Top 7 MLB Free Agent Middle Infielders For 2026

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Bo Bichette (Photo by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Our coverage of MLBâ€s free agent season continues with a deep dive on the best second basemen and shortstops available this year.

Below is a data-driven approach to ranking the available middle infield options, leveraging data from FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus, Baseball Savant and Baseball Reference. Where applicable, weâ€ve left out players that are likely to have their club options picked up. Should that change, this list will be updated to reflect the new market reality.

1. Bo Bichette, SS

Projected contract: 8 years, $240M

If you’re looking for the exception that proves the rule about bat speed, it’s Bichette. His bat speed declined to a career-low 69.1 mph in 2025, and yet he was still one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball. For some players, having 12th percentile bat speed might lead to a short career. For Bichette, it doesn’t really seem to matter:

Bichette has such good bat-to-ball skills that he can generate plus exit velocities, even with his current bat speed. His defense slipped dramatically, however, so he’ll need to sign with a team that is comfortable paying him a lot of money to play second base during the latter part of the contract. The sublime contact skills are a good bet to stick long term, especially given his track record and pedigree. Colorado might be a great fit.

2. Gleyber Torres, 2B

Projected contract: 7 years, $160M

This is what Torres looked like before he hit free agency last offseason:

That’s essentially a 45 hit/45 power profile with good plate discipline. After moving to Detroit on a one-year “prove it” deal, Torres made marginal, but impactful improvements:

Torres went from a 45/45 to a 55/55, while being far more patient at the plate. The results:

Torres returned to form, becoming a three-win player again. Let’s take a look at how he compares to Bichette:

metricBo BichetteGleyber TorresAge on April 1st28.129.3Career fWAR/6003.652.58Career WARP/6003.012.97Career bWAR/6003.792.60wRC+122114DRC+113111

Depending on which version of WAR you subscribe to, Torres is either a hair behind Bichette or roughly one win behind. His terrible 2024 may have scared some teams away last year, but he should cash in big time this year.

3. Jorge Polanco, 2B

Projected Contract: 1 Year / $17M

Polanco had a resurgent season after a miserable 2024. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he signs for more than one year, as his top-line numbers were very much backed up by superb Statcast data:

Plus power with a 94.6% zone-contact rate against fastballs and average swing decisions is quite a compelling combination. It’s possible he was even a little bit unlucky, as his damage on contact was better on almost all non-fastballs. He doesn’t provide a ton of defensive value, but he can hold his own at second or third and should be at least an average bat. Polanco might be one of the bargains of this year’s free agent class.

4. Ha-Seong Kim, SS

Projected Contract: 2 Years / $26M

Kim was spectacular the three seasons prior to this year. He declined $16 million to become a free agent, which indicates he thinks he’ll get more than that. That’s a confident approach for a player who doesn’t hit for power, has below-average bat speed and doesn’t hit for a high average. All that said, it’s a very thin middle infield market this year, and some teams may look at his 2022-2024 performance and hope they’re getting a 2-4 win player.

5. Miguel Rojas, SS

Projected Contract: 2 Years / $24M

Don’t be fooled by Rojas not playing much in the World Series; he’s a very valuable baseball player with a league-average bat and an above-average glove on the dirt. He also adds value with his ability to field second, short and third.

However, there is one critical aspect that’s holding back the profile:

yearwrc+ vs LEFTIESwRC+ vs RIGHTIES202310050202494118202514367Career10179

Rojas is substantially worse when he has the platoon disadvantage, making it harder to put him in the lineup with a righty on the mound. This will limit his playing time somewhat, as he’s mostly a platoon bat. However, even with limited playing time, he’ll accumulate 1.5 to 2 wins, which pretty much every team can use.

6. Willi Castro, SS

Projected Contract: 2 Years / $22M

Castro can field basically any position, but his offensive value cratered in his walk year. Teams that value the extreme super utility role will be more keen on signing him. There is one aspect to Castro’s profile that suggests he might have a lot more upside:

Castro’s raw power is comfortably above average, sitting in the 55-60 range. However, his average exit velocities are consistently well below average. This suggests he’s playing well below his potential. If there’s a team out there that has a plan to help Castro bridge that gap, they could scoop themselves a very valuable player.

7. Luis Rengifo, 2B

Projected Contract: 2 Years: $22M

There’s a notion that players will overperform in contract years. Rengifo would beg to differ. He had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2025. The problem? He doesn’t hit the ball very hard, and he didn’t make up for it with elite contact skills:

However, these metrics are roughly in line with what he did from 2022-2024 when he was an above-average hitter:

The only meaningful difference was his patience. He reduced his zone swing rate by about five points. The rest can potentially be chalked up to worse luck on balls in play.

Here’s the challenge with hitters with this profile: They don’t have a ton of power, so random variation can absolutely crush their value. That being so, it’s reasonable to project Rengifo as the player he was the three seasons prior to 2025, with the added bonus of positional flexibility.

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