Early 2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 10 Shortstops

In the past few years, the shortstop position has been a land of feast or famine. Last season you found three picks in the first round that played shortstop, then we had a small middle ground. After those few players, the position became statistically weak. Now the plenitude of first round picks are gone, replaced with a more hearty second and third tier. Also gone is the safe feeling you have drafting the big-named shortstops early. There is reason to be fearful.

No one is sure whether or not Jose Reyes will return at his high level after missing most of the season with a hamstring injury. But, the chance of a 50-plus stolen base guy that adds some pop can be too much to pass up for some fantasy baseball GM's. You'll also need to make a gut-decision on whether or not Troy Tulowitzki's 2009 season was real or was it the much less power-packed 2008 season.

After Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop position comes riddled with questions, not guarantees. In this situation I can easily predict that some fantasy managers are going to be hurt by draft day mistakes or gambles.

Shortstop	Herrera	Snyder	White	Bardeen	Total
Hanley Ramirez, Marlins	1	1	1	1	1
Jose Reyes, Mets	3	2	2	4	2.75
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies	2	4	4	2	3
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies	4	3	5	3	3.75
Derek Jeter, Yankees	5	5	3	5	4.5
Alexei Ramirez, White Sox	6	6	7	6	6.25
Jason Bartlett, Rays	7	9	6	7	7.25
Yunel Escobar, Braves	8	7	8	9	8
Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks	10	8	10	8	9
Elvis Andrus, Rangers	9	11	9	11	10

Hanley Ramirez - Ramirez enjoyed another 20/20 season with 100-plus RBI and runs scored in 2009. He also won a National League batting title with a .342 batting average. As good as these numbers were, last season could be considered a down year for the shortstop that can do everything. His 24 home runs were his lowest total since 2006 and he's never had a lower mark in RBI and stolen bases. He's still, by far, the most valuable fantasy shortstop, but I'd like to see his HR/F ratio climb a little bit and his stolen base opportunities increase. Ramirez is an easy first round draft selection who should be taken at the top of most mixed-league drafts. His Average Draft Position (ADP) is currently 2.02.

Jose Reyes - The four of us were all over the board on Reyes, selecting him anywhere from No. 2 to No. 4. Reyes missed most of the 2009 season due to injury, and the Mets shortstop even had a clean-up procedure done in October. He vows to be ready by Spring Training and could bounce back to normal in 2010 if that's the case -- he is only 26 years old. If he's not ready by Spring Training or worse, Opening Day, Reyes' value drops significantly the longer he's out. Speed is what makes Reyes so valuable and the risk of injury or not being fully ready to return should cause some caution on draft day. In mock drafts Reyes is has an ADP of 22.26, a late second-round selection.

Troy Tulowitzki - We also had differing opinion on Tulowitzki, two of us ranking him as the second best shortstop option and two placing him at fourth. Tulowitzki bounced back to 2007 form and led the league in home runs among shortstops with 32. He also added 20 stolen bases, a new weapon in his fantasy arsenal. I expect that his home run output may drop just a little as his 18.5% HR/F ratio is extremely high compared to his 13.1% career average. Tulowitzki did bring up his flyball rate a little in 2009, so while his power numbers may drop a bit, don't expect a huge fall-off. His ADP is 18.60 right now, placing him right in the middle of the second round.

Jimmy Rollins - All you need to know about Rollins last season is that he had a miserable first half, combined with a wonderful second half. His batting average rose 78 points in the second half and 71.4% of his home runs came after June. He also had more than twice the number of stolen bases in the second half and almost twice as many RBI. Are you willing to forget about the first half of the season and focus on his late numbers. I know that I am. His ADP is 22.34, which places him fractionally behind Reyes at the back end of the second round.

Derek Jeter - There are only two statistical oddities that you should know from Jeter's 2009 season. Look at his home versus road splits and know that 13 of his 18 home runs came in homer friendly Yankee Stadium. Also know that even though Jeter is typically a higher-than-normal hit rate guy, his second half hit rate of 40% -- which greatly aided his .351 second-half batting average -- is not normal or sustainable and is batting average will drop a bit because of this. All of his other stats are real and repeatable, even if age is creeping up on the future Mr. Minka Kelly. Jeter's ADP is 51.95 placing him in the early fifth round of fantasy drafts.

Alexei Ramirez - A quick look at the stat line from Ramirez and everything looks promising. His patience at the plate improved, meaning he struck out less and walked more last season. However his power numbers dropped dramatically, causing sickness in the fantasy owners who drafted him expecting a repeat of 2008's 20-plus home runs. The sample size of data is too small to determine whether or not the home runs will return to the bat of Ramirez, but you can still expect a near .280 hitter with double digit home run and stolen base numbers. His ADP is 107.66 placing in the ninth round of drafts.

Jason Bartlett - Last season, for the second time in his career, Bartlett reached the 500 at-bat plateau -- putting up some very respectable numbers. His 14 home runs -- a career best -- were a byproduct of an increased flyball rate and his .320 batting average came, in part, due to a high 36.8% hit rate. That hit rate, in addition to his increased strikeout numbers, suggest that his average will regress in 2010. If his batting average drop, so too will his on-base percentage which will lower his stolen base opportunities. Bartlett's ADP is 105.21 which places him near the back end of the ninth round.

Yunel Escobar - Patience at the plate was the main reason why Escobar's batting average and on-base percentage rose in the second half of 2009. His slugging percentage remained the same throughout, showing that his power output may not likely increase. He's going to turn that magical baseball age of 27 this season, so he may have a bit of a breakout coming. But I wouldn't draft him too high wagering that more power is there. His ADP is currently 156.76, which is the end of the 13th round.

Stephen Drew - I wouldn't look at Drew's uninspiring 2009 numbers and pass up a chance to own the 26-year-old shortstop. He was recovering from a hamstring injury early in the season, and did well afterward. Look at his 2008 season where he hit 21 home runs and batted .291 as a basis for his true potential. Drew is currently being drafted in the 12th round of mock drafts with an ADP of 112.80.

Elvis Andrus - Stealing 33 bases is impressive. Swiping those before he turns 21 years old and in only 480 at-bats is fantastic. Andrus just doesn't hit enough flyballs to ever be a slugger, but there is reason to believe that he'll develop into a better hitter for average and steal more bases. With an ADP currently of 178.96, Andrus could be a steal in the 15th round.