The Minnesota Twins have a plethora of options at second base, but who is their best option at the keystone? Let’s look at the different options for 2025:
Eduoard Julien
Julien seemed to be having the beginning of a breakout after being called up in 2023, but took a few steps back last season. His solid eye at the plate shifted to passivity, where he struck out looking a bit more often this past season.
He also didn’t hit for as much power in 2024, so if Julien can tap into his previous successes, he could become the strong side of a platoon, at minimum. Expect to see Julien some at second base, but he will likely get some time at first base and designated hitter this year as well.
Julien’s ZiPS projections call for a slash line of .234/.347/376, which would be a solid, if unspectacular, option at second base.
Austin Martin
Martin’s shine as a prospect has dimmed some since being drafted fifth overall in 2020.
He’s no longer an option at shortstop, but has played different positions around the diamond including second base. He’s likely not an everyday option at second but may get some time there against lefties, depending on who else is in the lineup.
His defense at second was a bit underwhelming, but that doesn’t mean he can’t carve out a role as a utility guy who gets into games with semi-regularity.
Willi Castro
A do-it-all utility guy, Castro is coming off an All-Star year, having played in 158 games last season. Castro has been extremely valuable the past two years for the Twins, but is an everyday second base spot the best place to use him?
He’s projected to be a league-average hitter who will likely get a game at up to six of seven different positions. Rocco Baldelli even said he might be an option at first base this year.
Expect Castro to be the Swiss Army knife he has been the past couple of years and someone who is in the lineup almost every day, but likely not as the everyday second baseman.
Brooks Lee
Lee just looks like a baseball player, especially in the field.
Lee struggled at the plate some in his first taste of big league action, but the switch-hitting infielder was the eighth-overall pick for a reason. With a bit more time under his belt, the long-term second base spot is up for grabs, and Lee is positioned to take the position and make it his.
Royce Lewis
During last season, Lewis didn’t seem thrilled about moving to second base and learning it on the fly. At the beginning of the offseason, he was open to moving, but more recently, it seems like he may spend more time at third base this year.
Lewis and Lee are primed to be the future at second and third base, respectively, but who plays where is still up in the air to some level. Lewis started the year putting up big numbers in 2024, but the rest of the season didn’t go as planned, where he hit .207/270/.350 in 58 games (226 plate appearances) from July 26 to the end of the season.
He’s still early in his major league career and has the upside to be a building block going forward. Here’s to him taking a step forward this coming year.
There may be a few other options at second base, but the following guys may be more of a “break in case of emergency” type plan than being the guys out of the gate who grab a hold of the starting second base spot.
Luke Keaschall
Keaschall has climbed up the minor league ladder since being drafted in the second round in 2023.
Ranked as the organization’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 61 prospect in baseball, Keaschall is on the doorstep of the majors. He has played second base but could also be an option at first, in left field or center field as well. His versatility makes him a bit more valuable than just being an option at one position.
Expectations are that Keaschall will make his major league debut in 2025, and if other guys struggle, he could emerge as an option at second base later in the year.
Payton Eeles
Eeles’ story is one of perseverance and makes him very easy to root for. Signed out of independent ball in 2024, Eeles climbed up to Triple-A St. Paul , where he continued to hold his own, hitting .299/419/.500 in 64 games with the Saints.
Eeles is behind a handful of guys on the depth chart, but is a guy to keep an eye on as a potential option at second base, or as a utility option, after getting some time at third base, shortstop, left field and centerfield along with second base.
Armando Alvarez
The Athletics cut Alvarez after he made his major league debut this past season. He raked in Triple-A Las Vegas before being called up last year (.967 OPS). He projects more as a corner infielder but can play second in a pinch.
Ty France
France is more likely to get time at first base and designated hitter, but he does have a past of playing second.
He might end up there in a pinch, but if he is the everyday second baseman for any stretch this year, something has happened to a long list of guys who would be ahead of him on the pecking order.
It appears that second base will be a combination of Lewis, Lee, Julien, Castro, Martin and possibly Keaschall later in the year depending on injuries and performance.
There is upside, but the long-term outlook at the position is up in the air and ripe for the taking if any of those guys perform the way the Twins and their fans hope they will.