2023 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Preview: Rankings, sleepers, busts, top prospects, and an ADP overview

There is no doubt that the shortstop is the deepest position in Fantasy Baseball in 2023, at least when it comes to hitting players. Right now, the top 100 NFBC drafts include a whopping 13 eligible players with ADP, more than any other offensive position other than outfield, who obviously has many more positions to fill on your standard Fantasy roster. Another indoor field positions only six to eight top 100 players!

And for the most part, I can’t disagree with the order in which high-end shortstops leave the board:

1. Three Turner (2.83 ADP)
2. Bobby Witt Jr. (9.61)
3. Beau Bichette (14.79)
4. Fernando Tatis Jr. (18.56)
5. Francisco Lindor (32.63)
6. Corey Seeger (58.36)
7. Oneil Cruz (69.45)
8. Tommy Edman (73.43)
9. Dansby Swanson (77.27)
10. Tramp Franco (85.9)
11. Xander Bogarts (86.49)
12. Tim Anderson (88.63)
13. Willie Adams (94.28)

I could argue a bit with the order, of course. I have Tatis as player no. 2 in position and Bichette no. 3, and Witt dropped to fourth for me. But he’s still in the top 20, so I’m not likely to bury Witt here.

Likewise, I have Cruz a little higher than Edman, and I prefer Bogarts to Swanson; I also got Franco a little lower than the consensus as my #12 SS though again he’s still in the top 90 so I don’t so many below.

• Position Preview: WITH | 1B | 2b | 3B | SS | FROM | joint venture | RP

The only place where I really disagree with the consensus is #14 SS. In the NFBC, that’s Jeremy Peña of the Astros, who has an ADP of 111.77. For me, it’s Carlos Correa, who is 90th overall in the Roto Leagues – his ADP is significantly lower at 117.84. What happens to this gap?

First of all, it should be noted that Pena was better than Correa last season, becoming Roto’s 103rd scoring player compared to Correa’s 104th. Both have played 136 games, so it makes sense to rank them next to each other, and given that Peña is better at steals, you can see reasons for preferring him, especially since he’s a young player who made his MLB debut. He’ll definitely be better in his second year, right?

Perhaps, although personally I feel much more confident if Correa takes a step forward. First, he was simply a better offensive player with a .291/.366/.467 line compared to Peña’s .253/.289/.426 mark. According to BaseballSavant.com, Correa delivered the expected stats while Peña was slightly ahead of him. Not enough to expect a huge regression, especially given his home park, but enough that I’m not necessarily taking a big step forward.

But the biggest argument for Correa ranking above Peña is that I really think you can predict Correa to be better in 2023 than he was, mostly in the series production categories. Correa’s 70 runs and 64 RBIs are shockingly low for a striker of his caliber, especially in a Twins roster that has been pretty average overall. The previous year in Houston, he had 104 runs and 92 RBI while posting the same OBP and only four home runs in 12 more games. Sure, Houston had the best lineup, but when you look at the league, Correa’s numbers still seem wildly out of proportion; For example, Andrew McCutcheon hit .237/.316/.384 with 17 homers on the Brewers’ similarly average team and had 66 runs and 69 RBIs in 134 games.

Correa will almost certainly improve his stats in 2023, and while there is little hope of him becoming a base stealer again, in my eyes he seems like a pretty good bet for a strong contributor to the four categories. Sure, there’s a elephant in the room, an ankle problem that led to not one, but two voided free agency contracts and ultimately landed Correa back in Minnesota on a (relatively) preferential deal). That was enough to scare off the Giants and Mets, and it looks like it will scare off at least a few Fantasy players.

I’m not a doctor, so I won’t say that the doctors who failed his physical did the wrong thing. However, according to ProSportsTransactions.com, Correa hasn’t missed a game with an ankle injury since 2016, so while that might be a problem for a 10-year mega contract, I’m not sure how much we should worry about it. 2023. Maybe it’s a time bomb about to explode, but I don’t really consider it. Correa is an obvious value for the price, one of the best in the position without them.

Shortstop depth also ends after Correa. Amed Rosario (123.59) and Nico Hörner (139.62) are good bets on some interceptions and averages, but neither is a strike bat; Javier Baez (166.28) could be, but he has a lot of work to do to restore our confidence after a rather disastrous first season in Detroit. And after that, Tyro Estrada is the only shortstop with ADP in the top 230; Surprisingly, there are actually more second basemen among the top 230.

In other words, shortstop is a very deep position for strikers and if you end up getting SS in your MI and UT spots, that’s probably not a bad thing. If you are aggressive, of course. If you choose to wait with this position, you may run out of options sooner than you expect, especially in a 15-team league. Be careful.

1. Anthony Wolpe, SS, Yankees

Age (on opening day): 21
Where did you play in 2022: Double A, Triple A
Minor league stats: .249 BA (511 AB), 21 HR, 50 SB, .802 OPS, 65 BB, 118 K
Before nitpicking Wolpe’s average, note that it took him a while to adjust to the wider variety of fields in Double-A, batting .286 with .910 OPS in his last 72 games. He’s been moving fast in two years, maximizing launch angle for power and tearing base paths more on instinct than sheer speed (which probably makes him more likely).
Scott’s influence on fantasy in 2023: fight this spring

2. Ellie De La Cruz, SS, Reds

Age (on opening day): 21
Where did you play in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .304BA (471AB), 28HR, 47SB, .945OPS, 40BB, 158K
The name De La Cruz is fitting for someone who is the sequel to Oneil Cruz, i.e. a freakishly tall shortstop (6ft 5in in this case) with an equally freaky toolkit. But while the strikeouts didn’t become a problem for Cruz before the majors, they’ve already become excessive for De La Cruz…but that doesn’t matter for now. I tend to bet on players who do it in Double-A like he did.
Scott’s influence on fantasy in 2023: mid season

3. Jordan Lowlar, SS, Diamondbacks

Age (on opening day): 20
Where did you play in 2022: Novice, Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .303 BA (389 AB), 16 HR, 39 SAT, .910 OPS, 57 BB, 115 K
The sixth pick in the 2021 draft now ranks first in his class, despite already having to contend with a torn labrum, a benign back growth and a broken scapula. His strikeout rate became uncomfortable as he moved up the ranks, but for a top-five talent who moved as fast as he did, that’s pardonable.
Scott’s influence on fantasy in 2023: late season

4. Marcelo Mayer, SS, Red Sox

Age (on opening day): 20
Where did you play in 2022: Low-A, High-A
Minor league stats: .280 BA (350 AB), 13 HR, 17 SAT, .887 OPS, 68 BB, 107 K
Considered by many to be the top talent in the 2021 draft, Mayer is clear and should have a relatively easy and direct path to the majors. Corey Seager remains the top contender and Meyer is expected to hit both average and power from the left side of the plate and may prove to be more of a base stealer than expected.
Scott’s influence on fantasy in 2023: do not count on it

5. Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles

Age (on opening day): 19
Where did you play in 2022: Rookie, Low-A
Minor league stats: .297 BA (64 AB), 1 PR, 4 RLS, .911 OPS, 25 BB, 12 K
Another son of multiple All-Star (Rockies and Cardinals great Matt Holliday), Holliday was the only player to be drafted ahead of Jones last year. yearlings. He behaves like his father did on offense, aiming for a light middle shot with an advanced approach and amazing barrel control, only on the left side and in a better position.
Scott’s influence on fantasy in 2023: do not count on it