Fantasy Baseball Draftable Shortstops: Superstars and a Surprising Amount of Power
A look at the shortstops who should be drafted based on preseason ADP rankings.
Shortstop doesn't always offer a lot of fantasy depth; the days of Miguel Tejada and Alex Rodriguez went out when steroid testing came in (that's mostly a joke). There are still some high-level hitters at the position, and the era of the home run means you can find power in many places.
Let's look at the draftable shortstops according to preseason ADP numbers. This is similar to ranking players in tiers, but instead of my own rankings, we are using expected draft slots as our guide.
The number listed in front of each player is his ESPN ranking in points leagues among all players, and those rankings are accurate as of March 15. Most stats are from MLB.com.
Check out the draftables at other positions at the respective links: catcher, first base, second base, third base.
Use FantasySP's Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit to keep up with all the analysis as we head toward the start of the regular season!
The Young Superstar
- 8. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Sometimes, we don't need to waste a lot of time. Witt is undoubtedly a star at the position, even as his numbers mostly regressed last season from a phenomenal 2024. He will be drafted in the first round in most leagues.
The Second Tier
- 24. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
- 27. Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Lindor just keeps producing, finishing with 35 doubles, 31 home runs, and 31 stolen bases last year. Over the past three seasons, he averaged 35.7, 31.7, and 30.3, respectively. He strikes out a bit, but Lindor is a solid statistical player who is worthy of this draft slot.
Henderson lost 20 home runs from 2024 to 2025, causing his slugging percentage and OPS to both drop around 100 points. He added walks and stolen bases while falling in a few other categories, overall performing worse while still doing good enough. If Baltimore's offense picks up again this year, Henderson should have more run and RBI opportunities; his power returning would again make him a star at the position.
High-Level Fantasy Starters
- 51. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
- 52. Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
- 66. Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks
Betts saw a sharp decline in his performance last season, finishing with just 23 doubles and 20 homers despite batting almost 600 times; those numbers were nearly identical in 2024 in 139 fewer at-bats. Add in losing his dual-position eligibility in the OF, and it's not a surprise to see him fall from the first round to the fifth or sixth this year.
De La Cruz is lightning in a bottle, one of the most exciting players to watch in action. His two full seasons have been incredibly similar, averaging around 163 hits, 34 doubles, 24 home runs, 104 runs, and 82 RBI. He cut nearly 40 strikeouts but also lost 30 stolen bases, ending up close in fantasy value. There's upside here to eventually jump into the next tier.
Perdomo had a true breakout last year: 173 hits, 33 doubles, 20 homers, 98 runs, 100 RBI, 27 stolen bases, a .290 batting average, and more walks than strikeouts. Though there is always a chance for regression, it's very possible that he is ranked way too low. I like this draft slot.
Solid Starters
- 93. Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
- 106. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers
Turner lost a little power, finishing with just 15 home runs last year, but he had a strong season otherwise: 179 hits, 31 doubles, 94 runs, and 36 stolen bases. He plays in a strong offense, which should give him run and RBI chances, and Turner is likely to be a valuable fantasy player, especially if you can get him in the 10th round.
Seager's 2025 was heavily affected by injuries, which held him to 102 games and 380 at-bats. He still showed power (19 doubles and 21 home runs, which were both in line with his per-at-bat numbers), but Seager has a history of injury issues, and it's only going to get worse as he progresses further into his 30s (32 in April). There's risk but also upside given his production when on the field.
Fringe Starters/High-Level Fantasy Bench Guys
- 127. Bo Bichette, New York Mets
- 130. Willy Adames, San Francisco Giants
- 136. Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros
- 143. Jacob Wilson, Athletics
- 146. CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
- 156. Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
Bichette has dealt with his own injury issues over the past three years. His 2024 was something of a lost season, but he was much better when on the field in '23 and '25, and better health would make him a strong fantasy option, particularly at this draft slot.
Adames hit 32 and 30 home runs over the past two seasons, but pretty much every other number fell off last year in the move to San Francisco. That's still enough to make him a decent daily fantasy option, but Adames has a little bit lower ceiling than 2024 might indicate.
Pena has a fractured finger and might not be ready for the start of the season. He batted over .300 last season with 30 doubles, 17 homers, and 20 stolen bases in less than 500 at-bats, but his value is hurt by the uncertainty of when he will return.
After a brief debut in 2024, Wilson played his rookie season last year, getting just under 500 at-bats and finishing with 26 doubles, 13 home runs, and a .311 batting average. He doesn't strike out much and will be just 24 for essentially the entire season; the arrow is pointing up, especially playing his home games in a minor league park in Sacramento.
Abrams was a top prospect sent to Washington in the Juan Soto trade to San Diego several years back, and he has been good but not great since that time. He shows some power at the position, averaging 30.7 doubles and 19 homers over the past three years while adding 36.3 stolen bases. Strikeouts are a problem, keeping his average near .250, but you could do a lot worse.
Neto was another prospect rushed to the majors by the Angels, and he has swam rather than sunk in the big leagues. In two full seasons, he has averaged 31.5 doubles, 24.5 homers, and 28 stolen bases, though like Abrams, strikeouts are an issue and keep his average near .250.
Still Draftable
- 181. Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins
- 199. Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs
- 200. Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox
- 208. Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays
- 214. Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins
- 215. Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres
- 241. Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
Edwards and Lopez will handle the middle infield for Miami, and they are each available at both second base and shortstop in fantasy. Lopez is the better power hitter, finishing with 21 doubles and 15 home runs last year, while Edwards has the better hit tool, holding a .298 career batting average and stealing 58 bases over the past two years. The guy you prefer depends on how the rest of your team shakes out.
Swanson has a lot of similarities to Abrams and Neto in the previous tier, averaging 25.3 doubles and 20.7 homers in his three season with the Cubs while striking out too much and holding a batting average under .250. Swanson doesn't steal as many bases (39 total the over the past two years) and is older, so he might be on the way down while the others should be projecting up.
After three injury-shortened seasons, Story played 157 games last season, finishing with 29 doubles, 25 home runs, 91 runs, 96 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. If you believe he can stay healthy, this is a great draft spot. If you are worried about mitigating risk, you might think about looking elsewhere. In the 20th round, I am fine taking a flier on a guy who could be a top-10 fantasy player at the position.
Clement can slot in at second base, third base, and shortstop in many leagues, making him an ideal bench player early in the season. He can fill plenty of gaps in your lineup and easily be dropped later if needed given his late draft status.
Bogaerts has missed time with injuries the past two seasons, something that could continue to linger for the 33-year-old. He has mostly stayed healthy in his career, but age waits for no man. He can still be productive but doesn't hit for a lot of power; there are other guys in this area I prefer more (like the next player).
Correa will likely fill in at shortstop while Pena is out, then he is slated to man third base when the team is full strength. That dual-position fantasy eligibility is a plus this late in the draft. He played much better after coming back to Houston from Minnesota at the trade deadline last year, giving hope that he will excel in his old home park. There is injury risk, and Correa has passed 30 years old, but there's intrigue with one of your final picks.
