Fantasy Baseball Draftable Shortstops: Bobby Witt Jr., Mookie Betts, Gunnar Henderson, Francisco Lindor and More
Shortstops who are seen as draftable starters in fantasy leagues according to ESPN points rankings.
Every big-league player used to be a shortstop. What I mean by that is the best player on every little league team usually plays short, and those are the guys who generally grow into the best players as adults.
It's a different animal in the minor and major leagues, though. Almost everyone who was a shortstop gets reassigned to an easier position, and players continue moving down the positional spectrum the higher they get in the minors. It takes a real defensive wizard to play shortstop at the highest level.
Those guys don't always hit well, getting on the field with their glove instead. That means SS is often a tougher fantasy baseball position to fill with high-level offensive play. There have been more stars at the position since the steroid era, but it's still short on guys, especially after the top handful.
Let's look at the draftable players at shortstop according to ESPN's points rankings. This is more about those rankings than my actual feelings on each player, but I will give a short analysis on each. Most stats are from MLB.com.
Check out the draftable players at catcher, first base, second base, third base, outfield, and starting pitcher at the respective links.
Top Tier
- Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals, 5th overall
- Mookie Betts (OF), Los Angeles Dodgers, 6th
- Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles, 14th
- Francisco Lindor, New York Mets, 17th
Witt has improved in each of his three seasons, reaching an MVP level (he got all 30 second-place votes in AL voting, with Aaron Judge getting every first-place vote). There's no reason to expect much different this year; Witt is worth the top-five pick.
Betts is probably my favorite first-round fantasy pick other than Shohei Ohtani, who is a no-doubt top pick if he's available at both DH and pitcher. On top of being a stud offensive player, Betts is available at both shortstop and in the outfield; I love multi-positional guys.
Henderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting, showing up between third and fifth on every ballot. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2023, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him keep growing until he reaches that top peak. This is another player worth the draft spot.
And add Lindor to that list, too. He has been rock solid the past three years after dealing with injuries in 2021 (his first with the Mets); Lindor has fit in as a star shortstop. With a strong lineup around him, he should get plenty of chances to score runs and knock them in.
Middle Tier
- Corey Seager, Texas Rangers, 39th
- Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies, 50th
- Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds, 67th
Seager could sneak into the top tier, but there is a drop of 22 spots, so he slots in better here right now. Injuries are his main concern, as he has played at least 135 games just once since 2017. It's best to expect him to miss at least 20 games and probably more, and that's enough to knock him down a tier.
Turner started last season slow but put it together enough to have a decent year. He missed 40 games, which brought down his volume numbers, but his slash numbers were all right in line with his career rates (maybe a half-step below). Turner is probably good for 30 doubles, 25 homers, and a batting average approaching .300.
De La Cruz is one of the most fun players in the league. In his first full season last year, he reached 36 doubles, 25 home runs, and 67 stolen bases, eight more than anyone else. De La Cruz is going to stuff the box score, but he also strikes out a ton, racking up 218 Ks; that was 18 more strikeouts than any other hitter.
Still Draftable
- Willy Adames, San Francisco Giants, 109th
- CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals, 118th
- Xander Bogaerts (2B), San Diego Padres, 125th
Adames had a career year in 2024: He set career highs in hits (153), doubles (33), homers (34), runs scored (93), RBI (112), and stolen bases (21). He did have his most at-bats in a season to help rack up those stats, and he also struck out a career-high 173 times. It wouldn't be a surprise to see some regression, but Adames is a decent option if you miss out on the top seven.
Abrams is a former top prospect and was the main return when the Nationals traded Juan Soto to the Padres. He was right around 30 doubles, 20 home runs, and 30 stolen bases in 138 games last year. There's more upside to Abrams than anybody below De La Cruz.
Bogaerts has dual-position availability, increasing his value. He'll probably be the full-time shortstop for the Padres to start the year. He is a nice player to grab if you get one of the top SS options, as Bogaerts can spend more time at second in your lineup and fill in at short the few days that your star isn't active.
Early Streamers
- Oneil Cruz (OF), Pittsburgh Pirates, 156th (begins season @ Miami Marlins)
- Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels, 243rd (@ Chicago White Sox)
These guys are here because of the matchups. Miami and Chicago are going to be two of the worst teams this year, though the Marlins do have a star at the top of their rotation in Sandy Alcantara.
Cruz is intriguing, as he has some of the same electric ability as De La Cruz, but he has a lower floor and ceiling than his Cincinnati counterpart, the reason why Cruz is outside the top 150. Dual availability in the outfield gives him better value as a bench player on your fantasy team.
Neto has the best matchup to open the season. The White Sox traded away their best pitcher (Garrett Crochet), and there will be plenty of hittable guys taking the mound for Chicago. Neto is a low-end fantasy player, but this is a great opportunity to stream him if you're in need.
Late-Round Flier
- Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies, 241st
Tovar is interesting because he will play half of his games at Coors Field. Over the past two seasons, Tovar has averaged 41 doubles and 20.5 home runs while hitting around .260. There's also some downside, though: Tovar walked just 48 total times the last two years while striking out 366 times.
The power is real, though, and there are worse plans than skipping shortstop until late and grabbing Tovar for his home games. He's also a guy you can stream, and he doesn't play a game in Colorado until April 4, so Tovar might be a player to skip in the draft but pick up for the second weekend of the season.
