Our fantasy baseball rankings pick up again with the top fifty shortstops.

The shortstop position is always been a place where you can find steals for your fantasy team. Although, over the last decade, there have always been a few guys with major power and speed. Thanks to an increased focus on launch angles, there are quite a few shortstops that will finish the year with 20+ homers.

Two seasons ago, the Yankees traded closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for a package centered around stud prospect Gleyber Torres. He’s now ready for the Majors, but will he be on the Opening Day roster?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Trea Turner – Washington Nationals – Turner is one of the most well-rounded players in the Majors. He hits for high average, swipes bases at an extremely high rate and also has some pop in his bat. He missed some time last season or he could have been in the MVP race. He stole 46 bases in only 412 at-bats. The guy will hit all the categories in a Roto league.

2. Carlos Correa – Houston Astros – Speaking of another guy who missed some time, but still had great numbers, Correa missed 42 games last year. He is right up there with Turner in the rankings, but without the insane steal totals. Correa will have more homers and RBI, but Turner just has him beat by 40+ steals. The Astros lineup is stacked and Correa will have a ton of guys on base when he comes up to bat.

3. Francisco Lindor – Cleveland Indians – Lindor led a lot of categories for shortstops last season. He was healthy and had over 600 at-bats. His cumulative numbers were great since he was playing every day. He had 33 homers last season, which was a shocking jump in his power. I don’t expect him to hit the 30-homer mark, but I could be wrong. He has all the skills in the world. He will have a very good season.

4. Corey Seager – Los Angeles Dodgers – Seager won a lot of guys fantasy leagues his rookie season. He didn’t live up to those numbers last season, but he still hit 22 homers with a near-.300 average. He struggled with a back injury last in the season, but shouldn’t be an issue this season. I expect him to have a few more homers and look more like he did when he was a rookie. I expect a jump in his numbers across the board.

5. Alex Bregman – Houston Astros – Bregman gained shortstop-eligibility when Correa went down with a thumb injury last season. He matured as the season went along and shook off some of the inexperience he had early last year. He was arguably the Astros best player in the second-half of the season. He would be a great dynasty guy to have going forward, but this could be his last season with eligibility at shortstop, barring another Correa injury.

6. Elvis Andrus – Texas Rangers – Here’ another guy who saw his power numbers jump last season. He was lucky to get to double digits in homers before last year’s total of 20. He was one of many guys to focus on launch angles to increase his power numbers. It’s up in the air if he will keep swinging for the fences, but he will still be a .290 guy with 25+ steals. He’s worthy of being ranked in the top-six shortstops.

7. Jean Segura – Seattle Mariners – Segura took a step back last season. It would have been hard for him to match his crazy 2016, so he basically just came down to where he should be at this point in his career. He is comparable to Andrus in just about every category, but since Andrus has an outside chance of matching last year’s power numbers, he got the spot above Segura. Someone should work with Segura on launch angles, since his ground ball rate was 54.6%.

8. Xander Bogaerts – Boston Red Sox – Bogaerts had a wrist injury in June and his numbers went downhill afterwards. His end-of-the-year numbers should be better than last season, but nothing truly jumps off the paper with him. He’s just a solid guy who hits nearly every category across the board. He’s not going to kill a specific category like some of the guys below him.

9. Didi Gregorius – New York Yankees – Gregorius focused on launch angles and actually has better numbers outside of Yankee Stadium, which was unexpected. Gleyber Torres is breathing down Gregorius’s neck, but even if Torres is called up early in the season, the Yankees should be able to find at-bats for both guys somewhere in the lineup. There are ‘sexier’ picks that could be selected above him in drafts, but I think his numbers at the end of the year will be a top-ten shortstop. 

10. Trevor Story – Colorado Rockies – Story has all the power in the world, but I worry about his contact rate. He’s going to approach 200 whiffs this season, but since he’s at Coors Field, if he connects, the ball should go a long way. Story will play every day and if you can stomach a low batting average, you’ll get power numbers from him.

11. Paul DeJong – St. Louis Cardinals – I’m a little higher on DeJong than most people. I said in my Second Baseman fantasy rankings, I had him on a few teams last year and was impressed. I do worry about him getting 550 at-bats since the Cardinals have some talented middle infielders, but if DeJong keeps hitting, they will continue to put him in the lineup. The only downfall with him is that he doesn’t have much speed like many of the guys above.

12. Javier Baez – Chicago Cubs – Baez is a fun baseball player. He has huge balls and goes for balls that look uncatchable and tries to take an extra base when it looks impossible. Baez and DeJong both face the same problem of playing on a team with other talented middle infielders. Thanks for Ben Zobrist’s struggles, Baez was able to takeover a role at second base near full-time. I don’t expect it to change this season, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Baez sits once a week.

13. Marwin Gonzalez – Houston Astros – Gonzalez has eligibility all over the diamond. The only two places he’s not eligible is 3B and Catcher. Gonzalez set a career-high with his power numbers last season, so you may have already saw his ceiling. Even if his power numbers aren’t as high, you’re still getting a solid 2B/SS guy.

14. Tim Beckham – Baltimore Orioles – I almost wrote off Beckham as a former prospect that never became fantasy-relevant. That changed last season when he hit 22 homers and had a .270 average. His BABIP was high, so his average could take a hit this season. He’s a guy you can draft behind some of the guys below him and you’ll have better results.

15. Addison Russell – Chicago Cubs – The shine came off of Russell a little last season. He was battling a foot injury for most of the season, but he only finished the season with 12 homers and a .239 average. I’m not bullish on him this season, but if he can get his contact rate up, the dude could be a solid starter in NL-only and a solid 2B/SS in mixed leagues.

16. Tim Anderson – Chicago White Sox – Anderson crushed lefties last season and wasn’t a disaster against righties. He has the skills to be a 20/20 guy, but he’s streaky. His batting eye isn’t very good and swings at pitches outside the strike zone. He could be a liability in stretches of the season.

17. Orlando Arcia – Milwaukee Brewers – if Arcia was batting near the top of the lineup, he would be much higher on this list. He’s just not going to be a good source of Runs or RBI. You’ll get 15 homers and 20-ish steals, but could struggle to fill up the box score in the other categories.

18. Andrelton Simmons – Los Angeles Angels – Simmons was the epitome of a great real-life baseball player, but terrible as a fantasy player. He’s arguably the best defensive middle infielder in baseball. He surprised everyone last season with solid fantasy numbers. Can he hit 14 homers and hit .278 again this season? The track record isn’t quite there. He could approach those numbers, but I doubt he will eclipse them. 

19. Marcus Semien – Oakland A’s – The dreaded ‘wrist injury’ killed his season last year. He was still managed to get double-digit homers and steals, so he’s worthy of a mention. He’s underrated and could even snag him up off the waiver wire since a few guys like Torres, Solarte and Cozart will probably be drafted ahead of Semien in most leagues.

20. Jorge Polanco – Minnesota Twins – Polanco is another guy that will get your low double-digit homers and steals. He’s almost interchangeable with three or four guys ranked above him. He will hit near the bottom of the lineup, so he may not find the dish as a baserunner.

21. Jose Peraza – Cincinnati Reds – Like Polanco, Peraza will hit at the bottom of the lineup in a pretty weak Reds lineup. He’s really only going to help you if you’re in the market for steals. 

22. Gleyber Torres – New York Yankees – Torres is an interesting fantasy player. Will the Yankees keep him in the minors for awhile or will he start at second base on Opening Day? The Yankees are stacked with power hitters, so I’ll be interested in where he will bat in the lineup. If he’s going to be an Opening day starter, he will shoot up my rankings.

23. Zack Cozart – Los Angeles Angels – I’m down on Cozart this season. He had a career year last season and I don’t see him hitting those numbers this season. He went from a hitter-friendly park to a pitcher-friendly park. Also, going from the NL to the AL could be an issue. Remember, Cozart lost his starting job just two seasons ago. He was able to regain the job last year thanks to a hot start. If Cozart falls to the end of your draft, by all means take him…but he’s a bit too risky to take him where he will end up going in most drafts.

24. Yangervis Solarte – Toronto Blue Jays – Solarte had a rough 2017. His batting average took a nosedive and wasn’t connecting with much power. Also, he has struggled to stay in the lineup due to injuries in the past. The Blue Jays are a much better team than he’s been on in the past, so he does intrigue me a little. Keep an eye on him early in the season. He should still be available on the waiver wire.

25. Amed Rosario – New York Mets – Rosario’s track record in the minors makes one think he will be a solid fantasy option in the Majors. He was able to run in the minors, but can he outrun better catchers? If he can’t be a source of steals, he will be little help on your fantasy team.

26. Dansby Swanson – Atlanta Braves – Swanson could fall into the category of being a better real-life baseball player than he is a fantasy baseball player. Andrelton Simmons and Joe Mauer have both been in that category for most of their careers. He’s having trouble getting contact and I worry he’s yet not ready for a breakout season at the plate.

27. Freddy Galvis – San Diego Padres – If Galvis can regain the power he had in his previous seasons, he could be a borderline 2B/SS flex option. He only hit 12 in over 600 at-bats last season, so that worries me. He also went from a hitter-friendly park to one of the most pitcher-friendly park in the Majors. I don’t see him being a 20 homer guy this season.

28. Brandon Crawford – San Francisco Giants – Crawford took a step back last season. His batting average dropped 20 points and his speed isn’t up to par with most shortstops. He will have plenty of at-bats, but they will be at the bottom of a stacked Giants lineup, which doesn’t help his runs total.

29. Ketel Marte – Arizona Diamondbacks – Many thought Marte was going to be stolen base machine when he arrived in the Majors, but it hasn’t happened yet. He looks to be in some sort of platoon, so he’s not going to be an everyday player.

30. Troy Tulowitzki – Toronto Blue Jays – Tulo is a bounce-back candidate. Fantasy owners will take him late in drafts hoping he regains some of the power he had in Colorado. He ‘should’ have better numbers than last season, but due to the amount of random injuries he’s had over the last five years, his days of being a good fantasy option could be behind him.

31. Matt Duffy – Tampa Bay Rays
32. Chris Owings – Arizona Diamondbacks
33. Asdrubal Cabrera – New York Mets
34. Chad Pinder – Oakland A’s
35. Jose Iglesias – Detroit Tigers
36. Aledmys Diaz – Toronto Blue Jays
37. Jose Reyes – New York Mets
38. Adeiny Hechavarria – Tampa Bay Rays
39. Jordy Mercer – Pittsburgh Pirates
40. Franklin Barreto – Oakland A’s

Matt Duffy intrigues me the most out of the group above. He has a lot of talent and a change of scenery could be what he needed. He’s a sleeper pick in my book. There are plenty of guys that could be streaming options for teams. If they have a nice match-up, I’d take a chance of putting Cabrera or Reyes in my lineup for a day or two.

41. Wilmer Difo – Washington Nationals
42. Johan Camargo – Atlanta Braves
43. Eric Sogard – Milwaukee Brewers
44. Taylor Motter – Seattle Mariners
45. Enrique Hernandez – Los Angeles Dodgers
46. Willy Adames – Tampa Bay Rays
47. Alcides Escobar – Kansas City Royals
48. Miguel Rojas – Miami Marlins
49. Ryan Goins – Kansas City Royals
50. Ronald Torreyes – New York Yankees

The bottom ten guys won’t have much impact this season. Adames intrigues me as a long-term prospect. Motter also had a few good weeks last season in limited action. The rest are just deep AL or NL-only guys.

I hope you enjoyed our 2018 Fantasy Baseball Top 50 Shortstop rankings. We are planning on doing this for every position (the outfielder and pitcher rankings will be massive).

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.