Top 10 Second Basemen in College Baseball

This position is loaded. There are plenty of incredible second basemen across the country, but the list would be even better if a couple of players weren’t switching positions. Players like Tommy Troy and Christian Knapczyk will mostly play shortstop, or they’d be very high on this list. Plenty of players man both shortstop and second base, so you’ll find them on separate lists.

Honorable Mentions

Max Grant – Canisius: I can summarize Max Grant into one word: masher. After hitting nearly .400 last year for Canisius, he has to make this list. He’s a well-rounded hitter who takes walks, hits for power, and is an above-average base-runner. A fun fact about Max Grant, he sustained a lot of hit-by-pitches last season. The man stood in there and got hit 11 times in 268 PA. He’s a grinder.

Max Anderson – Nebraska: Anderson has been as consistent at the plate as any second basemen in college baseball. He’s a bat-on-ball machine. He doesn’t strike out and sprays the ball all over the field. He put up a .853 OPS last year for Nebraska and then hit .312 over the summer in the Cape Cod League. He hits everywhere he goes.

Peyton Stovall – Arkansas: One of the younger players on this list, Stovall impressed in his first season with the Razorbacks. He hit .295 with a .373 OBP, but a lack of power keeps him in the honorable mention category. He has a smooth swing and enough size to tap into it, and I’m excited to see him do that in his second entire season at Arkansas.

10. Travis Bazzana – Oregon State

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 200 lbs. | B/T: L/R | Class: Sophomore | Draft Yr: 2024

Before we even talk about the bat, Bazzana is one of the better fielders in college baseball. He was a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team member with plenty of great plays at second. After hitting .429 in the West Coast League, he hit .306 with a .902 OPS in his first season at Oregon State. He only hit one home run, but he still slugged .593 after putting up 18 doubles and five triples. He’s a fantastic young player with plenty of potential.

9. Amani Larry – Mississippi State

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 190 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior | Draft Yr: 2023

Amani Larry was arguably the best player in the entire South Land Conference for New Orleans. He finished third in batting average (.370) and first in on-base percentage (.477). He walked more than he struck out and put up a 1.055 OPS. I’m excited to see how he does against tougher competition at Mississippi State, but he has all the tools to succeed.

8. Tony Santa Maria – Rutgers

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 185 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior | Draft Yr: 2023

As stated in the first base rankings, I’m very high on this Rutgers team this season. A part of my confidence derives from Santa Maria, who can really hit. He put up 30 extra-base hits in his first season at Rutgers with a .942 OPS. He’s also another player who has sustained a lot of hit-by-pitches. Santa Maria has a well-rounded tool belt and should improve off an excellent first year.

7. Luke Keaschall – Arizona State

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 190 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior | Draft Yr: 2023

Keaschall is one of those players with very few weaknesses. He hits everywhere, whether in San Francisco or the Cape Cod League. He has easy power, resulting in 18 doubles and eight home runs in 213 AB’s at San Francisco last season. He also walked more than he struck out. He’s a speedster, recording 30 SB last season and even grabbed five in the Cape. It’s hard to find a hole in his game and he should explode in his first year at Arizona State.

6. Brock Rodden – Wichita State

Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 170 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior | Draft Yr: 2023

Brock Rodden is coming off one of the best offensive seasons at his position in college baseball. He put up a 1.093 OPS while hitting .338. He walked more than he struck out and hit 17 home runs with 13 doubles. His bat is so good that he’d make this list even if he couldn’t field. Luckily, he can, making him one of the best in college baseball. He also adds some speed on the basepaths. The A’s saw this and drafted him in the tenth round, but he’s back to do more damage for Wichita State.

5. Justin Riemer – Wright State

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 170 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Red Shirt Sophomore | Draft Yr: 2023

Reimer should hear his name called relatively early on Draft Day because he’s a sound hitter and defender. Similar to Keaschall, he has few holes in his game. He hit .329 with a .913 OPS and only struck out a dozen times. In 146 ABs, Reimer struck out 12 times with 31 walks. It’s hard to find that level of plate discipline in all of college baseball. He only hit two home runs last year but had 13 doubles, and he’s growing into his body. When the power comes, he’ll be a scary hitter to face.

4. Blake Wright – Clemson

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 195 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior | Draft Yr: 2023

Blake Wright doesn’t have the size of big-time power hitters, but he still has the power. He slugged .602 last season for the Tigers with 11 home runs and nine doubles in 166 ABs. He can hit the long ball, but he doesn’t sacrifice plate discipline to do so. He takes his walks and only struck out 23 times. It was his first full season at Clemson and he hit .349. He can play all over the diamond but should spend most of his time at second base.

3. Christian Moore – Tennessee

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 210 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Sophomore | Draft Yr: 2024

Christian Moore is a freak. He’s got plenty of juice at the plate, slugging .619 with ten home runs last season as a freshman at Tennessee. While it didn’t result in stolen bases, he has plenty of speed. A part of the reason Moore didn’t steal as many bases is he was either putting the ball in the stands or recording an extra-base hit. There isn’t much else to say about Moore other than he put up a 1.062 OPS in the SEC at 19 years old. He’ll explode once again this season.

2. Austin Bost – Texas A&M

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 195 lbs. | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior | Draft Yr: 2023

All Bost has done since he stepped on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park is hit. After three seasons with the Aggies, Bost has a career .968 OPS with a .335 batting average. He’s hit ten home runs in each of the past few seasons, but last season was his best. He walked 34 times while only striking out 27 times. He had 27 extra-base hits with seven stolen bases and hit .360. His 1.023 OPS was one of the best in the conference, and he is improving every year. Expect an enormous season from Austin Bost after leading the SEC in hits in 2022.

1. Roc Riggio – Oklahoma State

Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 180 lbs. | B/T: L/R | Class: Sophomore | Draft Yr: 2023

Riggio isn’t the proven commodity that Bost is, but he has so much upside that I had to rank him number one. He burst onto the scene with Oklahoma State last season, putting up a .932 OPS with 11 home runs. He might be the best overall player in the Big-12 with how well-rounded he is as a ballplayer. He’s a great infielder, showing off plenty of range and a strong throwing arm. You add that to a bat with plenty of juice, and you have the best all around second basemen in college baseball.