LA Angels: Ranking the 5 AL West second basemen entering the 2023 season

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The Los Angeles Angels signed Brandon Drury to a two-year deal this offseason and he's the likely Opening Day second baseman. The Angels also have players like Gio Urshela, Luis Rengifo, and David Fletcher who figure to get some action at second. With Drury as the likely starter, how does he compare to the other second basemen in the AL West?

Ranking the AL West's second basemen heading into the 2023 season

5) Tony Kemp - Oakland Athletics

There's a very good chance that Tony Kemp isn't even an Athletic on Opening Day as they seem to be trading every veteran who costs more than the league minimum to roster but for now he's an Oakland Athletic and he's their projected Opening Day second baseman. He probably wouldn't be for 25+ other teams.

Kemp is a decent player who played 147 games for the Athletics last season. Kemp is very versatile but isn't a good enough hitter to play every day as he had an 88 OPS+ last season.

Kemp's versatility would make him an intriguing trade candidate for many teams but likely as a bench player. He can get on base at a decent clip, (.330 career OBP), but doesn't hit for enough power (30 HR in 7 seasons) to make him a real threat offensively. Kemp is fine, but easily the worst starting second baseman in this division.

4) Brandon Drury - Los Angeles Angels

I like the Brandon Drury addition a lot for the Angels. He's likely going to play a lot of second base but can play both corner infield and outfield positions as well. He can even play shortstop in an emergency situation if the Angels really need it (hopefully not). Drury had an .813 OPS and hit 28 home runs splitting time between the Reds and Padres last season.

Drury for most of his career has been a bench bat but broke out in a big way in 2022. Playing a lot of games in Cincinnati definitely helps, but is not the end-all-be-all. I expect Drury to remain productive and be a 20+ home run guy for the Halos.

3) Kolten Wong - Seattle Mariners

The Mariners traded for Kolten Wong in a move I really liked for them. Wong isn't anything special offensively but is a really steady player who's one of the better defenders in the league at second base.

Wong is a two-time Gold Glove winner and will bring some of that elite defense to Seattle. He also had one of the better offensive seasons of his career in 2022 posting an OPS+ of 118.

Wong won't have to be an elite hitter for the Mariners to be a great team as they have players like Julio Rodriguez and Teoscar Hernandez among others to shoulder that load. Wong is a winner and a consistent player and a nice upgrade for Seattle.

2) Marcus Semien - Texas Rangers

Last offseason the Rangers inked Marcus Semien on a lengthy contract to be their second baseman for the next seven seasons. Semien did not have a repeat of the historic season he had in 2021 when he hit 45 home runs, the most for a second baseman in a single season, but he was still quite good for Texas.

Semien hit 26 home runs and stole 25 bases. He also played in 161 games which led the AL and was worth 5.9 fWAR. His durability and ability to be a complete player makes him one of the better second basemen in the game.

In addition to his power bat and good base stealing ability Semien provides Gold Glove defense at second base. He won a Gold Glove in 2021 and ranked in the 95th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant this past season.

1) Jose Altuve - Houston Astros

As much as it pains me to say it, Jose Altuve is the best second baseman in the AL West. He has been for years and will likely continue to be for a while.

Altuve is as formidable as ever as he slashed .300/.387/.533 with 28 home runs and 57 RBI. He had the same OPS+ (160) that he had in his MVP season in 2017. Altuve is coming off of a fifth-place MVP finish and a sixth Silver Slugger award in 2022. He was one of the best players on a World Series-winning team. He will continue to be one of the league's best players in 2023.

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