2014 Fantasy Baseball Guide: Shortstop

Hanley-Ramirez

I have a set strategy for shortstop this season. If Hanley Ramirez is available in the second half of the first round, he is my primary target. If he is gone, I would take Troy Tulowitzki at the end of the first round or beginning of the second round. If I miss out on those two, I will try to get Ian Desmond in the third or fourth round. I would also consider drafting Jean Segura or Jose Reyes in those rounds too but there are red flags that prevent me from saying I would definitely take them. Once I miss out on the top 5 shortstops, I would try to get JJ Hardy or Everth Cabrera after the 10th round depending on whether I needed homeruns or steals. Besides those players, I would punt on the position and take whoever is left near the end of the draft.

1. Hanley Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (2013: .345 AVG/ 62 R/ 20 HR/ 57 RBIs/ 10 SB)

There was a time that he was a top 2 fantasy player in the draft. He has had 2 seasons of 50 stolen bases and a 30/30 season at the shortstop position. He is still the best combination of power and speed at the shortstop position. However, he is a huge injury risk at this point of his career. He has played in only 92 and 86 games in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Nevertheless, he showed his greatness as he did all his 2013 damage in only 86 games. If healthy, he is still a 30/20 threat at shortstop. For these reasons, he is at the top of my list.

2. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies (2013: .312 AVG/ 72 R/ 25 HR/ 82 RBIs/ 1 SB)

Similar to Ramirez, Tulowitzki is an injury concern. He has only played in 150+ games in 2 of his 7 full Major League seasons. He played in 47 games in 2012 and only 126 games last season. Nevertheless, he is a 30 homerun shortstop when healthy. Considering his defense, he is the best shortstop in baseball in my opinion. For fantasy purposes, he is only second behind Ramirez.

3. Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals (2013: .280 AVG/ 77 R/ 20 HR/ 80 RBIs/ 21 SB)

A 20/20 player at the shortstop position is big time for fantasy purposes. He is also in a lineup with young, talented hitters on a potentially dominating team. He is a great pick in the third round.

4. Jean Segura, Milwaukee Brewers (2013: .294/ 74 R/ 12 HRs/ 49 RBIs/ 44 SB)

It was a tale of two halves for Segura in his rookie season. He hit .325 with 11 homeruns and 27 stolen bases going into the All-Star Break. Based on that projection, he was headed to the best fantasy season for a shortstop. However, he hit .214 with only 1 homerun and 17 stolen bases in the second half. He may have gotten tired. Hopefully, the reason for the drop in performance is not due to Major League pitchers figuring him out. Nevertheless, 50 stolen base ability is huge at the shortstop position.

5. José Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays (2013: .296 AVG/ 58 R/ 10 HR/ 37 RBIs/ 15 SB)

Reyes is one of the most dynamic players in baseball. However, he has been an injury risk since 2009. I just do not see him playing more than 130 games when playing on the turf in Toronto only increases the chances of injury.

6. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers (2013: .271 AVG/ 91 R/ 4 HR/ 67 RBIs/ 42 SB)

Besides the 21 stolen bases in 2012, Andrus has stolen at least 32 bases in each season of his career. He rebounded nicely last season setting a new career high with 42 stolen bases. His primary fantasy value is the speed he provides. His runs and RBIs are at an acceptable level for a shortstop.

7. J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles (.263 AVG/ 66 R/ 25 HR/ 76 RBIs/ 2 SB)

Hardy usually falls in the draft. However, 25+ homeruns for a shortstop is excellent fantasy production. Since he has joined the Orioles, he hit 30, 22, and 25 homeruns. If you cannot draft one of the top 5 shortstops, Hardy is a great option after the 10th round.

8. Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres (2013: .283 AVG/ 54 R/ 4 HR/ 31 RBIs/ 37 SB)

Cabrera had a breakout season in 2013. He finally got on base at an adequate level and was on pace for 60 stolen bases. However, his season was cut short to 95 games because of his PEDs suspension related to Biogenesis. If you believe he can perform the way he did in 2012 over a full season, you can move him ahead of Andrus.

9. Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs (2013: .245 AVG/ 59 R/ 10 HR/ 44 RBIs/ 9 SB)

From 2010 to 2012, he improved his homeruns and stolen bases each season. In 2012, he hit 14 homeruns and stole 25 bases. The Cubs had another disappointing season in 2013. However, it must have been even more difficult watching one of their young stars regress instead of improve last season. Of course, it would be great for fantasy owners if he had a comeback season and moved toward a 20/20 season which would be gold for a fantasy shortstop.

10. Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies (2013: .252 AVG/ 65 R/ 6 HR/ 39 RBIs/ 22 SB)

Rollins had a great fantasy season in 2012 with 23 homeruns and 30 stolen bases. He is getting older so his regression in 2013 is an alarming sign. If you believe he still has something left in the tank, he is still worth a flier.

Other Options

* Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians; Johnny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals; Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox

These are decent consolation prizes if you punted on shortstop and they are available in the mid teens rounds. These players are pretty much what they are at the points in their careers. Cabrera’s career year was in 2011 when he hit 25 homeruns and stole 17 bases. However, he is definitely more of a 15/10 player. Peralta is a good player with 20 homerun power. He was hitting .303 and had a chance at 20 homeruns in 2013 before he was suspended for PEDs related to Biogenesis. He should be a productive player in an excellent St. Louis Cardinals lineup. Ramirez’s power has decreased throughout his career. He hit 21 homeruns in his first season but the total fell to 6 last season. However, he has stolen more bases over that span and he peaked at 30 steals last season. He is the weakest option in this tier.

Promising young stars

* Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves (2013: .248 AVG/ 76 R/ 17 HR/ 59 RBIs/ 6 SB)

The Braves think highly of him as they already rewarded him with a 7 year $58 million contract. His 17 homeruns in his rookie season are encouraging. His plate discipline needs to improve as he moves forward because he rarely walks. On the other hand, he is great at making contact and he does not strike out much.

* Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox

He did not play much with the Red Sox at the Major League level last season. However, he looked very impressive in his limited time. He has already shown an ability to be patient and draw walks in the minor leagues. He is only 21 and may be too raw to provide major fantasy production this season. However, his time will come. He is worth a late flier if you think he may be ahead of schedule and have a Manny Machado like breakout season.

Derek Jeter’s Farewell Tour

I am a New York Yankees fan so I am a fan of Jeter. However, he was always a player that was drafted too high for fantasy baseball because of his status in the game instead of his statistical performance. He is coming off major injuries. He is also at an advanced age and playing a demanding position. I would not expect too much from. He is nothing more than a sentimental pick late in the draft.

Pat Wong

About Pat Wong

Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.

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