Fantasy Baseball Prep Week: SS, Drafting the Future
- iAmMizz!
- Jul 13, 2020
- 6 min read
As youth star athletes begin to crave the spotlight on both sides of the ball more and more, the shortstop position has grown to become one of the most dominant in baseball. In the past, a defensive player might handle this role, but now shortstops hit right up there with the best in the MLB. Not only that, we are currently in the midst of a generational switch, in which many of the best overall prospects play SS. This position is stacked with young talent, so just make sure you draft the player you think will achieve greatness (especially if your league is considering keepers), because you may end up drafting your team's future... or its failure.
Format: Using projected ESPN Fantasy (points) ranks, I'll list each position's notable players and highlight sleepers and busts (in relation to their draft stock). Projected points are based on settings used in a league I have been a part of for 10+ years, and do not always correlate:
Single- 2, Double- 5, Triple- 15, Homer- 10 (plus RBI/Run Scored)
Run Scored- 3, RBI- 5, Walk - 2, Stolen Base- 3
(NEGATIVES) Strikeout- 2, Caught Stealing- 2, GIDP- 5
*Eligible but non-primary shortstops will be listed at the bottom of this article, and discussed in more detail during their own primary position write-up.
Before reading on, here are the links to the revised fantasy articles I posted pre-covid:
Tier 1
**Key- Position Rank/Overall Rank. Player Name, Team (projected points)
1/7. Francisco Lindor, Indians (499): (LIKE) Not sure I would draft him seventh overall, but Lindor typically falls further than this in my experience. The 26-year old's lowest season batting average was .273 through five years with a career on-base of .347. He's a true five-tool player that rarely gets negatives and is a model of consistency that you can always rely on.
3/11. Trea Turner, Nationals (443): (LIKE) Speed kills, and Turner has it. Extra base hits and stolen bases add up in fantasy, Trea does both, and don't forget he hit 19 dingers in 2019.
4/13. Trevor Story, Rockies (455): (DISLIKE) Not against Story as a player, but I wouldn't draft him over the people he is currently ranked ahead of with that monster strikeout rate he carries. If he slips behind names like Baez, Tatis, Bogaerts or Torres I have no problem drafting him.
5/25. Javier Baez, Cubs (421): (LIKE) Like Lindor, Javier Baez does it all and quite frankly I'm surprised he is ranked this low. While he might accrue slightly more negatives in fantasy, he should also drive in more runs than the two top dogs on this list. 111 RBI's was his career high in 2018.
6/31. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres (406): (LOVE) My one issue with Tatis Jr. was durability heading into 2020, but the 60-game sprint takes away any question of longevity over a full season. The budding star who averaged 9.6 PPG in 2019 has to be considered a slam dunk pick this year.
7/33. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (465): (LIKE) Not much to dislike about this top tier, Bogaerts gets the job done with far less fanfare than the top six above him, and he's actually coming off his best season in the bigs. In 2019, Xander hit .309 with 33 homers and 117 RBI's, giving him the second most average fantasy points per game for the position behind Bregman (who's really a 3B) at 10.2 PPG. The juiced ball may have helped the numbers, but either way Bogaerts could build off that confidence as he enters his prime baseball years.
8/35. Gleyber Torres, Yankees (404): (LIKE) Gleyber should get away from swinging for the long ball, his 38 home runs only brought in 90 RBI's last year in part due to his lower batting average in certain situations. Even so, I believe this is a gifted young athlete who has truly found his home in the Bronx. With 2B eligibility to help you out in a pinch (not to mention the lineup he's in), you'll want Torres on your fantasy roster in 2020.
TIER 2
11/68. Marcus Semien, Athletics (492): (BUST) Coming off a career season, the odds are against Semien repeating those numbers at this high of a draft stock.
12/73. Adalberto Mondesi, Royals (321): (UNSURE) Mondesi is as good a base-stealer as Trea Turner, but he is worse with the bat. What can he accomplish playing for a lowly Royals squad?
13/78. Carlos Correa, Astros (398): (BUST) One of the only Astros honest enough to admit he had cheated (after the fact), and he still didn't play as well as he was originally rated. Honesty won't help his chances of playing better in 2020, could be a down year for Correa.
14/82. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays (368): (SLEEPER) Another bright young hitter in Toronto's lineup, Bichette went on a tear as a rookie batting .311 with a .571 slugging and 8.4 PPG. This could be one of the most up-and-coming offenses in all of baseball, and Bo is a major part of it.
15/108. Tim Anderson, White Sox (333)
16/112. Corey Seager, Dodgers (415)
17/136. Amed Rosario, Mets (335): (BUST) Rosario should bat towards the bottom of a stacked Mets lineup, and he has never really impressed in fantasy. He isn't a bad baseball player, but he never seems to average more than 5-7 PPG (6.5 last season).
18/146. Elvis Andrus, Rangers (307)
19/156. Jorge Polanco, Twins (428): (SLEEPER) A slugger at the position, playing for a slugger's lineup. Minnesota Twins should be in high demand due to this shorter regionalized schedule.
20/159. Paul DeJong, Cardinals (357)
21/171. Jean Segura, Phillies (351): (NEITHER) Segura will be starting at 2B for the Phillies with Didi Gregorius on the roster and it won't be long before he gains eligibility there.
22/196. Didi Gregorius, Phillies (384): (UNSURE) Apparently there are some significant health risks for Gregorius to even be playing this year, but so far he's out there with everyone else. This is still something you'll want to keep an eye on moving forward.
TIER 3
23/202. Kevin Newman, Pirates (334): (SLEEPER) Newman flew under the radar in his rookie season because he played for the Pirates, but he can hit batting .308 in 493 at bats. If you miss out on the top options at SS, or want to double up on talent, Newman is your guy... 2B eligibility.
24/240. Dansby Swanson, Braves (307)
25/265. Willy Adames, Rays (259): (BUST) Adames will be hurt by the fact that there is too much competition on this roster for playing time. Over a 60-game stretch this will become more prevalent.
26/268. Andrelton Simmons, Angels (271): (WATCH LIST) Generally hits for high average every season and acts as the perfect injury replacement should the situation arise.
27/274. Niko Goodrum, Tigers (245) [SS/LF eligibility]
29/303. Carter Kieboom, Nationals (193): (RISKY SLEEPER) Apparently Kieboom might get the nod to start at third this year, but should the prospect falter veterans like Asdrubal Cabrera stand waiting in the wings... SS eligibility for now but should gain 3B soon.
30/326. Nick Ahmed, Diamondbacks (327)
LONGSHOTS
32/371. Luis Urias, Brewers (137): (BUST) With Orlando Arcia, Eric Sogard, Keston Hiura and more filling up the diamond for Milwaukee, it doesn't seem likely the top prospect makes a big impact in 2020. Especially since he has been dealing with injuries all Spring... 2B eligibility.
33/373. Freddy Galvis, Reds (274) [2B eligibility]
34/377. Nico Hoerner, Cubs (158): (WATCH LIST) In a brief 2019 stint, Hoerner averaged 8.9 fantasy PPG through 78 at bats. The Cubs first round pick in 2018 has skyrocketed his way through the minors. There's no role for him in Chicago at SS right now, but he could win the 2B job if he surpasses Jason Kipnis early on.
36/391. J.P. Crawford, Mariners (231)
39/403. Jose Iglesias, Orioles (275)
40/424. Johan Camargo, Braves (225): (WATCH LIST) Interesting option if he wins a consistent role in the lineup. Austin Riley will probably play DH or LF, which means Camargo could become the everyday third baseman. He currently only has SS eligibility but that should change shortly.
41/428. Miguel Rojas, Marlins (245)
42/534. Brandon Crawford, Giants (252)
43/550. Orlando Arcia, Brewers (174)
OPT-OUTS (so far)
None.
SS Eligible, but not considered shortstops by trade
2/10. Alex Bregman, Astros (544): 3B/SS
9/38. Manny Machado, Padres (412): 3B/SS
10/56. Jonathan Villar, Marlins (313): 2B/SS
28/297. Jon Berti, Marlins (278): CF/SS/3B
31/332. David Fletcher, Angels (269): 3B/2B/SS/LF
35/387. Jose Peraza, Red Sox (187): 2B/SS/LF
37/393. Nicky Lopez, Royals (292): 2B/SS
38/401. Chris Taylor, Dodgers (285): LF/2B/SS/CF
As a general note, I'll probably be avoiding older players this year, just because they are more likely to opt-out due to covid concerns. In theory, younger players should be able to overcome most health risks, so seems like the smart call to go with youth in 2020. Shortstop is the perfect place to do this, as future MLB talents are sprouting up all over the league at this position. There is a ton of depth here, but also a gold class of tier one players. Don't be afraid to double up on shortstops this season, they are currently taking over this league.
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