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Can we all admit that the shortstop position is the sexiest on the field? Who didn't want to play shortstop when we were playing in Little League for the school team when we were growing up? Most of the best athletes wind up at the shortstop position, and you usually see plenty of names from this position near the top of prospect rankings each and every season.
However, not everyone can play shortstop. I'd reckon between half and two-thirds of prospects that are shortstops in the low minors eventually move off the position for various reasons. If they don't have the greatest arm, welcome to second base. If they outgrow the position, the hot corner or a corner outfield spot becomes their new home. But even with players moving off the position, this is still arguably the most exciting position to rank and discuss for fantasy purposes.
If you want to see my entire Top 100 shortstop prospect rankings and additional writeups, check out my Patreon. And make sure to continue checking RotoBaller, as I'm going to be going through all positions in the coming weeks!
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Shortstop Prospect Rankings for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball
You can also see our 2024 redraft fantasy baseball prospects rankings for all positions. Age and highest level in parentheses.
1. Jackson Holliday, BAL (20/AAA)
In case you didn't see or hear, Jackson Holliday bulked up a bit this offseason and looks more filled out and stronger this spring than he did in 2023. Everyone, including people living under rocks, knows that the hit tool is elite and should have Holliday hitting .300+ annually and maybe win a batting title or two (or three). But how much game power he will provide has been the question.
First Triple-A homer for MLB's No. 1 overall prospect, 19-year-old Jackson Holliday!@Orioles | @NorfolkTides pic.twitter.com/qpetpdrrvm
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 14, 2023
If Holliday can hit over 20 home runs annually, in addition to at least 25 stolen bases and the elite AVG/OBP, he'll be a top-20 player for years to come. He's easily one of the best pure hitters we've seen come through the minors in the last decade and is trending toward being on the Orioles' Opening Day roster. However, that might be at second base instead of shortstop. As a second baseman, Holliday could realistically be the #1 fantasy second baseman within two years.
*Junior Caminero would rank here, but he's likely a third baseman long-term*
2. Jordan Lawlar, ARI (21/MLB)
Through his first 34 games last season in Double-A, Jordan Lawlar slashed an underwhelming .168/.298/.336 with a 30.5% strikeout rate. He still had five home runs and 11 steals during that span, but needless to say, it was a disappointing first seven weeks for one of the game's best prospects. However, from June 25 through his early-September promotion to Arizona, Lawlar slashed .325/.413/.565 with 19 doubles, 15 HR, and 25 SB in just 339 plate appearances. That's a 650 PA pace of 29 HR and 48 SB.
Lawlar's above-average plus power and speed blend give him massive upside for fantasy, and he should be able to hit at least .260 as well, with a solid OBP to go with it. If his perceived value dipped even a little bit in your dynasty leagues, I'd highly recommend swopping in and trying to capitalize on that. The upside long-term is a Top-40 player for fantasy.
* Noelvi Marte would rank here, but he's likely a third baseman long-term*
3. Adael Amador, COL (20/AA)
In my opinion, Adael Amador is criminally underrated. He's one of only two players to receive a 70-grade hit tool this year by Baseball America (Holliday is obviously the other) and projects as a potential .300 hitter with a high OBP as well. In 2023, Amador was limited to 69 games due to a hand injury but was able to rack up 15 doubles, 12 HR, and 15 SB in those 69 games with a .287/.380/.495 slash line and more walks (39) than strikeouts (37). In his minor league career, he's also walked more than he's struck out by a decent margin.
But the reason why Amador gets undervalued is his lack of big power or speed. Sure, he's not a plus power/speed guy, but Amador has enough in both areas to flirt with 20/20 seasons at Coors Field. In my eyes, Amador's long-term projection is about 90% of Holliday's, and he could easily become a Top-5 second baseman or Top-10 shortstop for fantasy purposes. If you're looking for a Top-25 prospect without the Top-25 price tag, Amador is your guy.
* Matt Shaw would rank here, but it looks like he's not going to be a shortstop long-term *
4. Jett Williams, NYM (20/AA)
The 2023 season saw four teenage prospects record at least 100 walks, and Jett Williams was one of them. In addition to his 104 walks, Williams added 45 SB, 13 HR, and a .263/.425/.451 slash line. While he's small in size, Williams is a tough out at the plate, demonstrating an elite approach along with plus speed once he gets on base.
In the long term, Williams could flirt with a .400 OBP and 30 or more SB annually, But how much power he contributes is the X Factor here. Williams is probably not more than a 15-homer bat or so, but if he can get to that range in addition to a solid AVG, elite OBP, and plenty of speed, that should be enough to make him a Top-100 player for fantasy. And if you're in an OBP league, Williams gets a sizable bump in value.
5. Jackson Merrill, SDP (20/AA)
While I think Jackson Merrill will be a better real-life shortstop than a fantasy one, there's still plenty to like here for fantasy purposes as well. Merrill is an above-average or better hitter with above-average power as well as enough speed to add double-digit SB annually. In 2023, Merrill slashed a respectable .277/.326/.444 with 25 doubles, 15 HR, and 15 SB in 114 games between High-A and Double-A.
Coming into the spring, I projected Merrill more as a mid-season debut, but it's now looking like he's going to be up much earlier than that, maybe even on opening day as one of San Diego's starting outfielders. The long-term upside is Dansby Swanson having a better hit tool and a potential Top-75 overall player if everything clicks.
6. Carson Williams, TBR (20/AAA)
With the shortstop position now open in Tampa Bay, Carson Williams is my pick for the new Tampa Bay Rays shortstop of the future, with Caminero manning the hot corner next to him. While everyone was gushing over the season Caminero was having in 2023, Williams quietly put up a 23/20 season in just 115 games while slashing .258/.356/.497. That's a 650-plate appearance pace of 30 HR and 26 SB.
Arizona Fall League Batting Practice
Carson Williams#Rays #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/slKuqUnxy7
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) November 5, 2023
There's some swing and miss to Williams' profile (31.4% K in 2023), and he's probably never going to stand out in the AVG department, but there's an above-average to plus power/speed blend, and he should be able to hit at least .250 as well. He's a great dynasty buy as the perceived value still feels a bit lower than it should be.
* Luisangel Acuna would rank here, but I don't project him as a shortstop long-term due to the presence and contract of Francisco Lindor *
7. Marcelo Mayer, BOS (21/AA)
The evaluations and rankings on Marcelo Mayer are pretty split these days after a down 2023 season where he slashed .236/.306/.433. However, Mayer was dealing with a shoulder issue, which more than likely played into some of his struggles. Is he going to be a stud offensively? Probably not. But Mayer has the defensive skills to stick at shortstop for a long time with the offensive upside to hit in the .260-.270 range with around 20 HR and 10 SB annually. If he's able to reach those levels, he could settle in as a back-end Top 100 player for fantasy.
Marcelo Mayer cranks a 95 mph fastball from Abel for a home run to left center.
Johan Rojas isn't robbing this one.#DirtyWater #RedSox pic.twitter.com/vXtKQ25bQ5
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) June 21, 2023
8. Colson Montgomery, CHW (21)
Honestly, I probably could've ranked Colson Montgomery a few spots higher, but everyone in this range of my shortstop rankings is very close to my overall rankings. Montgomery won't provide much speed from the shortstop position, but he's easily an above-average to plus hitter, given his blend of contact and approach that led to a .287 AVG, .456 OBP, and as many walks as strikeouts last season. There's also above-average raw power in the profile that could lead to 25 HR annually as well. Think of a profile similar to Corey Seager but with a bit less upside overall.
Colson Montgomery with a big home run off Ronan Kopp in the AFL Fall Stars game.#WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/ZmAPlcQlE6
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) November 6, 2023
9. Colt Emerson, SEA (18/A)
Without question, the FYPD prospect that improved his stock the most since the 2023 draft is Seattle middle infielder Colt Emerson. In 114 plate appearances between the Complex Level and Low-A, Emerson slashed a stellar .374/.496/.550 with 12 extra-base hits, eight SB, and nearly as many BB (17) as SO (20). Emerson was considered one of the best prep hitters in the 2023 class, and he quickly showed why after the draft. This is a potential plus hitter long-term with above-average or better power, depending on how he adds bulk to his frame, and he should be at least an average runner as well. The all-around upside here for fantasy purposes is intriguing.
10. Brooks Lee, MIN (23/AAA)
It sounds like Brooks Lee could be up sooner rather than later, which speaks to how advanced his bat is. In 125 games last season, Lee slashed .275/.347/.461 with 39 doubles, 16 HR, and seven SB. While the upside isn't elite, Lee projects as an above-average hitter with 25-homer pop in the bat at either the shortstop or third base position. He doesn't provide much speed, so the bat will have to carry him, but I certainly believe it can. Long-term, Lee could be a .270/25 type that posts a strong OBP as well.
If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.
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