In 1985, New Jersey was not having a good time. There were firms that went overseas so that companies could take advantage of cheap labor. The blue collar class was struggling, and a local band decided to embody that feeling. They tell the story of Tommy and Gina, two people from New Jersey who are trying to hold on to their faith as they struggle to survive. This became the national anthem because of its chorus that you can shout with all authority, because the title of the song is that we are all Livin’ on a Prayer. You can’t hear this song without screaming out loud that you’re in the middle of nowhere.
And we, my dear readers, are in the middle. 81 games for all teams are in the book, and it’s a good time to look back and give some awards. Some writers want to use the All Star break for this, but I prefer it here. I will use the All Star break instead for my own nefarious purposes. So let’s take a look at both the Second Base and Shortstop positions as we cross the midway mark of the season.
The Most Important Medieval Fantasy Players
Brice Turang again CJ Abrams:
The two entered the year as 3rd round picks, and have far exceeded their draft position. Turang was a contributor across the board as the Brewers’ best hitter. He scored 60 runs, hit 12 bombs, drove in 48 runs, and stole 13 bases while hitting a respectable .260 with an 810 OPS. Some may say Otto Lopez he deserves this, but his lack of power and RBI is respected by Turang despite his advantage in average statistics, and Turang has more runs.
Abrams has been a superstar with a 52/18/60/13/.273/.866 line. He’s been strong all season, and leads Washington’s surprising offense. His only competition has been Bobby Witt Jrwho didn’t hit a homer the entire month of April.
Second Base All Stars
NL: Turang, Lopez, Brandon Lowe
AL: Brooks Lee, Jazz Chisholm Jr, Zack Gelof
Lopez has been a star all year. He leads qualified 2B in Average and OPS (.332/.849), while contributing 16 steals, 7 bombs, 53 runs and 37 RBI. Lowe is the only 2B with 20 bombs in the middle. I told you at the beginning of the year, “If Lowe hits .240, you have an All Star.” Lowe’s current average for this season is… .240.
AL was tough. You have to go through 11 NL 2nd basemen in the current rankings before you get to the first AL keystoner. Brooks Lee has been solid all season, while throwing 14 bombs. His 42 runs, 47 RBI, .251 average and .746 OPS won’t impress anyone, but they will make him the top AL 2B. Gelof has been dominant since returning in May, with 40 runs, 11 hits, 8 steals while hitting .282 with an .834 OPS. Right now he is injured but no one will get past him. The Jazz have struggled all year, but… nobody is better than him at the end zone. 43 runs, 12 bombs, and 26 steals are highlights, but let’s look no further…
All-Star shortstop
NL: Abrams, Dansby Swanson, Xavier Edwards
AL: Witt, Zach Neto, Kevin McGonigle
Dansby has the Mets to thank for the nod. 15 RBI in 3 games puts him at the top. His arithmetic figures made up for the deficit in his average figures. He scored 55 runs, hit 16 homers, drove in 57 runs, and stole 10 bases. UX had a bad June, but was good enough to make the grade. He scored 48 runs, stole 13 bases, and hit .303 with an .813 OPS. He gets the nod over Elly, who had an even worse June and has only hit 3 bombs since April.
Witt had an interesting April in which he didn’t hit a single homer, but he continued to run. Since, you have provided all the productivity you expect. His 44/12/36/28/.313/.873 was impressive and proved to be the best AL 6 this year. Many people could see Neto’s form getting worse this year, but it didn’t affect his results. He has scored 59 runs, 18 hits, 42 hits, and 11 steals. McGonigle has his critics (myself included), but he’s been great. He’s had a double-double of power that has translated bombs since mid-May, hitting 7 in total. He scored 54 runs, and stole 11 for a .282 average and .815 OPS.
First Half Rookie Shortstop
NL: Connor Griffin
AL: McGonigle
Connor hasn’t been here long, but hoo boy did he have a good time. 56 games into his career, and he’s defying all expectations. 5 bombs, 16 SB, hitting .269 with a .729 OPS for a guy who turned 20 in April is pretty impressive. He’s not healthy right now, but if he comes back, he’ll quickly establish himself as a top shortstop option and a top fantasy option for 2027.
First Division Second Base Rookie
NL: JJ Wetherholt
AL: Sam Atonacci
Wetherholt led the amazing Cardinals and adapted well to MLB. 49 runs and 12 bombs showed that he is not afraid of the challenge of MLB. He hit for the same average as Brice Turang, and OPS’d a respectable .758. You’d want more than 9 steals from a top guy and a rookie, but he’s definitely shown to belong.
I should have reached AL rookie because Atonacci only has 11 games at 2B. Fortunately, he has maintained his status as a machine based on his limited play. He’s scored 44 runs in the first base for the White Sox (a man, which is weird to say in July), and he’s already had 11 stolen bases. Hitting .295 helped propel his stats, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Big Surprise:
Marlins Middle Infield
Entering the year, Otto Lopez ranked 16th as the second baseman. Xavier Edwards is ranked 17th. They surprised literally everyone with their seasons, and defied all expectations. Both hit over 300, both stole a ton of bases, and scored a ton of runs. If you’re invested in the Marlins, call me. I want to hear your thoughts on the AI bubble.
Big Discount:
SS: Gunnar Henderson
2B: State of AL 2B
Gunnar is still young. You are talented. He has shown the ability to be an animal. He was considered the best player in the 30-40. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!? However, the power is back, the average is not, and his OPS is a paltry .714. You will absolutely be on most of my teams next year as a candidate.
Then we come to AL second basemen. The Jazz have been buzzing after hitting 30 bombs last year. Luke Keachall he showed his stats boosted by his batting average. Jose Altuve he was average when he was healthy. Cedanne Rafaela came up with the Red Sox. Jackson Holiday killed by his hamate. It was incredibly messy. If you’re only in an AL league and ignore 2b, you’re probably swimming Cole Young pool, and no one wants to be there.
