As stated last week, the position of second base is one of the scarcest in the entire game. It isn’t easy to come by once you get past the big named players, and when trying to put together your team it often times becomes a very difficult position to fill.

Top 5 Second Baseman to stay away from:

For years Chase Utley (2B, PHI) was the must have second baseman. Utley put up power numbers never seen from a player at the position, but the last two years haven’t been so kind. If you look back though you can see a trend over the last four seasons on the down turn. In 2008, Utley hit 33 home runs, drove in 104, scored 113 and hit for .292. Since 2008, Utley has dropped in each of these categories in every year. The more startling of Utley’s numbers is his inability to play games. In 2010, Utley played in only 115 games, and then in 2011 only 103, those numbers are less than enticing.

Rickie Weeks (2B, MIL) was a first half monster on his way to one of his best seasons as a pro. Weeks started the 2011 season off with a bang hitting 17 of his 20 homers prior to the all-star break, but only drove in 39 runs, which may have been more of a result of Ryan Braun (OF, MIL) and Prince Fielder (1B, DET) knocking everyone in, but it’s still less than stellar. Weeks no longer has Fielder as he is now in Detroit, and with the vagueness of Braun’s steroid test it’s not going to be easy for Weeks to see the same pitches he may have seen with those two in the line up. Weeks isn’t a player who gets on base much, and won’t steal many bases, and you should be hesitant on this 8 year veteran.

Out of the minor leagues, I absolutely would’ve told you to grab Gordon Beckham (2B, CWS). Beckham was drafted 8th overall by the White Sox in the 2008 amateur draft, and immediately made a decent impact in the minors. Beckham was never a power hitter, but man could he hit for average. In 233 minor league at bats Beckham collected 75 hits good for an average over .320, but before he could finish his 2009 stint in the minors he was called up for a major chunk of the season. That season Gordon hit .270 a respectable number for a rookie while blasting 14 home runs. Since then Beckham hasn’t hit better than .252 and only .230 in 2011. Beckham won’t be known for his power with only 9 and 10 homers in his last two seasons respectively, but his runs batted in and runs scored are also sub par giving me the stop sign when looking to acquire the Chicago south sider.

Brian Roberts (2B, BAL) should have been dropped from fantasy rosters two seasons ago, but it seems as if some people are continuing to have hope for the 34-year-old second baseman. For years Roberts was known as the speed second baseman, and while Utley was putting up mashing power numbers, Roberts was swiping bags at ease and thus had an extremely high value in fantasy leagues. However, his last two seasons have not only been injury plagued, but production plagued as well. There are still a ton of injury concerns for Roberts, as well as some lingering steroid allegations that may pull him down further and with only 98 games played in his last two seasons combined Roberts is no longer the base stealing threat that he once was. That alone should cause you to pump the brakes on this aging ball player.

I think we are too far along into this next player’s career to really be waiting for potential production. In Aaron Hill’s (2B, ARI) first four seasons he hit more homers in one year (17) than he did in the three other years combined. Then came 2009, and a 36 homer, 108 RBI, 103 runs scored season which caught every fantasy player off guard. Hill was able to complete 2010 in similar style with 26 home runs, but only hit .205 drove in a measly 68 runs and only scored 70, not something you want to see from a second baseman. 2011 was a shock to everyone when after two straight seasons of at least 25 home runs he could only knock 8 balls over the wall. The runs scored and runs batted in totals were very similar to 2010, and while his average was better .246 on the year it was a tale of two tapes. Hill started the year in Toronto and hit .225, at the deadline he was traded to the Diamondbacks and first year head coach Kirk Gibson seemed to be able to change him around to the tune of a .315 average. He also had an OBP of .386 while in Arizona nearly 40 points higher than any other season he has had in the big leagues which may have been a result of not knowing the pitchers so he waited for his pitch to come. Hill’s only bright spot was his 21 stolen bases in 2011, a number only two fewer than his career total up to that point. 

As always you can ask me any draft, line up, or trade questions on twitter any time of the day. 

(October 4, 2011 – Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)