorite after April. There’s a reason they wait until the end of the season on that award. Eventually, Travis got hurt and surrendered his position to Ryan Goins. Goins didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but he was stable and the team won with him in there. I suspect that Travis will get an opportunity to get his job back in Spring Training.

Barriers to Launch

Teams have a way of falling back on the familiar. This is particularly true when they are successful. They may end up being more successful with Travis in there, but teams rarely want to disrupt a good thing. As Crash Davis said in “Bull Durham,” you never mess with a winning streak. The Blue Jays were the best team in baseball in August and September and they were the best team in baseball with Ryan Goins playing second base. That being said, I think they may be ready to hit the reset button in February and March.

Cory Spangenberg— San Diego Padres

Key Stats: .271, 4 HR, 38 Runs, 21 RBI, 9 SB

Overview

The Padres were supposed to challenge the Giants and Dodgers for supremacy in the NL West. Technically, they spent much of the season in third place, so you could claim they accomplished that feat, but the reality is that they were never really a factor. This was despite adding Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Cole Kimbrel, and Derek Norris. Jedd Gyorko had been the guy at second base, but he disappointed yet again. Then, a funny thing happened, they tried Gyorko at shortstop and he began hitting. Spangenberg began hitting, too. Alexi Amarista became the odd man out as the infield finally began to produce.

Barriers to Launch

The Padres will have a new manager, and when you get a new manager you get a lot of uncertainty. A defensive infield that consists of Yangervis Solarte, Gyorko, Spangenberg, and Yonder Alonso probably leaves a lot to be desired. A new manager might bench Spangenberg in favor of a more favorable defensive alignment. Then again, there might be a lot of trades made between now and next season. Only time will tell.

Kelby Tomlinson— San Francisco Giants

Key Stats: .303, 2 HR, 23 Runs, 20 RBI, 5 SB

Overview

The Giants have won three out of the last five World Series titles as of this writing. If they want to be a factor again, they will need to rely on some young blood. There will be competition at second base in 2016 to see who that young blood will be. Joe Panik seemed to take the position by storm with his .312 average until he landed on the 60-day disabled list. We’ve seen too many examples before of good regulars losing their job because a young kid came in and played well. Tomlinson and Panik are similar players, so it will be interesting to see who wins the job in 2016.

Barriers to Launch

Obviously, Joe Panik isn’t going to give up his position without a fight. He’s hit over .300 from day one when he was called up in 2014. He’s had high BABIPs in both seasons (.343 and .330 respectively), while Tomlinson also had a high BABIP at .382. When you live on the luck of the batted ball, then you can see your place turn any minute. That can turn either way for both guys.