Updated Consensus Ranks: Shortstop
Shortstops are the red-headed stepchildren of the offense, but this year, catastrophic injury has stayed away. Oops, jinxed. You can blame the next one on me.
Early changes in contact rate and batted ball mix are the first to become reliable, so look there for possible reasoning. Speed is a tricky thing, too — it’s such an athletic skill that sensing a slight decline early in the season might just be enough to worry about their wheels. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet seen a study that points out a harbinger for a speed loss (could Bill James‘ speed score become reliable in a third of a season perhaps?).
Questions for another time. For now, your Updated RotoGraphs Rest-of-Season Consensus Shorstop Rankings ™.
Once again the top of the table remains the same. Like with the second basemen before, it’s unlikely that the reasoning that put those players at the top of the rankings has changed much after the first month. It is strange to see Jose Reyes ranked third by the entire group and yet end up second. Blame Zach Sanders for that, I guess.
Asdrubal Cabrera is picking up where he left off in the power department, but it might just be the contact rate that is providing the most hope. Dee Gordon could be striking out less than he is — his contact rate is above average — and he could have better BABIP luck, but he’s come with as little power as advertised, and if the batting average isn’t going to be there… at least he’s stealing bases.
The biggest riser award goes to Mike Aviles, but Jed Lowrie and Derek Jeter would like to say “What’s up.” That’s role, body-related health, and age-related health as your reasons for those upticks, most likely. And really, the most likely of those three reasons to hold steady all year is the one that pushed Aviles up in the rankings. The Red Sox will find a way to use him all year.
What sticks out for you?
| Fangraphs Consensus Rankings Shortstop |
||||||
| New | Last | Player Name | Eno Sarris | Mike Podhorzer | Jeff Zimmerman | Zach Sanders |
| 1 | 1 | Troy Tulowitzki | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Jose Reyes | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | Hanley Ramirez | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | 4 | Starlin Castro | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | 6 | Asdrubal Cabrera | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 6 | 5 | Elvis Andrus | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | 10 | Derek Jeter | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | 7 | Jimmy Rollins | 7 | 5 | 10 | 11 |
| 9 | 8 | Dee Gordon | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 10 | 15 | Emilio Bonifacio | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 |
| 11 | 9 | Alexei Ramirez | 10 | 11 | 9 | 13 |
| 12 | 13 | J.J. Hardy | 12 | 13 | 16 | 12 |
| 13 | 11 | Erick Aybar | 14 | 15 | 11 | 14 |
| 14 | 12 | Jhonny Peralta | 13 | 12 | 17 | 15 |
| 15 | 14 | Yunel Escobar | 18 | 14 | 14 | 16 |
| 16 | 17 | Zack Cozart | 15 | 19 | 15 | 17 |
| 17 | 26 | Mike Aviles | 16 | 20 | 22 | 9 |
| 18 | 16 | Ian Desmond | 19 | 17 | 13 | 20 |
| 19 | 18 | Marco Scutaro | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 |
| 20 | 20 | Alcides Escobar | 21 | 18 | 18 | 21 |
| 21 | 22 | Rafael Furcal | 22 | 23 | 21 | 13 |
| 22 | 25 | Jed Lowrie | 20 | 21 | 25 | 23 |
| 23 | 21 | Cliff Pennington | 23 | 24 | 20 | 27 |
| 24 | 19 | Stephen Drew | 22 | 25 | 23 | 26 |
| 25 | 23 | Tyler Pastornicky | 24 | 22 | 26 | 28 |
| 26 | 30 | Alexi Casilla | 27 | 27 | 31 | 19 |
| 27 | 27 | Sean Rodriguez | 26 | 28 | 24 | 30 |
| 28 | 24 | Jason Bartlett | 25 | 26 | 28 | 31 |
| 29 | 28 | Jamey Carroll | 29 | 32 | 27 | 24 |
| 30 | 29 | Ruben Tejada | 30 | 30 | 29 | 25 |
| 31 | 32 | Clint Barmes | 28 | 29 | 32 | 32 |
| 32 | 33 | Ryan Theriot | 31 | 31 | 33 | 29 |
With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Follow him on Twitter @enosarris if you can handle the sandwiches and inanity.
What settings is this list for, standard 5×5? Where Jeter will outproduce 3 of 6 6 SS’s ranked ahead of him? Or an OBP/SLG league, where he would be even MORE valuable? Or the Tango point system, where he is again… more valuable… Just confused…
AND… How does Reyes get a free pass on his ticking time-bomb of a hamstring? Anyone who owns him should be selling him ASAP, just like last year.
You’re putting a lot of weight on some old legs in Jeter.
As for Reyes, he’s had healthy years too. You’re right that it’s a crapshoot, but selling him means taking a ding for that potential too. Might as well hold on for dear life.
I see it as putting faith where faith is deserved. How much time has Jeter ever really missed? He has been nothing short of amazing since the ASB last year and is showing no signs of slowing. I think he could actually be completely healthy for the first time in years.
Reyes doesn’t deserve it. He has a 3 month shelf life every season, and then the “oh look reyes hurt his hammy again” article come pouring in saying “i told you that you should have sold him healthy”.
Asdrubal and Andrus can be productive, but both require a BABIP north of .300 to make it work… I’m not betting on that.
Castro needs a .350 BABIP and never walks… no thanks.
“ROI” says Jeter got snubbed.
I know these are “consensus” rankings and not your responsibility to defend… but the rankings are a mish-mash of health + repeatable production that doesn’t seem to make sense.