2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstop
In our fifth rankings series of the year, we’ll look at shortstops:
2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Legalese, etc.
Each of these rankings will follow the same format. We’ll review the top performers at the position in 2014 and 2013, then reveal rankings based on a tier system. We’ll discuss the position in general and the trends of the position. Lastly, I’ll discuss where the Braves player at the position would rank. To qualify at a position, a player must have 15 games played at the position in 2014. I’ll mention any other positions a player will qualify for as well.
Top Fantasy Shortstops 2014/2013
2014 top 10 (in order): Dee Gordon, Ian Desmond, Jose Reyes, Alexei Ramirez, Alcides Escobar, Jimmy Rollins, Danny Santana, Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Erick Aybar, Starlin Castro, Jhonny Peralta, Ben Zobrist, Elvis Andrus, Justin Turner
2013 top 10 (in order): Jean Segura, Elvis Andrus, Ian Desmond, Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Alexei Ramirez, Everth Cabrera, Jed Lowrie, Ben Zobrist, J.J. Hardy, Brian Dozier, Jose Reyes, Erick Aybar, Jhonny Peralta, Andrelton Simmons
2015 Shortstops: Tier One
Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado – Huge health issues as always. The most elite combo of offense and defense in the game right now when he’s healthy.
Hanley Ramirez, Boston – Reportedly moving to the outfield in 2015, so he may no longer be in the shortstop ranks next year. Enjoy while you can.
Ian Desmond, Washington – Solid power/speed guy with good batting average. The Nationals are working to get someone else to excel at shortstop defensively, so Desmond could end up off the position in the future.
2015 Shortstops: Tier Two
Jose Reyes, Toronto – Seemingly underrated now due to previous injury bias. He’s been an elite performer the last few years.
Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis – Tremendous 2013 didn’t end up having as much drop off as many were worried about.
Xander Bogaerts, Boston – Also eligible at 3B. Streaky 2014 season, but showed why he was so valued after 2013. Could make the jump into the top tier this season.
Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox – If Reyes is overlooked, then Ramirez is flat out ignored. He has been top 5 valued at the SS position for a few years by the end of the year, but is never drafted that way.
Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs – Bounced back after a tough 2013, but has major prospects breathing down his neck.
Jed Lowrie, Houston – Solid average offensive player who won’t blow you away, but won’t hurt you either.
Jean Segura, Milwaukee – Elite in 2013 and fell off a cliff in 2014. He’s got skills to be a 5-10 home run and 20ish steal player.
2015 Shortstops: Tier Three
Asdrubal Cabrera, Tampa Bay – Also eligible at 2B. Good offensive player without the glove. Will be interesting to see how he is deployed by Tampa Bay.
J.J. Hardy, Baltimore – Great power guy who struggled in that aspect to start 2014, but he’s quite likely to be a 20-HR guy again in 2015.
Elvis Andrus, Texas – He has a ton of speed with little power, so his value depends on whether he can get on base to use his speed.
Alcides Escobar, Kansas City – Lots of defensive talent, but he is similar to Andrus that his value depends on batting average.
Jimmy Rollins, Los Angeles Dodgers – Still has 1-2 productive seasons left in him, and now he has a much better lineup around him.
Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels – Ended up the last couple of seasons ranked highly, but not a sexy pick at draft time.
2015 Shortstops: Tier Four
Chris Owings, Arizona – Solid power for a middle infielder. Watch him to see where he goes this year as he has the talent to leap forward.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh – Nothing special offensively, but won’t hurt you. Remains unclear whether he’ll be affected by the Kang signing in playing time.
Wilmer Flores, New York Mets – The Mets haven’t replaced him at SS, which means he will have the chance to let his offense show up for fantasy.
Danny Santana, Minnesota (OF) – Hot streak last season has a lot of people overpaying for Santana in 2015. He’s a good backup guy, but he’s not a guy I’d rely on for starting.
Jung-Ho Kang, Pittsburgh – One of the biggest offensive stars in Korea. Ranked here because of uncertainty of role and position immediately, but an up-the-middle defender with good power is a rare thing.
2015 Shortstops: Braves Fantasy Review
If your league includes defense, Andrelton Simmons should be an early pick. Otherwise, he’s not a tremendous fantasy player. His skill set is not one for elite power or speed. If Andrelton could calm down his swing (and that’s a BIG if), he could be the type of guy who hits for a solid average with 10-15 home runs and 5-15 steals. He has the eye, as evidenced by his low strikeout rate, but his overswing tendencies leads him to popping many balls up. If he sacrifices home runs for singles and doubles, he could be elite on both sides of things – offense and defense.
2015 Shortstops: Position Review
The position has seen elite seasons come and go, which is why relying on elite talent is the best bet, hence Tulowitzki and Hanley being so high. The position levels out quickly after the top end players. That said, none of the guys at this position will give you truly elite offensive production, so don’t over-draft by picking a guy up well before his production would merit.