Fantasy Positional Rankings: Shortstop
Shortstop, a position which the definition of the “ideal player” has been in flux in recent years. The position has historically been recognized as having some of the fastest players in the game and being the best position to find players that can provide stolen bases (outside of outfielders) when it comes to fantasy. In the juiced ball age of baseball, stolen bases have become antiquated and players who can bring 30 dingers and put down 30 doubles and seven triples are the norm. As a fantasy manager, finding the players that are safe with upside is hard to do. How do you manage stolen bases when there are fewer players stealing bases than ever before? How do you value offensive output in a position now seemingly packed with power?
Shortstop is one of the few positions where only 4–5 guys can really do it all. If you’re not willing to pay the price to get them I think its best to find your value in well-rounded players with consistent output. Marcus Semien isn’t in the same tier as Francisco Lindor, but he’s likely to put up similar numbers at a several round discount. Shortstop is a great place to pick up value at a great discount.
Use these rankings as a guide to picking when the value makes sense for you.
1. Francisco Lindor
Lindor is still one of the best players in baseball. After missing the first 19 games of the 2019 season, Lindor set himself on fire trying to make up for his lost time. Barring injury, Lindor is a lock for a minimum stat line of .270/.350/.460 season with 30 HR and 20 bags in 2020.
2. Trevor Story
3. Trea Turner
Turner is always a threat to steal the most bags in the NL and he’s always one of the best OBP players as well. But in the plus power era of baseball, Turner is “only” one of the best leadoff hitters in the league, and that usually means his counting stats don’t compare well with some of his other counterparts at the top of the position
4. Alex Bregman
This will be a wild season for the Astros as they will be dealing with the brunt and the tenacity of 28 other teams and the majority of baseball’s fandom at EVERY GAME. Bregman is still a great player and should be taken in the top 30 players in fantasy. But, if we see a down year and “bad” stats across the board. I won’t be surprised.
5. Javier Baez
6. Fernando Tatis Jr.
The former top prospect wasted no time cementing himself as one of the game’s brightest stars. If Tatis can knock 10 points off his K rate we could be looking at a perennial MVP candidate. He’s young and powerful and racks up stolen bases. He’s my sleeper to take the top spot as the best SS this year.
7. Gleyber Torres
8. Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts had his “breakout” season in 2019. The batted ball profile and metrics seem to back up what seems to be another power bat at short. I’m skeptical Bogaerts will put the ball over the fence 30 times but 100+ RBIs and Runs are well within his capacity.
9. Jonathan Villar
10. Manny Machado
This is Manny Machado. He’s a slugger that benefitted from being with the Orioles. (That sentence has not been typed in over 10 years) Two years ago I would have been bound and gagged for ranking him below Villar but we can’t bet on the counting stats anymore and the Machado’s power doesn’t play up in Petco Park. 80 RBIs and 80 Runs are the new normal for Manny and we just need to be okay adjusting to that.
11. Marcus Semien
12. Carlos Correa
Similar to Bregman, Correa is a top-class bat that is in for an interesting year. Correa joined the league in 2015 with a flash and followed that up with a spectacular sophomore season topping out at 660 plate appearances. But since then, Correa has missed at least 40 games in both 2017 and 2018 and only played in 75 games in 2019. The only reason we are still talking about Correa this high in the list is that in that 75 game sample the 25-year-old hit 21 home runs and drove in 59 batters… Keep your eyes on Correa in spring training.
13. Bo Bichette
Bo’s placement on this list should act as the last player that you “know what you will get.” Bichette is the next man up in what seems like a never-ending line of 4-to-5 tool shortstop prospects. What really impresses me is that Bichette has natural pop but his eye for the gap is his bread and butter. Bichette had nine doubles in nine back to back games in 2019 which, surprisingly, is the first time that has ever been done in MLB history. Bichette is an excellent upside piece at his ADP and makes for a great cornerstone on any dynasty leagues.
14. Adalberto Mondesi
15. Tim Anderson
What excites me about Anderson this year is the cast that’s around him. The White Sox have flipped the switch and look primed to open their playoff window with power hitters all over the field. He looks primed to eclipse his career-best 81 runs from 2019 and I’m here for it. The obvious downside here is that I don’t expect Anderson to repeat his .355 AVG from 2019. I think we can expect a line around .285/.300/.450 and a lock for 15 HR and 15 SB. If I can’t grab one of the top 10 SS in a draft, Anderson is a great value at his current ADP.
16. Elvis Andrus
17. Corey Seager
This might be my biggest shocker on the list. Seager “has” been an all-around elite player before. I’m not knocking his skills. He’s an elite hitter with a knack for getting on base and getting extra bases. But the injuries have piled up and his back issues are worrying. On top of that, he’s never shown the 60-grade power he was scouted as having during his prospect days and I doubt it’s going to magically appear. If he can put together 145 games in a season he’s pushing for a top 10 spot. But in the power ball era, there are at least 10 shortstops that can hit 30 HRs and grab at least 10 bags. Neither of which Seager will get you this year.
18. Jean Segura
I’m hopeful Segura can put together a better season than 2019. The average and counting stats should be much higher on a team with this kind of talent. I completely expect an additional 10 Runs and RBI’s for Segura this year. What concerns me is the steep drop off in stolen bases. In 2019 Segura only grabbed 10 bags, his lowest since his rookie season and 10 less than his lowest full-season count. The Phillies attempted the third most steals in baseball and were bottom three in caught stealing! The fact that Segura only had 10 bags is concerning.
19. Amed Rosario
20. Paul DeJong
21. Jorge Polanco
22. Dansby Swanson
Is Dansby Swanson good? Meh? I can say three things about Swanson are true, 1. He has made significant improvement based on his statcast numbers (xwOBA up 69 points!). 2. He is locked into a starting position based on his good defense. 3. He will never live up to being the 1st overall pick in 2015. I can see Swanson putting together an excellent season but to be able to expect him to play up to guys in the top 10 is not reasonable.
23. Didi Gregorius
I’m honestly not sure what to expect. He’s bound to put a few more over the fence this year. He will likely hit in the top half of the order and I think we can expect a “normal” season at 140 games and a .260/.340/.460 line. 20 HRs seems to be a fair but maybe overly confident expectation.
24. Kevin Newman
Kevin Newman is a guy. That’s about it. His one great trait is an eye for the ball as he posted a .308 average last year. He’s always going to be good for a high average and a few stolen bases but not much else. Pick up Newman if you’re in a category league and need some extra numbers to boost your percentages or you need a solid play to fill in for an injury. Newman is a great back up for a high-risk player or a spot start for a utility position. Just don’t be surprised if the Pirates decide they want to find some playing time for their up and coming prospects. Newman will be the first to see his time cut.
25. Andrelton Simmons
26. Willy Adames
Once the top prospect in the system, Adames has been underwhelming since his promotion to the senior squad. In 2019 he sacrificed average for power, bumping his ISO 36 points and putting 20 dingers on the stat sheet in 2019. He’s a lower-tier version of Javier Baez with an aggressive approach, he doesn’t take walks and looks to be supported by a high BABIP. If I thought he would be the shortstop for the Rays for the full season he might be higher on my list, but Wander Franco is waiting in the wings.
27. Nick Ahmed
28. Jon Berti
29. Niko Goodrum
30. David Fletcher
31. Nico Hoerner
Hoerner will likely never be a top-10 position player but he does have the chance to be a perennial top-20 player. If Hoerner breaks camp with the everyday 2B role, the Cubs might be able to unleash their new weapon on the basepaths. A full season of Hoerner could end up being .280/.315/.400 with 15 HR and 15–20 SB. He will likely go undrafted in your league so keep an eye on the Cub’s Opening Day roster. He could be an easy plug-and-play player for a team that missed out on one of the top-20 shortstops.
32. Carter Kieboom
Another interesting prospect. Kieboom has a shot at breaking camp as the starting 3B for the Nationals. He looked overmatched in his taste of the big leagues last year but the power profile is there and he could end up being a great sleeper pick in the later rounds. The earlier your draft the better chance you have to buy in cheap on some young power. If the cards lay right Kieboom could be a league winner this year if you get him for the right price… and he wins the starting role… and he performs perfectly in his first full season… There are some hurdles to jump here.
33. Jose Peraza
34. Freddy Galvis
35. Luis Urias
In another year, Urias will likely wind up being a solid everyday shortstop for the Brewers. I would temper expectations this year though. After a wrist injury during winter ball, he will likely be dealing with a lack of power which does not pair well with his 22.5% strikeout rate. Stash if you have space but don’t expect anything in the first half of the season.
36. J.P. Crawford
37. Chris Taylor
38. Wander Franco
He’s coming. It’s an outside shot but the talent is there and the Rays are a weird team when it comes to prospects. If Adames is an offensive crater at shortstop and is holding back the Rays from another playoff berth, look for Franco around the All-Star break.
39. Jose Iglesias
40. Nicky Lopez
Lopez has some intriguing characteristics. After an overly disappointing rookie season, it will be interesting if the Royals let him loose on the bases. He has a good eye which could provide a high average and the speed to steal 10–15 bags. Do not draft him but check in on his stats at the end of May.
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