RADIO
Top 70 shortstop (SS) fantasy baseball rankings, draft tiers for roto leagues (February updates). Nick Mariano's tiered SS fantasy baseball draft rankings.
It's an exciting time to be a baseball fan, as Opening Day will be here before you know it. At RotoBaller HQ, we continue to update and tweak rankings for fantasy managers to crush their upcoming drafts. We focus on shortstops today with our 2026 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings and tiers for roto leagues (5x5 category mixed leagues). These February rankings cover the top 70 shortstops for 2026.
Now that most players have reported to spring training, fantasy managers should expect to hear a lot of news, rumors, and hype this offseason on trendy picks or even a player having a hot spring. When should you take a chance on a shortstop who is on the rise, a top prospect, a player returning from injury, or an SS who is set to bounce back this season? Find out where key shortstops such as Geraldo Perdomo, Jeremy Pena, Trevor Story, Dansby Swanson, Jacob Wilson, Colson Montgomery, Kevin McGonigle, and Masyn Winn are listed below in the latest rankings.
The shortstop rankings below are specifically designed for traditional roto leagues, put together by RotoBaller's lead MLB forecaster Nick Mariano. We're also writing fresh articles all throughout the off-season for fantasy baseball prospects, fantasy baseball dynasty, and so much more. Win more in 2026!
Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SUMMER, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW
Updated Fantasy Baseball SS Rankings (February)
| Tier | Rank | Player | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Bobby Witt Jr. | SS |
| 1 | 2 | Elly De La Cruz | SS |
| 2 | 3 | Gunnar Henderson | SS |
| 2 | 4 | Trea Turner | SS |
| 2 | 5 | Zach Neto | SS |
| 2 | 6 | Francisco Lindor | SS |
| 3 | 7 | Mookie Betts | SS |
| 3 | 8 | CJ Abrams | SS |
| 3 | 9 | Maikel Garcia | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 3 | 10 | Geraldo Perdomo | SS |
| 3 | 11 | Jeremy Pena | SS |
| 3 | 12 | Trevor Story | SS |
| 3 | 13 | Corey Seager | SS |
| 3 | 14 | Bo Bichette | SS |
| 4 | 15 | Willy Adames | SS |
| 4 | 16 | Dansby Swanson | SS |
| 4 | 17 | Jacob Wilson | SS |
| 4 | 18 | Xavier Edwards | 2B/SS |
| 4 | 19 | Konnor Griffin | SS |
| 5 | 20 | Colson Montgomery | 3B/SS |
| 5 | 21 | Ezequiel Tovar | SS |
| 5 | 22 | Bryson Stott | 2B/SS |
| 5 | 23 | Jackson Holliday | 2B/SS |
| 5 | 24 | Otto Lopez | 2B/SS |
| 5 | 25 | Jose Caballero | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 6 | 26 | Xander Bogaerts | SS |
| 6 | 27 | JJ Wetherholt | 2B/3B/SS |
| 6 | 28 | Kevin McGonigle | SS |
| 6 | 29 | Masyn Winn | SS |
| 6 | 30 | Brendan Donovan | 2B/SS/OF |
| 6 | 31 | Carlos Correa | 3B/SS |
| 6 | 32 | Ernie Clement | 1B/2B/3B/SS |
| 7 | 33 | Andres Gimenez | 2B/SS |
| 7 | 34 | Brooks Lee | 2B/3B/SS |
| 7 | 35 | Anthony Volpe | SS |
| 7 | 36 | Chase Meidroth | 2B/3B/SS |
| 7 | 37 | Zach McKinstry | 3B/SS/OF |
| 7 | 38 | J.P. Crawford | SS |
| 7 | 39 | Josh Smith | 1B/3B/SS/OF |
| 7 | 40 | Aidan Miller | SS |
| 7 | 41 | Colt Emerson | SS |
| 7 | 42 | Joey Ortiz | SS |
| 7 | 43 | Nasim Nunez | 2B/SS |
| 7 | 44 | Carson Williams | SS |
| 7 | 45 | Ha-Seong Kim | 2B/SS |
| 8 | 46 | Jared Triolo | 1B/2B/3B/SS |
| 8 | 47 | Jake Cronenworth | 1B/2B/SS |
| 8 | 48 | Brooks Baldwin | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 8 | 49 | Javier Baez | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 8 | 50 | Hyeseong Kim | 2B/SS/OF |
| 8 | 51 | Brayan Rocchio | 2B/SS |
| 8 | 52 | Mauricio Dubon | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 8 | 53 | Jett Williams | 2B/SS/OF |
| 9 | 54 | Gabriel Arias | 2B/SS |
| 9 | 55 | Max Muncy (SS) | 2B/3B/SS |
| 9 | 56 | Javier Sanoja | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 9 | 57 | Thomas Saggese | 2B/3B/SS |
| 9 | 58 | Nick Gonzales | 2B/SS |
| 9 | 59 | Edmundo Sosa | 2B/3B/SS |
| 10 | 60 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | 2B/3B/SS |
| 10 | 61 | Daniel Schneemann | 2B/3B/SS/OF |
| 10 | 62 | Ryan Ritter | 2B/SS |
| 10 | 63 | Alex Freeland | 3B/SS |
| 10 | 64 | Andruw Monasterio | 1B/2B/3B/SS |
| 10 | 65 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS |
| 10 | 66 | Darell Hernaiz | 2B/3B/SS |
| 10 | 67 | Taylor Walls | SS |
| 10 | 68 | Miguel Rojas | 2B/3B/SS |
| 10 | 69 | Leodalis De Vries | SS |
| 10 | 70 | Jesus Made | 2B/3B/SS |
| 10 | 71 | Ezequiel Duran | 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF |
Fantasy Baseball Shortstop (SS) News
Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada has confirmed that shortstop Jeremy Pena will be the team's leadoff hitter in 2026, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Pena took over as the team's primary leadoff hitter in 2025 and delivered his best season since his breakout rookie year in 2022. Across 543 plate appearances, the 28-year-old slashed .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 62 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases.
Pena missed time due to injury in 2025, but he should be able to push 700 plate appearances in 2026 if he can remain healthy and produce well enough to remain in the leadoff spot in the Houston lineup. Pena may sacrifice some RBI opportunities while batting first, but he should score plenty of runs with Astros sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve behind him.
Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers infield prospect Kevin McGonigle is starting at shortstop and is hitting second in the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the New York Yankees, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
The Tigers have moved McGonigle around to third and second base in camp to increase his chances of making the Opening Day roster, but shortstop remains the focus for the 21-year-old long-term, and it's his clearest path to regular playing time in the big leagues in 2026. McGonigle is the consensus No. 2 prospect in baseball, behind only the Pirates' Konnor Griffin, due to his elite ability to make contact and drive the ball with authority.
Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry are better suited for utility roles than for regular duties at the 6, so if McGonigle handles himself well in spring training games, he's likely to win the starting job at short. He hit .305/.408/.583 with 19 home runs and 10 steals in 88 games in three minor-league stops last year and should be drafted in all single-year fantasy leagues.
Trey Sweeney, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have paused shortstop Trey Sweeney's (shoulder) throwing activities in camp due to a right-shoulder strain, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Sweeney's injury doesn't mean he won't be ready in time for Opening Day in late March, but it definitely hurts his chances of winning a big-league roster spot out of camp.
The 25-year-old has struggled to hit at the big-league level since debuting with the Tigers in 2024, slashing .202/.261/.313 with a .573 OPS, 10 home runs, 49 RBI, and a 124:33 K:BB in 445 plate appearances. He's probably fourth in the pecking order at shortstop this spring, behind prospect Kevin McGonigle, Javier Baez, and Zach McKinstry. Sweeney doesn't have enough power at the plate to be a realistic fantasy option, and he looked overmatched offensively in 2025.
Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar battled through a down year in 2025, posting a .253/.294/.400 slash line with nine home runs, 33 RBI, 44 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 390 plate appearances. Hip and groin injuries limited the 24-year-old to just 95 games played.
With a career strikeout rate of 27.3% and a career walk rate of 4.1%, Tovar's plate skills leave a lot to be desired. He also makes a good amount of soft contact, as he's never posted a hard-hit rate above 40% in any of his four big league seasons.
Still, while not a perfect player, Tovar had been an above-average compiler for fantasy managers in 2024, collecting 26 home runs across 695 plate appearances. Playing his home games at the hitter-friendly Coors Field has also helped Tovar run a career batting average on balls in play of .331, which mitigates the impact of his below-average strikeout rate.
As long as he's healthy, Tovar should see everyday playing time at the top of the Colorado batting order, and could be a strong buy-low candidate for fantasy managers at the shortstop position.
Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs
Marquee Sports Network's Bruce Levine says that Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson has a new approach at the plate this year and is going to "forsake some of the power for more contact," and he also mentioned that Swanson wants to hit the ball the other way more often.
The 32-year-old veteran hasn't hit over .244 in any of his three seasons on the North Side, although he did clobber 24 homers (three off his career high) in 159 regular-season games in 2025. Swanson had his first 20-20 season in the big leagues last year, but he'd like to drop his strikeout rate, which has been at 25% in the last four years.
Plate discipline hasn't been the issue, but rather making contact with hittable pitches inside the zone. Swanson has been good but not great for fantasy managers, and he ranks as RotoBaller's No. 16 shortstop. As long as he continues to run like he did last year, fantasy managers probably won't mind a little power trade-off for a higher average.
Mauricio Dubon, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves infielder Mauricio Dubon will be the team's starting shortstop while Ha-Seong Kim misses at least the first five weeks of the 2026 season after having surgery on his right middle finger, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Defense and positional versatility are Dubon's calling card, but he did hit 10 homers and posted a .720 OPS in 492 plate appearances for the Houston Astros in 2023. He had a .651 OPS the last two seasons in Houston, not drawing more than 428 plate appearances either year.
Defensively, Dubon should be able to hold down the 6 in Kim's absence after tying for the seventh-highest Fielding Run Value (six) among MLB shortstops last year. The 31-year-old Honduras native has appeared at every spot in the big leagues except catcher and pitcher, so he offers the Braves a lot of flexibility on defense. But he barely moves the needle in fantasy.
Who Should I Draft Tool
Not sure who to draft? Use our free Who Should I Draft tool.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to draft...
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Draft? button to see who the recommended draft picks are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Draft? We have lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your 2026 fantasy baseball drafts. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats and projections, ADPs, and news -- enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their preseason fantasy baseball rankings and projections based on their research, and update it constantly throughout the preseason. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players that are ranked.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy baseball managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's roto leagues (rotisserie) scoring, or points leagues scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are two small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at, including recent trending player names who are seeing increases or decreases in their draft values. Click any of the links to see the results and recommendations.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts:
More Fantasy Baseball Analysis
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!
