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The shortstop position is usually one of the most exciting to choose from on draft day but the options are even more enticing in dynasty.
As we prepare to flip the calendar to 2021, fantasy baseball managers are poring over MLB free agency news and the latest rankings. That includes our constantly-updated dynasty rankings.
We've already gone around the infield with a look at first base, second base, and third base. Now, let's evaluate some notable shortstops.
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Dynasty Shortstop Rankings
Preseason Thoughts
Does Lindor's move to the Big Apple and NL cause any movement at the top of the SS rankings? Not really. He may benefit from moving to a better lineup than the 2020 Indians who scored the sixth-fewest runs and posted the eighth-lowest team average. He's projected by RosterResource to slot in third in the lineup full-time, which should lead to more RBI opportunities. The question is whether he will approach the 20-steal mark, as ATC has him slated for 18 SB and he could run less if he doesn't see the leadoff spot at all. Nonetheless, he's just entering his age-27 season and is only behind Turner because of the speed difference.
As of this writing, Trevor Story is still in Colorado but his future with the team is now very much in doubt. Nolan Arenado chose to waive his no-trade clause just to get out of town and is now a Cardinal. Story could be on the move next if the team goes full rebuild, as it should. Even if he plays out 2021 as a Rockie, he'll be a free agent after the season and is unlikely to get a big payday to stay around. That puts an obvious dent on his value given the home/road splits that come with any player who makes his living at Coors Field half the time. It's no different for Story.
| Career | AB | AVG | HR | RBI | R | SB | wOBA | WRC+ |
| Home | 1151 | .304 | 84 | 232 | 219 | 32 | .410 | 128 |
| Away | 1145 | .250 | 50 | 143 | 156 | 48 | .324 | 100 |
By this time next year, Story will likely fall behind Franco, Bichette, and others. For now, he still must be considered a top-five asset because of his elite power/speed production and immediate value.
Wander Franco is the consensus top prospect in baseball for a second straight year. The only question is when he will actually debut given the fact he's still just 19 and didn't get the benefit of a minor-league season in 2020 to advance his progress. I rarely advocate making any player an absolute must-hold regardless of what type of offer another manager throws at you but this is an exception. His value will only get higher once he cracks the Rays' roster.
Who knows what kind of season-long totals Corey Seager might have put up over a full 162 games last year? He hit .307 with 15 HR, 41 RBI, 38 R in 52 games, ranking in the 95 percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, hard hit%, barrel%, and exit velocity. If not for an injury-riddled 2018 that lingered into early 2019, he might be considered the best offensive shortstop in the game for real-life purposes. Unfortunately, a complete lack of steals pushes him outside the top-five.
Tim Anderson might be the most perpetually underrated player in the game, at least from a fantasy perspective. His 2018-2019 statlines would put him at the top of the BA+SB cohort in Nick Mariano's EDV metric and he was on pace for a career-high HR output in 2020 before the season inexplicably ended after 60 games. There is some trepidation about his speed output with Tony La Russa in the dugout now. Although it's been a decade since La Russa managed in the majors, based on historical data, Jeff Zimmerman of Fangraphs concluded that we shouldn't worry too much.
The Marlins dealing away young budding ace Zac Gallen to Arizona seemed like another puzzling move in a history of trading away top young talent in order to see it thrive elsewhere. This wasn't a cost-cutting move, however, as Gallen was on a rookie deal and no other players were involved. This was a matter of the team replenishing its lack of infield depth and coveting prospect Jazz Chisholm to be the shortstop of the future. Chisholm wasn't impressive in his debut, batting .161 with a 30% strikeout rate in 56 at-bats. He's got plenty of natural power and should develop into a fantasy starter in the near future but it may not be just yet. The Marlins would love to see the pairing of Isan Diaz at second base and Chisholm at shortstop but this season it may be Jon Berti and Miguel Rojas turning two.
Anderson Tejeda is the player I'll be monitoring most closely this spring. The Rangers are clearly in a rebuild and are young across the diamond, with no projected starting position player over the age of 28. Early indications are that Isiah Kiner-Falefa will displace Elvis Andrus, although this intuitively makes no sense. Kiner-Falefa should inherit the super-utility role and Tejeda should get the chance to be the regular shortstop. He still has plenty of holes in his swing to fix but from a fantasy perspective, he shined enough to open some eyes with three homers and four steals in 75 AB.
Bobby Witt Jr. and CJ Abrams are top-10 MLB prospects that are still a year away or more from contributing. Nobody can safely say what to expect from Adalberto Mondesi except that he will steal a lot of bases given the chance. Witt could be replacing Mondesi this time next year or still waiting patiently. Abrams could find himself moved to the outfield permanently since SS might be blocked in San Diego for the next, say, 15 years.
Deeper Options to Watch
Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez are both in Cleveland but only one may get a starting job this year with the team re-signing Cesar Hernandez to man second base. Rosario offers speed and flashy glove skills but little else that should interest fantasy managers. His low on-base percentage will relegate him to the bottom of the order even if he sees regular playing time and he could get the red light when he does reach base based on his 66% success rate. He's not as bad as his 2020 numbers suggest but he may not reach his 2019 numbers either. Gimenez's MLB debut was eerily similar to Rosario, except that he stole eight bases while only being caught once. He offers more versatility and is three years younger, giving him the obvious edge in dynasty formats.
Nick Gordon is becoming a forgotten prospect. After landing on the top 100 list four years running, he's fallen off a bit and taken a backseat to younger blood. At a practically ancient 25 years old, Gordon might finally get a look late in 2021 but isn't guaranteed a long-term home. Their top infield prospect, Royce Lewis, was the #1 pick in 2017 and will be groomed to take over after Andrelton Simmons serves out his one-year contract. Gordon will have to beat out Jorge Polanco at second base or wait for a deal to be made. The Dee Gordon comp is too obvious but it's mostly fitting except that the younger Gordon doesn't have the same high-end level of speed.
Xavier Edwards makes the Gordon brothers look like Aaron Judge in comparison to his overwhelming lack of power but he might be able to beat both in a foot race. Any tool that ranks 80/80 has to pique your interest but especially speed considering how rare a commodity it has become. Edwards hasn't reached Double-A yet but he's hit well over .300 at every stop in the minors so far and had a minuscule 8.8% strikeouts rate at High-A in 2019. It's unsure where his future home lies, both in terms of position and franchise, but he is a name to watch in 5x5 leagues.
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