Welcome back RotoBallers. With the MLB season a little more than a week away, it's time to update our rankings and analysis to account for injuries, free agent signings, spring training risers/fallers and more. We continue our updated March rankings today with the shortstop position.
Bill Dubiel breaks down each tier and provides analysis for which players might be overvalued or undervalued in fantasy baseball drafts. The position is stronger than it's been in recent years thanks to new eligibility and new talent. Many of the names remain the same, but some of the regulars have fallen and been replaced with younger studs. Let's take a look.
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Updated Head-to-Head Points League Rankings: Shortstop
Ranking | Tier | Player Name | Pos | Auction $ |
1 | 1 | Trea Turner | SS | 38 |
2 | 1 | Carlos Correa | SS | 34 |
3 | 1 | Manny Machado | 3B/SS | 33 |
4 | 2 | Francisco Lindor | SS | 31 |
5 | 2 | Corey Seager | SS | 29 |
6 | 2 | Alex Bregman | 3B/SS | 22 |
7 | 2 | Xander Bogaerts | SS | 18 |
8 | 2 | Elvis Andrus | SS | 18 |
9 | 2 | Jean Segura | SS | 17 |
10 | 3 | Didi Gregorius | SS | 14 |
11 | 3 | Chris Taylor | 2B/SS/OF | 11 |
12 | 3 | Trevor Story | SS | 9 |
13 | 3 | Javier Baez | 2B/SS | 9 |
14 | 4 | Marwin Gonzalez | 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF | 6 |
15 | 4 | Marcus Semien | SS | 6 |
16 | 4 | Eduardo Nunez | SS/3B/2B/OF | 5 |
17 | 4 | Tim Beckham | SS | 4 |
18 | 4 | Tim Anderson | SS | 4 |
19 | 4 | Zack Cozart | SS | 3 |
20 | 4 | Andrelton Simmons | SS | 3 |
21 | 5 | Orlando Arcia | SS | 2 |
22 | 5 | Paul DeJong | 2B/SS | 2 |
23 | 5 | Addison Russell | SS | 2 |
24 | 5 | Chris Owings | 2B/SS/OF | 1 |
25 | 5 | Jose Peraza | 2B/SS | 1 |
26 | 5 | Dansby Swanson | SS | 1 |
27 | 6 | Yangervis Solarte | 2B/3B/SS | 1 |
28 | 6 | Gleyber Torres | SS | 1 |
29 | 6 | Troy Tulowitzki | SS | 1 |
30 | 6 | Amed Rosario | SS | 1 |
31 | 6 | J.P. Crawford | SS | 1 |
32 | 6 | Brandon Crawford | SS | 1 |
33 | 6 | Asdrubal Cabrera | SS/2B/3B | 1 |
34 | 6 | Jose Reyes | 2B/SS/3B | 1 |
35 | 7 | Jorge Polanco | SS | 1 |
36 | 7 | Aledmys Diaz | SS | 1 |
37 | 7 | Ketel Marte | SS | 1 |
38 | 7 | Brad Miller | SS | 1 |
39 | 7 | Matt Duffy | SS/3B | 1 |
40 | 7 | Freddy Galvis | SS | 1 |
41 | 7 | Alcides Escobar | SS | 1 |
Tier 1
Personally I like Corey Seager more than Lindor this year, which has been an unpopular opinion just about everywhere I've looked. I'm not buying into his sudden power surge, which is what theoretically gives him an edge over Seager. Lindor's ISO jumped a full 98 points from 2016 (.134) to 2017 (.232), and prior to that the highest he's ever posted at any level of professional ball is the .169 he posted in his rookie season. I think Lindor's power numbers will drop back to some form of normalcy in 2018, and that gives Seager the edge heading into the season.
Tier 2
Didi Gregorius has been overlooked all offseason, and I can't wait to see what kind of numbers he's capable of hitting behind or amidst the terrifying mashers of the new Yankee lineup. He's coming off back-to-back 20-homer seasons, and he should have no trouble hitting that number again while tacking on 80 runs and 80 RBI. As long as he keeps his batting average above .275, he should return well above what he'll cost on draft day. He could very well outproduce everyone else in this tier with the exception of Bregman in points leagues.
Tier 3
I can't quite wrap my head around Javier Baez's ranking here considering that he's got no clear path to a full-time job. Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist both can (and will) take at-bats away from him at second base, and Addison Russell is firmly entrenched as the starting shortstop. Happ is the player the Cubs are planning for, and it would not shock me if Baez was wearing a different jersey come September. Marwin Gonzalez on the other hand is going to find his way into the lineup somewhere almost every day, and his multi-positional eligibility is incredibly useful as a plug-and-play in points leagues.
Tier 4
Paul DeJong made a splash in just 108 games last season, smashing 25 homers and posting 65 RBI after sprinting through the minor leagues. While that's certainly a ton of upside to bank on, I'm keeping an eye on Andrelton Simmons from this tier. Simmons busted out in a big way in 2017, with 14 homers and 19 steals on top of a respectable .278 batting average. His .291 BABIP indicates that there isn't a ton of regression coming, and if he can keep the power stroke going a little bit he could be a 15/20 player at a price you'll love.
Tier 5
I'm really rooting for Yangervis Solarte to lock down a starting spot in Toronto, because I think he could be a really solid fantasy asset if he does. In the Rogers Centre, Solarte is easily capable of 20 homers if he's able to play in 130+ games, and the Blue Jays lineup is still potent enough for Solarte to scratch 70 runs and 70 RBI across. Solarte's multi-positional experience should allow him to find his way into the lineup, not unlike Marwin Gonzalez, but I'd really love to see him lock down the second base position full-time. If he does get that job before the season begins, he's a great pick at his current ADP.
Tier 6
There's enough writing out there about the young guys in this tier, so I'm going to spill some ink (pixels?) in support of Brandon Crawford. The veteran has been remarkably reliable for the last half-decade or so, playing in at least 143 games every year since 2012. In that time he's evolved into a steady if unspectacular producer, a lock for 12-15 homers, 75+ RBI, and a batting average between .250-.260. If you've decided to wait on middle infield, Crawford can be the late-round pick that gets you where you need to go.