Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings
With fantasy drafts in full swing, it is time to look at the best fantasy baseball shortstop for 2022. Among names on the list are Javier Baez and Wander Franco. However, they are not the best fantasy baseball shortstop this season. In fact, they are not even in the top two fantasy shortstops. Check out our fantasy baseball third base rankings and our shortstop rankings:
1. Trea Turner
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trea Turner is and will continue to be the number one fantasy baseball shortstop for the 2022 season. Turner went from a very dangerous lineup with the Nationals (Juan Soto as protection) to an even more dangerous lineup with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 206 at-bats with the Dodgers, Turner hit an impressive .332/.382/.558 with 10 homeruns, 28 runs batted in, 15 walks and 11 stolen bases. In total, Turner hit 28 homeruns and stole 32 bases in his age-27 season. The prime of a players career is usually around 28-32. Turner is now entering the prime and is poised to put up nasty fantasy numbers.
If Turner is not picked first in your league, make fun of every single fantasy manager who passed on him — for the entire season.
2. Bo Bichette
24-year-old Bo Bichette has been on fantasy radars for years. 2022 may be another coming out party for this Toronto Blue Jay. The 2021 hits leader really matured at the plate last year in his first full major league season. Bichette can help fantasy owners in multiple categories; homeruns (29), runs batted in (102), walks (40), stolen bases (28) and batting average/on-base percentage (.298/.343). Last year’s numbers and a potent Blue Jays lineup featuring George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Matt Chapman and Teoscar Hernandez means monstrous numbers for Bo Bichette.
Unscientifically, I would not be surprised if he ended the year with close to a .300 batting average and 30 homeruns. His spot in the lineup will definitely affect his runs batted in but we could see a regression in the strikeout-walk ratio. Bichette can be prone to striking out and pitchers will pitch him differently than last year.
3. Tim Anderson
The Chicago White Sox Tim Anderson is a player just like Trea Turner and Bo Bichette; uber-talented with an uber-talented lineup around them making them valuable fantasy players. However, he can still be considered a sleeper in the overall rankings. Admittedly, Anderson is a big drop in production from Turner and Bichette but he still provides value in batting average, runs scored, hits, home runs and stolen bases. He will not wow you in any of these categories and probably will not win you a matchup single handedly. Tim Anderson will not lose you a match up. He is consistent and sometimes that is more valuable than a high ceiling player.
Entering his fifth full professional season, Anderson has not hit below .309 in any of the previous three seasons. He does not walk a lot (10-20 per year) but he can provide a little value in the power arena with homerun totals of 17, 10, 18, 20, and 17 in the last five years respectively.
If you need a short stop and you are out of the top two picks, Anderson should be your guy. Do not reach for him in the first or second round. Instead, wait until the third round to maximize value on this pick.
4. Marcus Semien
After Marcus Semien signed with the Texas Rangers this off season, fantasy owners started salivating. His new home field, Globe Life Field, is a hitter’s park. Semien is coming off a season in which he hit the most homeruns for a second basemen in a single season (45). Semien also added over 100 RBIs and 100 runs in the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup making him a solid third round choice. You may not get to him though with fantasy owners valuing the long ball over other categories. Most likely, you will not get 45 homeruns from Semien again. However, you can reasonably expect at least 30 homeruns and possibly 100 runs scored with the new look Texas Rangers lineup.
5. Xander Bogaerts
A model of consistency, the 29 year old shortstop is coming off a midseason wrist injury. Xander Bogaerts is good for 20 homeruns, .290 batting average, 90 runs scored, and a 37% on base percentage every single year. However, the wrist injury is always a concern. Wrist injuries can cause a multitude of problems related to making contact or power. It will be interesting to see if Bogaerts has any rust to knock due to that injury.
Some have made the comment that Xander Bogaerts should benefit from having Trevor Story in the Boston Red Sox lineup now. I completely disagree. Trevor Story will not live up to the hype in Boston. His numbers, comparing his hitting at Coors Field and away, have an enormous delta that you just cannot ignore. For instance, Story’s slash lines were about 100 points lower away from Coors Field during the 2021 season. I do not see Xander Bogaerts as a benefactor to the Trevor Story signing.
6. Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor is coming off a terrible season after signing an enormous contract. There may be room for concern here as we take a look at his career numbers and see drop offs in multiple categories such as slugging percentage and BABIP to name a few.
After a career high 38 homeruns in 2018, he hit 32 in 2019 and dropped to 20 homeruns in 2021. I would be very cautious with drafting Lindor higher than the fourth or fifth round. Even in the fourth or fifth round, you might be reaching. Be very, very cautious with Francisco Lindor.
7. Wander Franco
Wander Franco carries double eligibility in Yahoo leagues (3B/SS) but in other leagues he is only eligible as a shortstop. In his first taste of Major League Baseball, Franco appeared in 70 games as a 20 year old. Over those games, he hit seven homeruns, five triples, and 18 doubles. Surprisingly, for such a young player, he showed quite a good eye as evidenced by his 37/24 K/BB ratio.
With Wander Franco available in the fourth or fifth, he is a prime break out candidate. Franco is ranked behind Lindor for the mere fact that we’ve seen Lindor have the ability to hit over 30 homeruns. Franco, with good power, may not realize a 30 homerun season for awhile longer.
8. Trevor Story
Stay far away this year. Let’s take a look at how he does and revisit next year. As stated above, Trevor Story at Coors Field and away are two different people. On the surface, seeing a 100 point drop in batting average is overtly concerning.
However, Story got the bag and he may have some valuable production. Do not touch him before the sixth/seventh round.
9. Corey Seager
After signing a 10-year, $325 million contract with the Texas Rangers, Corey Seager has enormous expectations. The 27-year-old, left-hand hitting shortstop has a career slash line of .297/.367/.870 with three years hitting above .300 including the last two. Do not let the contract fool you. Seager is not an offensive powerhouse. However, he will guarantee you about 15 homeruns per year and quite a few doubles. He will contribute around 40 walks. If you’re looking for a shortstop with steal potential, stay away from Corey Seager.
10. Javier Baez
Another big contract and another shortstop that is boom or bust. If you can stand the strikeouts because of the homeruns and runs, this is your player for shortstop. Baez has hit 23, 34, 29, eight, and 31 homeruns respectively. He does not offer much in the way of walks and likes to strike out (167, 156, 75, 184 over the last four seasons). Baez is definitely a boom or bust. You will love him and you will hate him. Hang on for the ride.
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