2026 NL East Positional Rankings: Second Base

Second base is one of the more interesting positions to look at in the National League East. Each team has a mix of youth and veteran players at the positions, with no one currently at star status. Honestly, you could make an argument for three or four of the second basemen to be ranked first on any given week during the season if you catch them at the right time.

But let’s settle on a preseason ranking.

No. 5 Luis Garcia Jr., WSH

In a team full of youth and transition, Garcia has been one of the steadier players on the Washington Nationals since his debut in 2020 as a 20-year-old. In 2025, Garcia batted .252/.289/412 with 16 home runs and 123 hits. It was a decline from a very good 2024, when he posted a 3.0 WAR, 18 home runs and 70 RBIs. Washington will call him to give them more consistency at the position this year.

N0. 4 Xavier Edwards, MIA

Xavier Edwards is probably the second baseman to watch in the National League East in 2026. After going back and forth between the minors and majors in 2023 and 2024, Edwards stayed in the big league level for the Marlins and had a superb year. He batted .283, stole 27 bases, notched 20 doubles, notched 159 hits, and scored 75 runs. He’s a pesky contact hitter who plays up the middle—a Marlins speciality. The Marlins hope Edwards makes a bigger jump in 2026.

No 3. Bryson Stott, PHI

Coming off an almost 3 WAR season (2.8) in 2025 at second base for the Philadelphia Phillies, Bryson Stott is still looking for a true breakout year, he might be one of the more underrated second basemen in MLB. Last year overall, Stott hit .258/.326/.390/.716 with 13 home runs, 128 hits, and 66 RBIs. The second half was when Stott really contributed to the Phillies, batting .294/.368/.487 with an .855 OPS.

He’ll look to continue that second half performance in 2026. Projections systems have Stott as the second-best second baseman in the NL East ahead of this season.

No. 2 Ozzie Albies, ATL

Even with a couple of off seasons in 2024 and 2025, Ozzie Albies is still only 29 years old, and his talent is off the charts good when he’s at his best. He’s far removed from a 2023 that saw him hit 33 home runs and drive in 109 RBIs, but the talent that made him a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger might still be in there. He holds the second spot off ceiling alone.

Albies was performing strongly in the second half of what was a lost season for the Braves. A hamate bone injury put him on the sidelines for the last five games. If the Braves are going to bounce back, they’ll need Albies to get back to the form we’ve seen from him from 2018 to 2023.

No. 1 Marcus Semien, NYM 

Marcus Semien lands as the best player at this position in the division based on his resume and globe. Like the rest of the second basemen on this list, the bat has left plenty to be desired recetnly, but Semien’s glove still stand out among the others. He’s accumulated the second-most Outs Above Average at the position since moving there in 2021. He’s also won two Gold Gloves there.

The hope for Semien is that he can add strong leadership to the locker room, dependable defense, and show his old form at the plate if he can stay healthy. Injuries slowed the 35-year-old player in 2025, but he still hit well with runners in scoring position, and he’s someone who doesn’t strike out much. Semien hit 20 or more home runs from 2021 to 2024, and the Mets will need to see more of that even at 35 years old.

 

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