Top Fantasy Baseball Shortstops for 2024: Bobby Witt Jr., Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette and More

Discussing some of the top fantasy shortstops for the 2024 season.

The 2024 MLB season is closing in quickly, so it’s time to start putting together your rankings for every position to make sure you’re lined up for your fantasy baseball draft.

The shortstop position is stocked full of fantasy stars, both young and old. Let’s discuss where some of the better options are being drafted and then determine if that’s a good spot to take them at.

We already covered some of the top starting pitchers, catchers, first basemen, second basemen and third basemen so be sure to check those out. We’ll cover other positions in stories to come, so check back for those.

Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!

The Best of the Best

The shortstop position is led by the 23-year-old Bobby Witt Jr. The Kansas City Royals shortstop just got a new 14-year contract extension.

In his second season in the big leagues, Witt had a .276 average and .319 on-base percentage. He had 69 extra-base hits (with 11 triples and 30 homers). Witt also drove in 96 runs, stole 49 bases, tallied 177 total hits and scored 97 runs.

From year one to two, Witt improved pretty much every statistic, while striking out 14 less times despite playing eight more games and having 62 more plate appearances. Witt looks like a possible face of the league for years to come.

Witt is often ranked only behind Ronald Acuna Jr., although I’ve also seen him at No. 3 or 4 and sometimes drafted at picks 5-7. I get some of skepticism about drafting him right behind Acuna - after all, Witt finished 11th in total points a season ago. 

I personally like Corbin Carroll and Julio Rodriguez a touch more, mostly because they are in better overall lineups. I’d start considering Witt at pick 4 and be thrilled if he fell to me later in the first round (which he has a couple times). 

Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner is the second SS typically off draft boards. He goes anywhere from pick 8-15 usually. 

Turner had a bit of a down season in 2023, finishing with a .266 average, .320 on-base percentage, 66 extra-base hits (including 26 home runs), 76 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 170 total hits and 102 runs scored.

He’s still a career .296 hitter, so if he bats closer to that mark in his second season in Philly, he’ll be a steal. If he had hit close to that mark last season, he probably would be close to a top-five pick.

I’m expecting a bounceback season from Turner, and like taking him around pick nine (depending on who goes before him). If you can get him in the teens, consider yourself lucky, as his well-rounded game can help your team out immensely.

Other Guys Worth Mentioning

Usually I’d add at least four or five names to the “Best of the Best” section, but after Witt and Turner, there’s a slight dropoff before anyone else goes.

Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager, New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor, Toronto Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette, Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson and Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz all usually go between picks 20-40.

Seager recently made the headlines after the team’s GM said he had surgery to repair a sports hernia. He isn’t expected to play much in spring training, but the good news is that he could be ready for the regular season. Regardless of whether he can play right from the get go, the injury concern is sure to give pause to fantasy owners before they draft him.

When he’s on the field, Seager is an absolute monster. Across 119 games last season, Seager had a .327 average, .390 on-base percentage, 75 extra-base hits (33 homers), 96 RBIs, 156 total hits and 88 runs scored. I’d have loved to see his season totals with closer to 150 games played - they would have been absolutely insane if that’s what he did in 30 less games.

Anyways, drafting Seager in redraft leagues this season feels like a boom-or-bust scenario. If the injury doesn’t hold him back much, getting him between picks 20-25 is going to be a huge steal, as he’s got the potential to be a top-five fantasy hitter by the end of the season. On the other hand, the injury could ruin his season and force him to miss a bunch of time - Seager might still put up similar stats to last season, but that lack of availability might be detrimental to your fantasy team, especially with a pick this early in a draft.

I still think Seager needs to go in that 20-25 pick range because of his insane upside. I’m personally fine taking the risk on him there because I’m confident in my drafting ability to build around him. If you aren’t feeling great about your draft ability, then I’d suggest passing on Seager (unless he drops into the 30s) and grab your shortstop later in the draft.

Lindor had a down average (.254) but still had solid other numbers - .336 on-base percentage, 66 extra-base hits (31 homers), 98 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, 153 total hits and 108 runs scored. He still was the 14th-best fantasy hitter in total points.

Lindor usually goes around pick 25. That seems like a fair spot to me, and could turn him into a steal if he can be closer to his .274 career average. 

Bichette had maybe his best hitting season as a pro in 2023, although he missed a handful of games. Across 135 contests, Bichette had a .306 average, .339 on-base percentage, 53 extra-base hits (20 homers), 73 RBIs, five stolen bases, 175 total hits and 69 runs scored.

Missing over 25 games kept his runs, extra-base hits and RBIs all much lower than the past couple seasons, so if he can play close to a full season, he’s got huge fantasy value pick written all over him. One thing I want to highlight is the five stolen bases. He had 13 stolen bases in 2022 and 25 steals in 2021. If he can add steals back into his game, he’s going to be a huge steal himself.

He is ranked/drafted anywhere from 25-35 or so. He’s a good enough fantasy asset to go in the 20s, but I’d prefer him in the 30s personally.

Henderson and De La Cruz are guys we covered in the third base story. Their position versatility is massive, especially this early in a fantasy draft. Their averages definitely lack behind the other SS we’ve talked about so far, but better hitting seasons could easily have them outperforming several of those guys.

A couple other guys I want to mention are Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams, Cincinnati’s Matt McLain and Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner.

McLain and Hoerner are also guys with position versatility - we covered them in the second base story. McLain would likely be a much higher pick if he had a full season of big league play under his belt. Hoerner goes a touch later in drafts because he lacks the power other infielders have. 

Abrams had mixed results in his first full pro season in 2023. The 23-year old had a .245 average, .300 on-base percentage, 52 extra-base hits (18 homers), 64 RBIs, 47 stolen bases, 138 total hits and 83 runs scored. The average definitely leaves plenty to be desired, but the stolen bases, runs and RBIs are all very solid numbers.

He typically is drafted between picks 40-50. I personally am not as high on Abrams because of the average (and lack of power), so I like him better later in the 50s or early 60s instead. He easily could be a steal if he starts hitting even 10-15 points better.

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