Where are all the secondbasemen?

Let's face it, second base has been one of the worst positions in fantasy for a very long time. In past seasons, you needed to have a guy like Alfonso Soriano or Bret Boone to feel like you had a guy that can help your team at this position. This season seems to be the same thing. Here are my top 10 at this position, with a few other notable candidates to fill the roster spot in the coming season.

1. Chase Utley. Obviously this guy has to top my list. Back to back seasons of 100+ RBI totals. This guy is still very young and will get better with age. He put on 20 pounds in the off season so expect him to reach a new career high in home runs in the coming season. In 2006 he put up 32 home runs, 102 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, a .309 batting average and scored 131 runs. You can expect his 2007 totals to be around the same or even better. He is far ahead of everyone else that has second base eligibility in 2007.

2. Robinson Cano. You can argue that Dan Uggla can be at this position, however, they don't say that this guy is going to contend for a batting title some day for nothing. Missing time last season, he still managed 15 home runs, 78 RBIs, 5 stolen bases, a .342 batting average (3rd in the American league), and 62 runs scored. He also put up 41 doubles last season. Cano is an all around hitter that can hit the ball to all fields. However, his power numbers aren't quite where they should be yet. He's a solid hitter at the position and you wouldn't mind having him on your team.

3. Dan Uggla. Uggla was nothing but a waiver wire pick up in the 2006 season, but when you picked him up you kept him for the rest of the season. He hit 27 home runs, which was 2nd to Utley, drove in 90, stole 6, hit .281, and scored 105 runs. He looks like he can become a very forceful bat in the youthful marlins lineup. Batting him in front of Cabrera he should see plenty of pitches this season. I expect his numbers to go up slightly in the 2007 season, but he isn't where Utley is yet as far as draft position. Like Cano, you shouldn't have a problem drafting him and hoping he produces because he will.

4. Josh Bartfield. What do you make of a guy that had 13 home runs, 58 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, a .280 batting average, and 72 runs scored? Well he is now a Cleveland Indian. With Hafner n Martinez in the lineup batting behind him, you can expect his runs scored to go up without question. On top of that, now that his out of San Diego, where you can hit the ball a mile in some parts of the park and it wouldn't be a home run, Jacob's field is more hitter friendly. As far as fantasy goes, having a guy that steals 20 bases can have a lot more value than we think. Don't be surprised if he goes 20-20 this season, and scores around 90-100 runs. Any guy like that is worth having on you roster. That is why he's 4 on this list.

5. Brian Roberts. 2005 was a career year for Roberts. He hit 18 home runs, drove in 73, and scored 92 runs. In 2006 his numbers went down. He only hit 10 home runs, drove in 55, and scored on 85 runs. However, his stolen base total went from 27 to 36. That is what Roberts brings to your team. He isn't a power hitting second basemen, however, he is always one of the top stolen base guys in the league. This season, I expect his power numbers to rise, and his runs scored total to rise, especially since the O's got Aubrey Huff. there's a lot of good hitters in the O's lineup and Roberts has to be a catalyst this season to get them going. If he does that you will see all of his offensive numbers go up in 2007.

6. Brandon Phillips. Two seasons ago, this guy wasn't even a starter in Cleveland. In 2006 he became a full time second basemen in Cincinnati and he was more productive than expected. He hit 17 home runs, had 75 RBIs, stole 25 bases, batted .276, and scored 65 runs. Putting on a little weight in the off season, it looks like Phillips wants to be one of the bigger bats in the Reds' lineup in 2007. Cincinnati's stadium is a hitter friendly park, so I expect his power numbers to go up. However, if his power numbers are going up, his stolen base total might not be as high this season. This brings his value down. He is definitely a top 10 second basemen, and who knows he might hit you 20-25 home runs and drive in 85-90 runs. He will put up good numbers and be a solid bat all year round.

7. Tadahito Iguchi. He is one of the more consistent guys at this position than any other guy who plays it. In 2006, he had 18 homers, 67 RBIs, a .286 batting average and 97 runs scored. His stolen base total wasn't bad, he stole 11. He is a slightly above average baseball player. Won't hit many home runs, or drive in that many guys, or steal that many bases. However, he will stay consistent which is never a bad thing. You know what your getting when you draft this guy. He doesn't stand out or have any real potential to amaze people but he will get the hit when you need it or the RBI when you need it which is always a good thing. More than likely his numbers will stay right around the same this year as they did last year.

8. Jeff Kent. Don't think I wasn't going to put this guy in the top 10. Some may argue that he is still a top 5 hitter at his position. In 2006, he hit 14 home runs, drove in 68, batted .292, and scored 61 runs. The reason why I have him at 8 is because we don't know that how many good years that Kent has left at his age. The Dodgers have a good lineup with a lot of good hitters both young and old, so Kent will see his fair share of chances to produce at the plate. He has been one of the more consistent hitters at 2nd for a very long time, but I think that his numbers are slowly going down, or they will stay right around where they are in Kent's final years of his career. Still always a good pick but don't expect his production to be the same as what they were in year's past.

9. Jose Lopez. He is an up and coming hitter at his position. The Mariner's second baseman has a lot of potential to be a good hitter in that lineup. He hit 10 home runs, had 79 RBIs, and hit .281 in 2006. He also scored 78 runs in '06. In 2007, he will be entering his fourth year in the league. He now has a full time position on the team and will have the ability to put up even better numbers this year than he did last season. It is possible that he can be one of the break out players of the 2007 season. He can be one of the sleepers in the draft. He numbers won't go up too much this season, but I feel like they will go up and can continue to rise in future seasons.

10. Marcus Giles. Like Kent, he was a top five second baseman only 3 seasons ago. He batting average has dropped ever year since 2003, and his home run total has fallen as well. In 2006, Giles hit 11 home runs, had 60 RBIs, stole 10 bases, scored 87 runs, and had a .261 batting average. Despite not being the same hitter he once was,he is now getting a fresh start in San Diego. His power numbers will probably be the same as '06, but I think he will have better production in all the other major categories. He is also playing with his brother in 2007, which will also help him considering Brian has also been a goes hitter.

That rounds out my top 10 a the second base position. However if you can't grab any of these guys there are also some other notable players at the position you might want to consider. Guys like Ian Kinsler, Ray Durham, Orlando Hudson, Mark De Rosa, and Craig Biggio are players that are always good as a back up plan if you can't grab any of the other 10. Second base is a weak position this year. This position will come around some year with all the young talent at the position. That's a look at second base for the 2007 season.