X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Top 10 Shortstop Dynasty Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

Anthony Volpe - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Prospects

Eric Cross' top 10 shortstop prospects rankings for 2023 fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. Make sure to target these top SS MLB prospects in dynasty leagues.

After discussing my Top 10 catcher, first base, second base, and third base prospects previously, we round out the infield today with my Top 10 shortstop prospects for dynasty leagues

As usual, this position is absolutely loaded. All 10 names below fall inside my Top 50 overall with six inside my top 25 and four inside my top 10 overall. That's not even counting Gunnar Henderson and Noelvi Marte who I discussed at third base and did not include here. This position is already loaded and deep at the Major League level without most of these guys and only stands to become even more potent with many of the below debuting this season.

You can find other positional prospect rankings articles here.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Top 10 Shortstop Dynasty Prospects

10. Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals

Masyn Winn has always been a very intriguing prospect to me. To start, he's a plus or better runner with one of the best infield arms I've ever seen. There's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be a shortstop at the Major League level for a very long time. Winn has also shown upside with the bat, displaying above-average contact skills and budding raw power.

That raw power is the key to Winn's long-term value. If he's able to get into the 15-18 homer range, Winn could develop into a well-rounded fantasy asset. However, he's still a bit aggressive with chasing pitches outside of the zone from what I've seen and that could be exploited by Major League pitching. With all that said, Winn is an exciting all-around shortstop with the upside to develop into a top-100 fantasy player.

9. Adael Amador, Colorado Rockies

In my opinion, Adael Amador is one of the more underrated prospects in fantasy circles. Yes, he's ranked fairly high across the industry and in many top 100s but still not ranked high enough. That's something I was guilty of as well last year, but not anymore. Amador is a plus hitter with an exceptional approach that had led to a career .294 AVG, .405 OBP, and a 15.1% walk rate compared to only a 12.7% strikeout rate. With the aid of Coors Field, Amador could be a strong AVG and OBP asset.

What about the power and speed? Well, Amador doesn't stand out in either of those areas but could wind up as a 15+/15+ type if he continues to add strength as he matures. I'm usually terrible with comps but I could see a Tim Anderson profile with slightly less power/speed but a bit more OBP. Amador will advance to High-A this season as a 20-year-old and could see some time in Double-A later this summer. The upside isn't studly, but Amador is a safer dynasty investment than most prospects his age.

8. Oswald Peraza, New York Yankees

Let me start by saying that nobody should be discouraged by Oswald Peraza's poor performance this spring and subsequent demotion in favor of Anthony Volpe at shortstop. Yes, this puts a damper on his short-term value for 2023, but my thoughts on Peraza long-term haven't changed at all. After an 18-homer/38-steal campaign in 2021, Peraza followed that up with a 19/33 season in 2022 while slashing .259/.329/.448.

That slash line might not stand out, but an early-season slump is to blame for that. From May 2 through his Major League promotion in early September, Peraza slashed .292/.362/.506 in 288 plate appearances with 15 home runs and 26 steals. Overall, he's one of only five prospects to record more than 15 home runs and 25 steals in each of the last two minor league seasons. The long-term upside is in that .260/15/25 range, so if his poor spring and demotion open up and sort of buying opportunity in your dynasty leagues, I'd recommend capitalizing on it.

7. Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins

Remember him? Of course you do, but it's certainly been a roller coaster professional career for the 2017 #1 overall draft pick. After two fairly productive seasons in 2017 and 2018, Lewis endured a down season for his standard in 2019. He still racked up 12 home runs and 22 steals, but that came with an uninspiring .236/.290/.371 slash line. Minnesota opted to send him to the Arizona Fall League for additional development and Lewis wound up winning the MVP award. The roller coaster ride only got scarier after that as we wouldn't see Lewis for the next two years in game action due to the canceled 2020 season and a torn ACL in February 2021.

Once Lewis did return in 2022, he was using a more tame leg kick and appeared more in control of his at-bats. The results followed suit with Lewis slashing .313/.405/.534 in 34 Triple-A games with 12 doubles, five home runs, and 12 steals. That earned him a promotion to Minnesota where he racked up six extra-base hits and a .300 AVG in 12 games before tearing his ACL for a second time.

Due to the most recent layoff, Lewis' dynasty value and price have been suppressed to the point where I think he's a solid buy. Lewis is an above-average hitter with plus speed and average game power that could develop into a .270/15+/20+ type at the Major League level.

6. Marcelo Mayer, Boston Red Sox

As a Red Sox fan, I was ecstatic when Marcelo Mayer fell to Boston with the 4th pick in the 2021 draft. Many projected Mayer to be in play at #1 overall given his upside on both sides of the baseball. On top of being a strong defender at shortstop, Mayer was one of the better pure hitters in the 2021 draft class and has hit .279 with a .394 OBP through his first 117 games in professional baseball. Unlike many shortstops on this list, Mayer doesn't project to be a significant source of steals, but Mayer is an above-average to plus hitter with the potential for above-average power as well. Think Corey Seager with a bit less power upside.

5. Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles

The baby-faced, second-generation star, Jackson Holliday has already risen to great heights in prospect rankings given his all-around blend of offensive abilities. Landing in the Baltimore Orioles organization was a nice boost as well, as was his strong performance after the draft in the low minors where he had a .489 OBP in 20 games.

Holliday's zone awareness and pitch recognition are incredibly advanced for his age. Pitchers have a hard time getting him to chase any bad pitches and Holliday has the contact skills and bat speed to punish mistakes. With more bulk, Holliday could develop into an above-average power/speed threat with 20/20 upside to pair with a high AVG and OBP.

*Noelvi Marte would rank here if included. He was discussed in my Top 10 3rd Base prospects article*

4. Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies

While he can't match the pure fantasy ceiling of the three names below, Ezequiel Tovar's offensive profile should lead to plenty of fantasy impact moving forward. Tovar falls more into the sum of the parts type instead of having any one standout tool. But what allows him to be ranked this high and inside my Top-10 overall is that he's proven to be above-average or better across the board. This is a hitter capable of hitting above .280 with close to 20 home runs and 25 steals if everything clicks. In general, Tovar projects more as a 15-homer bat, but Coors Field gives his offensive profile a nice little boost.

3. Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks

After a labrum injury limited him to just six plate appearances after the draft in 2021, Jordan Lawlar broke out in a major way in 2022. The 2021 #6 overall pick racked up 16 home runs and 39 steals in 100 games with a .303/.401/.509 slash line and 12.4% walk rate, silencing some of his draft-day critics. Lawlar is an easy plus runner and could wind up with plus raw power as well. He's already flashed that level of raw power good bat speed and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. And while there's still a bit too much swing and miss to his game, Lawlar was able to keep his strikeout rate in check until the end of the season following his promotion to Double-A. With his .270+/20+/25+ upside, Lawlar is on the shortlist for the new #1 overall prospect once Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Walker, and Anthony Volpe graduate.

2. Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees

It was very tempting to slot Anthony Volpe #1, but settling for #2 on a list like this ain't too shabby either. Entering the spring, Volpe appeared to be a longshot to win the Yankees' starting shortstop gig over Oswald Peraza but Volpe's dominance all spring won him the job with Peraza being optioned to Triple-A. In 63 plate appearances this spring, Volpe racked up 10 extra-base hits, three home runs, and five steals with a .302/.413/.623 slash line. He also walked 14.3% of the time. This comes after a 27/33 season in 2021 and a 21/50 season in 2022. Some will point out his .249 AVG last season as well, but he's a better pure hitter than that AVG indicates.

Having seen him plenty of times live in Double-A, I'm highly certain that Volpe is going to be an impact fantasy player for a long time. He's easily a plus runner and has been an efficient base stealer over his career as well with an 84% success rate in 106 attempts. At the plate, Volpe has around average power with the potential for an above-average hit tool, putting him in the .260-.275 range and flirting with 20 home runs annually. However, I do believe he's going to wind up at second base long-term, but there's a chance he could stick at shortstop. The arm is better suited for second though.

*Gunnar Henderson would rank first in this article if included. He was discussed in my Top 10 3rd Base prospects article*

1. Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds

Who else but Elly De La Cruz? When it comes to pure fantasy upside, an incredibly strong argument can be made for De La Cruz having the highest fantasy ceiling in the minors. It's easy to make that argument when Elly possesses double-plus power and speed and is coming off a season where he racked up 31 doubles, nine triples, 28 home runs, and 47 steals in 121 games with a .304/.359/.586 slash line. We're honestly talking about fantasy first-round upside with Acuña/Tatís levels of power/speed if everything clicks. And by that, I mean if De La Cruz's approach doesn't limit him.

While he's been able to produce an impressive quality of contact and has hit .298 through his 225 career minor league games, De La Cruz has also posted a 29.4% strikeout rate for his career and had a 15.8% SwStr rate last season. In fact, De La Cruz has had a strikeout rate above 30% at every level above rookie ball. If he's able to make enough contact and keep the swing-and-miss issues in check, we're likely looking at a 30/30 threat that will get to play half of his games in the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the Majors.

If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
ANA

Mikael Granlund Moves to Anaheim on Three-Year Deal
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
NJ

Jake Allen Signs Five-Year Extension With Devils
VAN

Brock Boeser Remains in Vancouver on Seven-Year Deal
Conor Garland

Signs New Six-Year Deal with Canucks
Thatcher Demko

Signs Three-Year Extension with Canucks
Brandon Woodruff

Ready for Season Debut
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary Agrees to Seven-Year Extension with Capitals
Garrett Mitchell

Out for the Rest of the Season
MLB

Brewers-Mets Postponed on Tuesday
MLB

Tigers-Nationals Postponed on Tuesday
Zach Neto

Returns to Tuesday's Lineup
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
MLB

Padres-Phillies Postponed on Tuesday
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Hunter Goodman

Back Behind the Dish on Tuesday
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Jason Day

is a Fine Play With Limited Upside at John Deere Classic
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Luke Clanton

Looks to Have Another Strong Week at TPC Deere Run
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Sacramento
Bo Bichette

Out Again on Tuesday
Trent Grisham

Likely Heading to Injured List
Boston Celtics

Luke Kornet Agrees to Contract With San Antonio
Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Royce Lewis

Twins Activate Royce Lewis
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
Corbin Carroll

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
Yordan Alvarez

Could Return Early Next Week
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Kerry Carpenter

Shelved with Hamstring Issue
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard Waived By Milwaukee
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Randy Arozarena

Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford Lands in Philadelphia
New York Knicks

Jordan Clarkson Expected to Sign With Knicks
Santi Aldama

Remains with Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Lands in Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF