Category: Shortstops | Page 3 | RotoGraphs Fantasy Baseball

The Argument for Trea Turner

December 6, 2022

There isn’t a consensus number-one pick or even a consensus top-three this early, but the guy we can bank on being a consensus top-five pick is Trea Turner. And he’s worth it, as you know.

This post is more a message of affirmation than a persuasive one, obviously, but Turner just signed a huge deal with the Phillies changing a couple of vital variables in the Turner owners’ favor.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Argument Against Oneil Cruz

by Alex Sonty

November 22, 2022

Oneil Cruz is probably a superstar in the making, but we should be unsure as to whether or not he can justify his mid-70s ADP, due to his low contact rate, low launch angle, mixed with playing most of his games in PNC Park.

Cruz’ career 92.1-mph exit velocity is electric and a large contributor to his .445 xwoBACON. When he makes contact, he straight-up mashes. But when is a big word, when we speak of his contact.

Yes, it’s a strikeout league, but Cruz’ 35% strikeout rate in 2022 was way above the MLB 22% average. And striking the ball hard doesn’t always yield great results.

Cruz’ 8.3-degree launch angle was well below the MLB 12% rate in 2022. Sure, he had a 16% barrel rate despite this low average launch angle, but his 49% groundball rate is a bit scary. And this wasn’t a result of MLB pitchers pitching him better than MiLB pitching, as he had a 51% groundball rate in Triple-A before getting called up.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ottoneu Arbitration Targets – Infield

by Chad Young

October 28, 2022

As promised, I am continuing to share potential arbitration targets going position-by-position. Last week we covered pitchers; today we cover infielders. Read the rest of this entry »

Justin Mason’s Final 2022 Shortstop Ranks (w/Comments)

by Justin Mason

March 31, 2022

With the season upon us, it is time to drop my final edition of my positional ranks. I will continue to update them live on the Sleeper and the Bust Patreon until the season gets underway and in-season as well.

You can review my ranks for other positions here: https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/category/rankings/ Read the rest of this entry »

Nicklaus Gaut’s 2022 Shortstop Rankings

by Nicklaus Gaut

March 25, 2022

If you’re just joining us, here are the previous ranks for first base, third base, catcher, and outfielders. We’ll get right back to our regularly scheduled programming of shortstop rankings and all the tiers you’re totally used to but first, a public service announcement.

There are many ways to improve your fantasy play, whether through strategy or player analysis but there are two (relatively) simple things that any player can do to dramatically up their game. They may not guarantee a championship but they will set you up for success by greatly raising your fantasy floor and helping shed any draft-day stress. And in your average home league with a normal distribution of fantasy expertise, this floor will often put you leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Read the rest of this entry »

Paul Sporer’s 2022 Shortstop Rankings with Comments

by Paul Sporer

March 21, 2022

Sam Greene via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The difference being cited is from my first run of rankings. These are for standard league setups that include SS, MI, and UT with 20-game eligibility. While I play mostly in 15-team mixers, these wouldn’t change much in 12- or 10-teamers. In the latter formats, I’d elevate appealing injury concerns (short-term more so, but yes, also Tatis*) and small sample guys because the replacement level is much higher. The double- and triple-eligible guys also take a little hit in the shallower formats for that same reason.

*My Tatis ranking would probably be closer to 20 in leagues with multiple IL spots, but the NFBC doesn’t have any and that’s the focus of my rankings hence the colossal drop.

2022 SS Rankings with Comments

RK	SHORTSTOP	TM	POS	LAST RK	DIFF.	NOTE
1	Trea Turner	LAD	2B/SS	1	0	Feels like a strong bet to set a new high in runs scored (107, 2021)
2	Bo Bichette	TOR	SS	2	0	Showed it all in 2021 and it’s hard to find any real flaws that set him up for major regression
3	Xander Bogaerts	BOS	SS	5	2	3rd in AVG, 6th in HR, 5th in R, 2nd in RBI, & 24th in SB among SS since 2018
4	Marcus Semien	TEX	2B/SS	6	2	Had 18 pt OPS adv. at home w/OAK at a park that plays similar to TEX
5	Francisco Lindor	NYM	SS	4	-1	Even if the pwr doesn’t fully return, he’s not a .230 hitter; I see a rebound in ’22
6	Tim Anderson	CWS	SS	11	5	Double-double stud w/premium AVG & tons of R; only needed 123 G to get there in ’19 & ’21
7	Trevor Story	BOS	SS	8	1	Yes the .972 home OPS will come down out of Coors, but the .752 road OPS will rise, too
8	Javier Báez	DET	2B/SS	9	1	Plate skills make him super volatile, but pwr & spd remain enticing
9	Jorge Polanco	MIN	2B/SS	12	3	Modest 65% SB% says be careful betting on another 11; solid bet for .260/25
10	Wander Franco	TBR	SS	10	0	I don’t see a major HR or SB output just yet and think ’23 could be the uber-breakout
11	Willy Adames	MIL	SS	14	3	I’m buying the anti-Trop breakout: .616/.864 home/road OPS split w/TB
12	Bobby Witt Jr.	KCR	SS	29	17	New PPI rule could lead to Opening Day bid so I jumped him given his insane skills
13	Corey Seager	TEX	SS	13	0	Health has come to the fore as an issue w/>100 G once in last 3 full seasons
14	Chris Taylor	LAD	2B/SS/OF	18	4	Played 11+ G at 5 pos. as today’s Zobrist; K% could bring AVG into .240s
15	Jake Cronenworth	SDP	1B/2B/SS	16	1	No single stat is excellent, but finished 14-14-16 at his elig. positions last yr
16	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	MIA	2B/SS	15	-1	.681 OPS, 14 HR/SB from May on; has upside, but plate skills breed volatility
17	Dansby Swanson	ATL	SS	19	2	Has continued to build up his pwr, ISOs since 2017: .092, .157, .172, .190, and .201
18	Carlos Correa	MIN	SS	7	-11	Surprise sign in MIN and that lineup is looking stout after a flurry of moves
19	Luis Urías	MIL	2B/3B/SS	21	2	Under the hood backs pwr surge as LA surge drove much better contact results; no change off quad inj. yet
20	Gleyber Torres	NYY	SS	17	-3	Is his PT at risk w/IKF and DJLM at SS/2B? Had a .651 OPS vR in ’21
21	Brendan Rodgers	COL	2B/SS	20	-1	Former #3 overall hit well in first big MLB sample, incl. an .873 OPS & 12 HR on the road
22	Amed Rosario	CLE	SS	28	6	Big 2H saw him hit .309/.339/.457 w/6 HR & 5 SB; ready for a leap?
23	Brandon Crawford	SFG	SS	25	2	Pwr surge started in ’20 (.209 ISO), but don’t bet on another 11 SB
24	Eugenio Suárez	SEA	3B/SS	27	3	Move to SEA doesn’t help, but it shouldn’t crush him as his pwr plays everywhere
25	Oneil Cruz	PIT	SS	30	5	Only 8 G above AA & Steamer proj. drove hype through the roof; talent is immense, though
26	Ha-Seong Kim 김하성	SDP	2B/3B/SS	33	7	Buying back in despite modest debut and now has a clear path to the starting SS role
27	Jonathan Villar	CHC	3B/SS	32	5	Versatility keeps PT coming, avg of 14 HR/27 SB per 500 PA since ’18; CHC might have 600 PA for him
28	Andrés Giménez	CLE	2B/SS	34	6	Believers see 3 HR/7 SB upon return from AAA (125 PA) and that he’s just 23 y/o; don’t give up
29	Josh Rojas	ARI	2B/SS/OF	35	6	Intriguing bat w/pop, spd, & positional flexibility, but hasn’t hit vR in MLB: .684 OPS in 564 PA
30	Gavin Lux	LAD	2B/SS	24	-6	No longer has an obvious avenue to a full-time role after the Freeman signing
31	Fernando Tatis Jr.	SDP	SS/OF	3	-28	I understand it could be a strong half season when he returns, but it’s a HUGE question mark
32	Miguel Rojas	MIA	SS	39	7	Not just empty AVG w/8 HR & 10 SB per 500 PA since 2018 w/a .270 AVG
33	Gio Urshela	MIN	3B/SS	22	-11	Hammy inj. + COVID ate up early-2H (37 PA Jul 16-Aug 31), clear PT path now: 500 PA incoming?
34	Didi Gregorius	PHI	SS	36	2	Needed multiple bone spurs removed that hampered him in ’21, could be a bounceback candidate
35	José Iglesias	COL	SS	51	16	Could get 500 PA w/COL and drop a .290 AVG w/8 HR & SB; prob best as a homestand fill-in
36	Jeremy Peña	HOU	SS	#N/A	#N/A	Has glove to hold role & all FA SS are now signed; could be a sneaky double-double
37	J.P. Crawford	SEA	SS	31	-6	Pwr or Spd needs to be a major fantasy contributor, otherwise it’s a Runs/AVG volume play
38	Cole Tucker	PIT	SS	54	16	Hasn’t been good in 406 PA over 3 seasons (60 wRC+), but has 28 SB/500 PA in MiLB
39	Jose Barrero	CIN	SS	26	-13	Hamate inj. hits a fave sleeper of mine; delays season by at least 1 mo.; remember him for waivers
40	Joey Wendle	MIA	3B/SS	37	-3	If FT role is there, sneaky solid in deep lgs w/.274 AVG, 8 HR, 13 SB per 500 PA since ’18
41	Ramón Urías	BAL	2B/SS	38	-3	Could there be a pwr surge coming like baby bro Luis had last yr? I could see 15-17 HR
42	Isiah Kiner-Falefa	NYY	SS	41	-1	Accumulator went 8 HR/20 SB/.271 AVG last yr in 677 PA, but just an 85 wRC+… meh
43	Nicky Lopez	KCR	SS	23	-20	Profile maxed in ’21 (.300 AVG, 22 SB) and I just don’t like powerless profiles like this
44	Paul DeJong	STL	SS	45	1	Pwr was still there (19 HR, .194 ISO), but .216 BABIP tanked his AVG (.197); unlikely to play daily
45	Edmundo Sosa	STL	2B/SS	43	-2	Held his own in 326 PA (104 wRC+) & could get a larger share of PT if DeJong doesn’t rebound
46	Kyle Farmer	CIN	SS	47	1	Barrero inj. clears path, but profile is underwhelming (breakout was a 91 wRC+)
47	Alcides Escobar	WAS	SS	#N/A	#N/A	He might actually bat high in the order which would give him some Runs appeal if AVG holds
48	Luis Rengifo	LAA	SS	49	1	Has 16 HR, 22 SB, .296 AVG in 569 PA at AAA, could be interesting if a role opened up
49	Tyler Wade	LAA	3B/SS/OF	55	6	Excelled in limited role w/17 SB in just 145 PA incl. 7 as a substitute; PT could be sporadic in LA
50	David Fletcher	LAA	2B/SS	42	-8	Hit .255 in first 48 gms, .340 in next 66, but closed w/a .150 in 44 gms; only dual elig.,too
51	Bryson Stott	PHI	SS	40	-11	Breaking camp is unlikely (41 AAA PA), but could replace Didi in summer if he falters again
52	Taylor Walls	TBR	SS	46	-6	Unheralded prospect, but has a great glove, solid hit tool, and some spd that would play if PT opens
53	Elvis Andrus	OAK	SS	52	-1	OAK exodus clears path for another 500+ PA, but do we want ’em? Bat is outright punchless (.076 ISO)
54	Royce Lewis	MIN	SS	#N/A	#N/A	Correa move doesn’t crush path as he got 3B/OF reps in AFL; still just 23 years old
55	Kevin Newman	PIT	SS	48	-7	Another potential 500 PA bat you want nothing to do with given the output
56	Thairo Estrada	SFG	SS	44	-12	Just not sure where PT materializes in Platoonsville; waiver filler if he does find some time
57	Jeter Downs	BOS	SS	#N/A	#N/A	14 HR/18 SB AAA debut came w/62 wRC+ & now Story addition curbs any hurry BOS might’ve had
58	Nick Ahmed	ARI	SS	53	-5	Lost all of the punch he’d been showing w/2% Barrel & 5% HR/FB rates robbing his output
59	Geraldo Perdomo	ARI	SS	#N/A	#N/A	Prospect to watch, but will almost certainly start in AAA w/Ahmed starting
60	Willi Castro	DET	2B/SS	50	-10	Could find success in utility role, but ’20 success was built on .448 BABIP

Shortstop ADP Market Report: 3/17/22

by Justin Mason

March 20, 2022

With drafts beginning to ramp up, it is important to monitor where players are being drafted on a regular basis. Throughout draft season, I will be doing that work for you with regular updates on the Average Draft Position on NFBC up until Opening Day. You can find all the pieces in this series here. Read the rest of this entry »

Justin Mason’s 2022 Shortstop Ranks: 3/7/22

by Justin Mason

March 7, 2022

As we head into primetime drafting season, I will be rereleasing my positional ranks. Here are my current ranks for the shortstop position for 2022, my third of the offseason. I will post updates as things change with signings, injuries, or news in Major League Baseball. On the Sleeper and the Bust Patreon, you can see the rankings updated live.

Read the rest of this entry »