The trade deadline is creeping closer, the playoff race is tightening, and second base has turned into one of the more interesting spots to watch around MLB. With fewer than 60 games left, production up the middle matters even more, and a handful of clubs have gotten real mileage from their second basemen. Entering the week, these are the 10 best at the position.
Brice Turang sits at No. 1 after another step forward in a season that’s built on steady growth. He has improved in each of the last three years, and this week he leads MLB second basemen in OPS. He also paces the Brewers in hits, RBI, and total bases.
Brandon Lowe comes in at No. 2, and his power has kept Pittsburgh in the mix even though the team hasn’t matched its division expectations. Entering the week, he leads MLB second basemen in home runs. Staying on the field has been the key to his big season.
Ketel Marte lands at No. 3 and is putting together another strong year for Arizona. He’s on pace to hit 30 home runs for the second time in three seasons, and entering the week he ranks second among MLB second basemen in home runs.
Ozzie Albies checks in at No. 4, and he’s been one of Atlanta’s most important bats. He’s top five among MLB second basemen in hits, home runs, and slugging percentage, and he’s played a pivotal role in the Braves’ division lead.
Xavier Edwards is No. 5 after giving Miami a major lift in the lineup. The Marlins are hanging around in the playoff picture, and Edwards has been a key part of that push.
Entering the week, he ranks third in hits and leads MLB second basemen in on-base percentage. He is second on the Marlins in total bases.
Ernie Clement takes the No. 6 spot after one of the best seasons of his career. He’s been one of Toronto’s offensive leaders and earned his first All-Star selection. Entering the week, he ranks second in hits among MLB second basemen.
JJ Wetherholt is No. 7, and the rookie has given Cardinals fans a look at what’s coming next. He ranks fifth in home runs and runs and is in the top 10 in OPS among MLB second basemen. He will be a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
Luis Arraez lands at No. 8, and the veteran is doing what he’s done throughout his career: hit. Entering the week, he leads MLB second basemen in hits and is second in OPS.
Chase Meidroth comes in at No. 9, with his second season turning into a real step forward. The White Sox have been one of the best stories of the 2026 season, and Meidroth has been part of that rise. Entering the week, he ranks top 10 in hits, runs, and on-base percentage among MLB second basemen.
Cole Young rounds out the list at No. 10.
He has improved his numbers in year two and enters the week as Seattle’s WAR leader. As the Mariners chase a playoff berth, he looks like a key offensive piece for the stretch run.
In Other News...
Mariners Missed A Third Base Fix Fans Knew They Needed
The Mariners had a chance to address one of their most persistent lineup headaches when they were reportedly in the mix for Kazuma Okamoto, a right-handed bat with power and enough defensive reliability to handle third base. Instead, the search for stability at the hot corner has kept dragging on, with Seattle cycling through options and never quite finding the kind of everyday answer that settles a lineup and lets everyone else slide into clearer roles.
Okamoto has already shown why he drew that kind of interest, giving Toronto a productive presence at third and steady middle-of-the-order thump in his first stretch there. For Seattle, the frustration is less about one missed name than the larger truth underneath it: this is still a team trying to patch together a position that should have been solved long before the season reached this point. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Finally Have A Real Fix For Their Biggest Hole
Seattles search for infield help could soon run through Miami, where the Marlins are reportedly open to hearing offers ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. For a club still looking to firm up one of its biggest roster questions, that makes the Marlins an intriguing place to shop, especially with several players on the table and the Mariners viewed as possible buyers if they decide to push for a fix.
Among the names drawing attention are Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards, two infield options who could fit Seattles needs in different ways. Lopez, in particular, looks like the cleaner match on paper because of his right-handed bat and defensive value, while Edwards brings a switch-hitting profile that could appeal in a different role. The Mariners do not have to act quickly, but the fact that Miami is even listening gives Seattle a real avenue to explore as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Finally Face The Tradeoff Fans Knew Was Coming
The Mariners have spent much of the season with a starting staff that looks almost unfair on paper, a six-man group built around Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Luis Castillo, with Emerson Hancock rounding out the mix. It is the kind of rotation depth that gives Seattle a chance to survive almost any night, and it has only been reinforced by the fact that two more Mariners starters just landed inside the top 10 of a recent Just Baseball Top-100 Prospect Rankings update.
But the same pitching surplus that makes the staff so enviable also creates a familiar front-office dilemma, because the club still has obvious offensive needs to sort through. Hancocks name has already surfaced in trade chatter as the type of arm that could help Seattle address that imbalance, and with so many starters pushing for innings, the Mariners may soon have to decide whether to keep the rotation intact or use that depth to fill a different hole. [Read more 🡒]