Wednesday, May 4

Deep League 2B

2B may be a deep position this year but it can never be deep enough for some leagues. For those looking to fill a hole up the middle in a deep league let's take a look at a couple of guys who've taken over as starters at second base.

Scott Sizemore - Jim Leyland just announced that Sizemore would take over the starting job in Detroit. He's not a burner and not a slugger but if he stays in the number two spot in the order, where he's hitting tonight, he should provide value to those managers who need a bit of everything. He's not a burner but has swiped more than a dozen bags three times in his minor league career. He's also not a slugger but could develop a bit of power as his minor league ISO's have been in the .160-.230 range in the recent past. Don't expect much more than 8 HR, 12 S, and a decent number of runs but in some leagues that's pretty solid production.

Daniel Murphy - Murphy has taken over the starting job from rule five player Brad Emaus, who struggled in the bigs to the tune of a .200 wOBA. Murphy is a converted OF which usually means he'd make a strong hitting 2B but expectations should definitely be tempered. While he has more power than Sizemore, .162 career ISO, he also has less speed. Perhaps the best part of Murphy's game is his ability to make contact, career K% of 15.3, so he should be able to maintain a respectable BA and OBP. He should also see time hitting in the two hole, where he hit tonight, so a line like 13/5/60/50/.280 for the rest of the year is certainly a possibility.

Who's the better option? Probably six of one, half a dozen of the other so pay attention to your needs. For instance, I just picked up Murphy in the league where I'm second in SB and second to last in HR.

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