The shortstop position is always very exciting in fantasy baseball because teams often put their best players at that spot, and it is where the best athletes in baseball live. The guys with premium power and speed are huge for our roster construction, and many of them are shortstops. You will rarely find platoon guys at this position. This year the SS position is looking very strong at the top with a deep upper-middle class of guys with varied skill sets. There is a noticeable dropoff after roughly pick 130-150 in 15-team leagues, and then there is a SS cliff that is decidedly brutal if you play in Draft & Hold formats. So while the SS position is deep, you might want 2 good ones to avoid replacing your SS via FAAB, a proposition that will be decidedly dicey. Let’s dive into the tiers and the player blurbs!
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Tier 1 – Diamond Tier 💎
| 1 | Trea Turner | PHI | SS |
Sky-high AVG floor with 25+ HR potential and 25+ steals as well, no need to overthink anything with Turner, he is an easy top 3 pick in most roto formats.
| 2 | Bo Bichette | TOR | SS |
Even with a ‘down’ year, he basically returned the value you needed in 2022. Bo can flat-out rake and provide power speed gifts often! High AVG floor and elite health track record. Safer player at his range that helps your build stay flexible early on.
| 3 | Bobby Witt | KC | SS/3B |
Based on OPS, Witt doesn’t belong in the middle of the first round, but he could easily provide 25 HR, and 25 SB with both 3B and SS eligibility, and the only thing holding him back is a bad home park and not a good lineup. Easy to build around him if you can manufacture the loss in counting stats.
| 4 | Fernando Tatis Jr. | SD | SS/OF |
The upside is 1-1 talent with his power-speed, but risk factors include off-season shoulder and wrist surgery. Plays better in shallow or 12-team leagues but there is a place for him on the wheel in 15-teamers for aggressive drafters. Follow your instincts here, pass him if it doesn’t feel right as the pick has multiple ways it can go right despite the elite upside.
Tier 2 – Platinum Tier 👑
| 5 | Francisco Lindor | NYM | SS |
One of the ultimate high-floor guys, Lindor is great for his consistency and multiple paths to value. He isn’t a bargain per se at his ADP but hard to go wrong with his tremendous floor.
Tier 3 – Gold Tier 🥇
| 6 | Corey Seager | TEX | SS |
A tremendous hitter who will see a rise in AVG, due to natural regression and the shift ban in congruence, a 30 HR with a .280+ AVG is possible, but with no steals, injury risk is overblown in my opinion.
| 7 | Oneil Cruz | PIT | SS |
Light tower elite power and premium steals upside, Cruz’s biggest issue is swing and miss on breaking balls and contact ability, so his AVG could be a liability. His skills are similar to Jazz Chisholm, so if you want that profile with a discount, look at Cruz.
| 8 | Wander Franco | TB | SS |
A true real-life 80 FV prospect that has yet to go berserk in fantasy, Wander has an elite hit tool that is 80 grade in my mind, and he stole more bags than many expected in 2022, with 8 steals in a half-season. The power could come, we aren’t sure when, but a player with 15-20 HR potential, 15-20+ steals potential and an elite .300+ AVG and monster counting stats are possible if he stays healthy.
| 9 | Willy Adames | MIL | SS |
Add another big bat in the SS grouping. Adames could see some positive regression in the AVG department, as his career AVG is higher than the .238 he provided in 2022. I could easily move him toward the top of this loaded tier, 52 monster barrels (31 HRs) in 2022.
| 10 | Tommy Edman | STL | 2B/SS |
Edman is polarizing for some because he is not a big power guy who still goes inside the top 75, he is very efficient in terms of steals, and he has a decent AVG floor being an early action player who swings early in the at-bat. A 10 HR, 25 SB campaign with a boatload of runs scored and a palatable AVG is the floor for the Gold Glove Tommy Edman, whose defense secures his PT.
| 11 | Xander Bogaerts | SD | SS |
An absolutely elite hit tool guy moving to a worse park but a juggernaut lineup, Bogaerts’ plate skills are unbelievably consistent, as well as his AVG. His counting stats are very strong as well given his max PT, and he could provide a presence in the steals category, just plan for mid-teens HR power.
| 12 | Dansby Swanson | CHC | SS |
Coming off a career year, I see Swanson declining in counting stats as well as steals since that was a career-high. Still, the volume should make him solid, but more bottom of the tier rather than the top of the tier for me.
Tier 4 – Silver Tier 🥈
| 13 | Jeremy Pena | HOU | SS |
Coming off a monster rookie year, the price has risen for Pena initially, the plate skills and chase issues bothered me, but his floor is pretty solid and he can easily take a step forward. I am more comfortable with him at his ADP given he’s a multiple paths to value guy.
| 14 | Tim Anderson | CWS | SS |
The narrative is that he is very injury prone and while that is true, this guy is the definition of a 5 tool roto stud when he is on. He has put up full-season numbers in partial years. Do not forget that, but do take a good SS for your MI if you take TA since he is a risk.
| 15 | Carlos Correa | MIN | SS |
Just a good all-around hitter, Correa is a good value in drafts because he doesn’t steal bags or have supremely elite power or AVG but he is a darn good player and safe when healthy. Good fallback choice.
| 16 | Amed Rosario | CLE | SS |
The ultimate high-floor oatmealie speed play. AVG should be rock-solid as well as opportunity in CLE, safe player, but no upside is coming in power unless he totally changes since he hits a lot of GBs. I prefer him in 15 teamers.
Tier 5 – Bronze Tier 🥉
| 17 | Nico Hoerner | CHC | SS |
Very limited pop is my biggest concern however he does provide nice AVG and plenty of steals, if he fits your build, I have no major problems taking him around pick 170 or so. I likely will not have any shares, since I can find cheaper players with plenty of upside at MI.
| 18 | Javier Baez | DET | SS |
I refuse to believe Baez is fully cooked at age 30, and while his O-Swing was ridiculously high, I think he can get his bearings back under him and provide a nice 20-15 year with tons of PT in Detroit. One reason I am willing to take a bounce back is the fact he provides speed and he has shown he can be an elite fantasy player in the past.
| 19 | Thairo Estrada | SF | 2B/SS |
A reasonable steals target if you missed out, but his power is pretty light. A 10 HR player with 15-20 steals, versatility, and potential for OF eligibility. If he is leading off, then he carries much more value, so monitor closely. He plays a bit better in 15-teamers due to the hit in power. I won’t be reaching for him.
| 20 | CJ Abrams | WAS | SS |
It is hard to find anything in the numbers that ensure a breakout based on a rough rookie year, but Abrams went from a prep HS bat to the Majors in only 534 PAs, flying through the minors. I believe the former elite top prospect will only get better with time and he has a chance to replicate what Tommy Edman does if he takes a step forward.
| 21 | Bryson Stott | PHI | 2B/SS |
A nifty potential 15-15 guy, Stott had a lot of promising signs once he settled in as a young MLB regular. He posted 10 HR and 12 SB from June 1 to the end of the year. He is a patient hitter with a good all-around game as he is special nowhere, but solid everywhere, there is a hidden upside with Stott.
| 22 | Ezequiel Tovar | COL | SS |
A potential 15-15 guy in Coors, the Rockies are ready to let Tovar take over as the starting SS in Colorado, and he has a great hit tool to take advantage of the nice Coors BABIP boost. You can also reserve him on the road since you will have the makings of a full team when you take Tovar. Huge upside.
| 23 | Oswald Peraza | NYY | SS |
With 20-20 potential in Pinstripes, this is a guy that should be a huge target for you coming, as he could easily win the SS job in The Bronx and has huge upside potential.
| 24 | Ha-Seong Kim | SD | SS/3B |
An interesting little 10/10 guy with a slick glove, Kim is a glue guy for DCs, but in FAAB he leaves me a little cold. I like him, don’t love him. SS eligibility really helps given the cliff at SS.
| 25 | Luis Urias | MIL | 2B/SS/3B |
Despite the fact that he was an interesting prospect, Urias is a little boring, as he isn’t a standout in AVG, steals but he pulls the ball a lot and can barrel the ball well for a MI. Great flexibility.
Tier 6 – Copper Tier 🪙
| 26 | Luis Garcia | WAS | 2B/SS |
Somewhat of a boring play on the surface, Garcia did increase his Max EV substantially and he has a solid hit tool with a locked-in opportunity. The issue is he lacks speed and hits too many GBs but as a depth play, he’s fine due to the volume.
| 27 | Adalberto Mondesi | BOS | SS |
Never Mondesi. The lack of durability is a huge issue for me and I don’t think he is a good real-life hitter, but he does have the ability to be huge if he spikes a healthy year.
| 28 | Brandon Crawford | SF | SS |
Mid-power has been Crawford’s calling card in the late stages of his illustrative career, and he is coming cheap as a 3rd SS for most teams in DC formats. There is no upside, but he should have a steady stream of at-bats and can crank the occasional HR (projected .144 ISO).
| 29 | J.P. Crawford | SEA | SS |
A very blah player despite a healthy OBP, Crawford is decent for real-life but do not start him in fantasy outside of desperate streaming weeks. In a DC I will avoid him since he has 0 upside but sometimes you have to take him if you didn’t address SS depth, and he will play a lot.
| 30 | Anthony Volpe | NYY | SS |
A polished and high-floor Yankees prospect, Volpe can provide multiple paths to value and if he is hitting well, the Yankees could bring him up to play a role in the INF. I love the upside and will take him where it is sensible.
| 31 | Jorge Mateo | BAL | SS |
A bad real-life hitter, there is a lot of risk with Mateo and I will not be drafting him. There was a lot of chatter about Baltimore moving Mateo in the off-season during the SS carousel given their elite MiLB INF depth, but I see a Chris Taylor role coming with INF/OF flexibility, just don’t trust him to hit well at all. Jon Berti-like.
| 32 | Elvis Andrus | CWS | SS |
Signing back with the White Sox to play 2B, Andrus is the ultimate bargain bin guy, I’d pencil in a 10/10 with a non-detrimental AVG. Boring but can be used in some deep formats.
| 33 | Joey Wendle | MIA | 2B/SS/3B |
More of an NL-Only guy at this stage, Wendle provides a tiny bit of something everywhere and could go 10-10 with a non-harmful AVG. Triple eligibility and a steady glove help his profile gain traction.
| 34 | Kyle Farmer | MIN | SS/3B |
A pure depth play for Minnesota and your fantasy teams, not a ton to love here except as an emergency duel-eligible guy.
| 35 | Elly De La Cruz | CIN | SS |
When will Elly De La Cruz debut, that is the only question. He only has 207 PAs above High-A and just turned 21, so the Reds could feasibly keep him stashed in the Minors all year which is why he isn’t a target for me. He also struggles with breaking balls and needs to show improvement. That being said, if he is rolling and gets the call, he has colossal upside.
Tier 7 – Fool’s Gold Tier 🙍
| 36 | Dylan Moore | SEA | SS/OF |
A power-speed sparkplug, Moore is a threat to the PT of Kolten Wong and J.P. Crawford, and while he is flawed, he can provide a puff of power speed and flexibility.
| 37 | Brice Turang | MIL | SS |
A contact-focused MI, Turang is ready to benefit from the absence of Kolten Wong and has a slick glove to afford him at-bats. He can bring a presence in steals too, however, my concern is if he can impact the ball enough to be a regular since his power isn’t necessarily big-league caliber.
| 38 | Taylor Walls | TB | 2B/SS/3B |
Blessed with triple-eligibility, Walls has 3B/2B/SS eligibility, and while he is a backup, his strong defensive value will allow him to draw starts. He has the potential to provide some value as an emergency backup INF type for those drafting deep DC squads. Scouts have remarked that with Walls’ strong frame, more power could be coming, and he’s dirt cheap with a lot of flexibility.
| 39 | Royce Lewis | MIN | SS |
Monster upside for his career despite double ACL injuries, Lewis is a nice shot for upside in dynasty, but in redrafts I will not take the gamble. He will not be ready until June or July potentially and that return date could be even later due to setbacks or the Twins may proceed with caution.
| 40 | Jose Barrero | CIN | SS |
A great 2021 campaign at AA and AAA set the table for fantasy hype for Barrero, but his swing has gotten away from him as shown by a horrendous 168 Ks in just 385 PAs in 2022, he needs to show a lot more in order to have any future in the MLB. Worth it as a post-round 45 lottery ticket in DCs and that is about it.
| 41 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | NYY | SS |
Swings a pool noodle and doesn’t impact the ball with any authority. Crazy enough, he has been decent for roto with his AVG and steals, but his PT is at high risk in my opinion.
| 42 | Miguel Rojas | LAD | SS |
An interesting pickup by the Dodgers, Rojas is very bland but I could see him picking up multiple positions of eligibility and being penciled into the lineup card from time to time and that has a place in some deep leagues.
| 43 | Jose Iglesias | FA | SS |
Where he will sign is an unknown, but he at least provides decent AVG, he is probably waiting for an injury to open things up or he will settle for a utility job on a contender.
| 44 | Jordan Lawler | ARI | SS |
A top-of-the-scale prospect, Lawler is a dynasty building block, but when will he debut? There is a chance he gets a sip of espresso like Corbin Carroll or Gunnar Henderson, but it’s hard to guarantee.
| 45 | Addison Barger | TOR | SS |
With a sweet lefty stroke, Barger put the baseball world on notice with a huge 3-level campaign where he eclipsed a .919 OPS with a .544 slug to boot. He is a LHB that the Jays could use in their righty-heavy lineup, and his power should play at The Show, given how much raw power he has, he could easily be a huge upgrade on Cavan Biggio or Santiago Espinal.
| 46 | Austin Martin | MIN | SS/OF |
Probably my most speculative call in the whole article, Martin is a very weird profile that has caused most to sour on his prospects. Martin provides stolen base upside, a healthy OBP (.341 clip at AA in 2022), and the versatility to play a lot of different positions for Minnesota. The ultimate question is if he can hit enough to demand a role as a regular. He might get the bat knocked out of his hand. His power is questionable, but he is a very scrappy player who has always overachieved, so there is a path he comes up and pulls a Jon Berti in 2023!