Much like third base, shortstop is dominated by all-stars at the top, with four players in the top twelve, which is more than any other infield position. In a snake draft, whether or not you grab one of the top four really just depends on where you end up drafting as they’ll likely all be gone before you get a second pick, but the following two tiers (one of which is a tier of one) give you one more chance at potentially elite production.
Following the top three tiers, we see a modest drop-off for tier four and five, followed by some more severe drop-offs when we get to tiers five and six, so like with third base, I highly recommend grabbing at least one of the top nine options at shortstop to ensure you can keep pace with your competition in shallower leagues.
Those in deeper leagues will find more utility for the players who fall in the fifth and sixth tiers as several can provide volume and/or contributions of enough value in a specific category (mostly ratios and speed) to make them worth your while.
Tier 1
1. Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, KCR) — Witt followed up his top-10 finish in 2023 with a top-three finish in 2024 in his age-24 season, improving his walk rate while maintaining plus contact ability and increasing his power (especially with respect to turning singles extra-base hits, going from 69 XBH in 2023 to 88 in 2024).
So where does Witt go from here? I think the plate discipline and ratios are very repeatable, including the gains to walk rate, and he does major damage to all pitch types so the batted ball quality will likely remain superb. Sure, the BABIP spiked to .354 after consecutive seasons of .295, though that can be explained by him adding two ticks to his average exit velocity and nearly three percent to his barrel and hard-hit rates. Also, it’s important to remember that even without all those gains he was a top-seven hitter in 2023.
It’s insanely difficult to be a top-five hitter in back-to-back seasons, but Bobby Witt Jr. has all the tools to make it happen.
2. Elly De La Cruz (SS, CIN) — 2024 was nothing short of a massive success for Elly De La Cruz. Sure, he struck out over 30% of the time again, but the improvement to his walk and ground-ball rates made that 31.3% strikeout rate a lot easier to swallow. As long as ELDC is not the worst decision-maker in the league, he has a chance to be an elite fantasy producer due to his power and speed.
Points leaguers likely need to move De La Cruz down a tier as most of those leagues don’t value steals at nearly the level category leagues do, but everyone else should be very excited about what another offseason to learn and mature can do for this dynamic athlete. As the ranking suggests, I expect a step forward to be more likely than a step backward.
3. Gunnar Henderson (SS, BAL) — Gunnar’s legendary first half was followed by a second half that was merely good, mostly from bouts of inconsistency down the stretch evidenced by very up-and-down performances, particularly in the power department. There was nothing fraudulent about Gunnar’s first three months where he hit 26 total home runs that I can see, and while I don’t expect 26 home runs over a three-month period, I think a more balanced performance is more than reasonable to expect.
I think 30-35 home runs with another strong season of counting stats and ratios is very much on the table. The stolen bases were erratic over the year, but 15-18 seems about right for someone with his athleticism being locked in at the top of a young roster with upside.
4. Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF, LAD) — Mookie missed most of the summer after being hit on the hand with a 98-mph fastball, but when healthy, he posted a 141 wRC+. The power we saw in 2022 and 2023 never quite kicked in, though he was still on roughly a 25-home run pace. It’s worth noting that Mookie’s power often comes in extreme spikes followed by extended periods of being above-average (see below). With time and health, I think at least one or two of those extreme spikes would materialize and get him to 30+ home runs with those huge counting stat totals and fantastic ratios. Regardless, he is the top dog at second base by a country mile.
Tier 2
5. Francisco Lindor (SS, NYM) — Yet another fantastic season for Lindor. He kept the gains in fly ball rate from 2023 while cutting down on the pop-ups and posting a career-high barrel rate and hard-hit rate. He hit home runs and stole bases consistently all season long, and from June through the end of the season he never posted a negative weekly fantasy value (per FanGraphs Player Rater). The addition of Soto will certainly help his runs scored totals, though it may marginally reduce his stolen bases. Regardless, this is an extremely high-floor player who is a pretty good bet to get another season of 60 combined home runs and stolen bases (or at least close to it).
Tier 3
6. Corey Seager (SS, TEX) — When healthy, Corey Seager is capable of being one of baseball’s best hitters. He has at least 30 home runs in each of the last three seasons, and that’s despite missing around 40 games in both 2023 and 2024. I’m a huge fan of scooping him up in leagues where you already have a shortstop-eligible player from the first two rounds, as it allows you to take a chance on Seager’s top-20 hitter upside without worrying too much about how you’re going to replace him.
Notably, Seager is the last shortstop on this list with a realistic shot at 30 or more home runs, and very few middle infielders after the top 60 are even likely to get much more than 20. The injury risk is as real as it gets, but it’s worth the risk for this type of talent.
7. Trea Turner (SS, PHI) — Turner’s 2024 was much more even than his 2023, which makes it much easier to determine a draft day value for him. The only real question I have about Turner is about stolen bases. Turner swiped just 19 bases in 2024, with nine coming in April. We do know why this happened, as he is on the record about it being a conscious decision to protect his legs after missing most of May and June with a hamstring injury.
Assuming Turner’s legs are good to go, he should go back to stealing 30 bases or so with 25 home runs and a batting average approaching .300. Health has been a concern throughout his career, and he’s not getting younger, but Turner is still a fairly safe fantasy pick heading into his third season in Philly.
8. Oneil Cruz (SS/OF, PIT) — We finally got a full season from the 6’7″ shortstop, and to be honest, I am stunned by how consistent it was. Cruz made strides in both taking more walks and cutting down strikeouts as the season progressed and was rewarded in the second half with a .277/.357/.464 line. Cruz’s growth, oddly enough, doesn’t come from an improvement in his swing decisions but instead in his contact ability.
Cruz swings the bat extremely hard, with only Giancarlo Stanton posting a higher average bat speed in 2024. That, combined with an improved contact ability, makes Cruz an incredibly dangerous hitter. In his second full season, we could very well see Cruz take another step forward and approach 30 home runs with roughly 20 steals and a .270 batting average. That’s definitely on the high end of his projections, but if you’re going to shoot for the moon, it’s not a bad idea to do it with the 26-year-old physical phenom who has 100th percentile bat speed, a 97th percentile barrel rate, and 88th percentile sprint speed.
That said, if there’s a lot of risk in this profile, as Patrick Fitzgerald points out when discussing possible busts at shortstop. Cruz is one of the more hotly debated players early in the draft, so you’d be wise to figure out which side of the argument you land on prior to draft day.
9. Willy Adames (SS, SFG) — Adames put together a career year after what can only be called a significantly disappointing season in 2023. He set new personal highs in walks, hits, home runs, doubles, runs scored, RBI, and stolen bases while also putting up his best full-season strikeout rate in the final year of his contract with Milwaukee.
Adames may struggle to clear 30 home runs for his new team as he goes from one of the friendliest parks for right-handed power in Milwaukee to one of the toughest parks for right-handed power in San Francisco (for what it’s worth, he would have hit over 30 home runs in Oracle Park had he played all of his games there, so this may be a moot point). He also might have a rough time getting to 20 stolen bases again as he goes from one of the most aggressive base-stealing teams to one of the most conservative.
Adames has an uphill battle to finish inside the top 20 hitters like he did in 2024. Still, even with these hurdles to jump, Adames should be able to hit at least 25 home runs and steal double-digit bases with acceptable ratios and plenty of counting stats, hitting second for the Giants.
Tier 4
10. CJ Abrams (SS, WSN) — There aren’t many players who hit 20 home runs, steal 31 bases, and post a 107 wRC+ who get optioned to the minors on one of baseball’s worst teams, but that’s the story of Abrams in 2024.
The former first-round pick is all but certain to start the year as the leadoff man for the Nats, and something like 15 home runs with 30-40 steals is quite likely (the high steals variance stems from his swing-happy approach and erratic OBP). He’s also been surprisingly steady with his batting average, which has been either .245 or .246 in his three seasons thus far. There’s an upside for more here from Abrams, especially in the batting average department, considering his elite speed and contact ability. Still, his approach (both in the batter’s box and on the basepaths) holds him back. He’s only 24 years old, so the maturity could come at any time, but if it doesn’t you’ll be struck with what is a productive yet infuriating contributor.
11. Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) — Tovar is one of the most aggressive hitters in baseball, which, when you play for Colorado, you might as well be. That always-swinging approach will lead to some ugly lows and dizzying highs, but when all is said and done, it will likely look something like what he did in 2025, assuming he continues to find ways to adjust out of those funks.
He’s tougher to keep on your roster than his stat line suggests, particularly in weekly leagues, due to his tendency to spend two or three weeks stinking up the joint, but those who can weather the storm have a shot at a top-50 hitter without paying a top-50 price. That said, his poor supporting cast, the difficulties of traveling to and from Coors, and the possibility of an extended slump loom large.
12. Matt McLain (2B/SS, CIN) — McLain missed all of 2024 but appears to be fully healthy coming into 2025. Like Westburg, McLain had a big power breakout in his most recent action, though I found McLain’s to be a bit more dubious than Westburg’s.
I don’t doubt McLain’s ability to hit 20-23 home runs or steal 15-ish bases. His batting average, though, was driven by a line drive rate that was considerably higher than what we saw in the high minors, and that 28.5% strikeout rate is unlikely to support anything close to a .290 batting average.
Due to the combination of power and speed, McLain has more overall upside than Westburg; however, the risk that comes with a player with a very short and surprising MLB track record is not something to take lightly.
For a bit more on both McLain and Westburg, check out the second base sleeper article from Scott McDermott.
13. Jeremy Peña (SS, HOU) — Apart from the fact that Peña seems to go through a horrendous slump every year (in 2024, it was a 42-game stretch from May 27 to the All-Star Break that saw Peña put up a pitiful 62 wRC+ with just two home runs and 34 combined runs and RBI), Peña puts up fairly steady numbers.
The 2024 version of Peña was arguably the best yet as he hit 15 home runs, swiped 20 bags, and had solid contributions in both runs and RBI along with a .266 batting average. None of his numbers blow you away, but the overall contributions across all five categories give Peña a decent shot at another top-70 finish among fantasy hitters. If he somehow finds a way to avoid that prolonged summer slump, there’s even a chance he can squeak into the top 50.
Tier 5
14. Anthony Volpe (SS, NYY) — Speaking of summer slumps, Volpe’s finish inside the top-100 hitters seems impossible based on the rhetoric we heard from Yankee fans. Volpe struggled with grounders too often in 2024, and while Volpe is awfully fast, it’s tough to get to first base, much less second or third, when half of your batted balls hit the ground in the infield.
We did see improvements from Volpe in the second half, both in getting the ball in the air and in getting the ball to the pull field. If that growth can continue, Volpe’s talent could break through and show us the 20-homer, 30-stolen-base monster who leads off for a great offense that we’ve wanted to see since he was called up in 2023.
His aggressive nature makes it a bit longer of a bet than many want for their shortstop, but if you missed out on the top tiers of talent and want to take a flyer on a high-risk, high-reward option, this is the guy you’re looking for.
15. Xavier Edwards (SS, MIA) — In 30 games between July 11 and August 16, Edwards swiped a stunning 20 bags while hitting .375 with a .459 OBP. An injury about a week later derailed the Edwards train for a bit, but we did see Edwards come back and steal nine more bases in his last 23 games.
The Marlins offense does not have much going for it these days, and if they want to win any games, it will likely come from giving Edwards a ton of green lights. He could steal 50-60 bases given a full, healthy season with a batting average north of .290 and an OBP better than .350, but given the small sample of Edwards we’ve seen, it’s quite a bit more risk than, say, the previously mentioned Hoerner. Edwards is also unlikely to make the same impact in the runs scored column (it’s tough to see a path to even 80 runs), so you can only count on speed and ratios here.
16. Dansby Swanson (SS, CHC) — Swanson had a pretty miserable first half. In his first 100 games (which takes us through August 1), Swanson had a .647 OPS and just 74 combined runs and RBI. He did manage to hit nine home runs and steal seven bases in that span, though that only comes out to about 15 home runs and 11 steals over an entire season, which is not going to pay any fantasy bills with those pitiful ratios and counting stats Swanson had by this point.
Swanson did manage to turn it all around over his final 49 games, though, hitting .277/.343/.462 with seven home runs, 12 stolen bases, and 74 combined runs and RBI (the same amount he had in those first 100 games… but in half the games played).
The “true” Swanson shouldn’t be either of those extremes, assuming his core surgery doesn’t slow him down over the offseason. Still, for Swanson to get into the top-100 hitters in 2025, he either will need to hit over 20 home runs or approach the 19 stolen bases from last season (which was a career-high) as it’s safe to assume that he’s going to hit under .250 and could fall short of 80 runs and 80 RBI if the young guys like Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong don’t pan out as Swanson will be hitting closer to the bottom of the lineup than the top.
17. Zach Neto (SS, LAA) — Word is that Neto’s offseason shoulder surgery could cause him to miss the start of the season, but this ranking already takes that into account as Neto is coming off a 23 home run, 30 stolen base season and could absolutely clear 20 home runs and 20 steals even if he misses 20-30 games.
Neto’s value really took off once the Angels wised up and moved him out of the bottom of the order. Neto was moved to the second spot in the lineup in early August, and in those 48 games, he hit 10 home runs and stole 11 bases. Neto actually finished as a top-50 hitter in standard leagues despite spending so much time hitting in the bottom-third of the Angels’ mostly-punchless lineup, so even if he misses a month, he could recreate his 2024 results and then some just with a secure spot closer to the top.
18. Xander Bogaerts (2B/SS, SDP) — Bogaerts missed nearly two months due to a shoulder fracture, but on his return, he showed improved contact ability similar to what we saw in his prime. It’s unlikely that we’ll see Bogaerts clear 20 home runs again, as he’s fallen short in each of the last three seasons, but a return to a .290 or better batting average could very well be in the cards to go with 16-18 home runs and 15-17 stolen bases. It’s not an exciting profile, but it’s a very useful one, especially considering he’s eligible both in the middle and corner infield spots.
Tier 6
19. Bo Bichette (SS, TOR) — As you can see from the ranking, I am not anticipating a rebound from Bo Bichette, and even if you are (which is reasonable), I’m not sure he ever makes a run at being a top-50 player. Is it impossible that he returns to being a 20-home run hitter with a .290 batting average? Sure! The trends from 2023-2024 do not inspire confidence, though.
That said, Bichette is just 27 years old and is projected to bat fourth for what should be a reasonably productive offense, so it’s hard to drop him much lower than this.
20. Masyn Winn (SS, STL) — Winn should start the season as the everyday leadoff man in St. Louis, and his skill set makes him a good fit for the role. Winn was a highly regarded prospect in many circles, though that was mostly driven by his glove and contact ability, not his power. Winn finished inside the top-100 last season, and in deeper formats where volume is at a premium, I’d likely rank him a tier higher; however, I don’t see a path to hitting 20 home runs with any kind of reliability, and while he has suggested he’d like to run more in 2025, Winn only converted 68.75% of his stolen base attempts despite his 87th percentile speed. Winn can likely repeat his results from 2024, but in a shallow format, I’m more likely to chase higher upside at this stage of the draft (such as Anthony Volpe or Xavier Edwards). That said, if you’re looking for safety, Winn is a fine play.
For a rosier outlook on Winn, check out Jeremy Heist’s shortstop sleeper article.
21. Carlos Correa (SS, MIN) — Correa slashed .310/.388/.517 in 2024 and was on a pace to set a career-high in home runs had he appeared in 150 games. Unfortunately, he fell 64 games short of that mark thanks to an injury stint in April followed by a two-month absence that went through July and August. Correa has chronic foot issues he manages every season, and missing large chunks of time is far from unexpected, but in leagues where you have plenty of IL spots, it’s not a bad idea to take a flyer on Correa and his top-80 upside, which he can accomplish even if he misses 20-30 games.
Tier 7
22. Nico Hoerner (2B/SS, CHC) — It was a horrendous start for Hoerner, who spent the first few weeks of the season batting seventh and ended April with just a single stolen base on three attempts and (less surprisingly) zero home runs. The stolen bases started coming in May, but the batting average didn’t really kick in until July when he initiated a 12-game hitting streak, and from the start of that streak to the end of the season, Hoerner hit a cool .306.
Hoerner is more valuable in points leagues due to his ability to put the ball in play and because those leagues don’t really care if you’re a sandbag in certain categories. Hoerner is perfect in category leagues if you’ve scooped up plenty of power and RBI but are lacking in batting average or steals, though if you’re already sitting pretty in those categories, Hoerner is best crossed off your list entirely.
23. Tommy Edman (2B/SS/OF, LAD) — Edman missed most of 2024 due to injury, but is lined up to be the starting centerfielder for the Dodgers in 2025. He’s likely to bat near the bottom of the order, but that’s not so bad when you’re a Dodger. Edman flashed pop and speed in his 37 games last season and should return to something like the guy we saw in St. Louis who can swipe 25-30 bases, though any dip in speed will be a huge hit to his value as the bat doesn’t bring much to the table on its own.
24. Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) — Castro brings expansive eligibility and a leadoff role to your roster, and that alone is worth a spot in your queue late if you have limited room on your bench for hitters. Castro finished just inside the top-100 hitters last season in large part due to his 89 runs scored, though he’s also shown he can steal a few bases as well and is a threat to steal 20 or more bases if he gets the green light again. Even if he doesn’t, Castro’s double-digit home runs and steals, along with the leadoff job, should be enough to bring runs scored and a stable floor across multiple positions if you took one or two extra risks earlier on.
25. Tyler Fitzgerald (SS/OF, SFG) — Fitzgerald came out of nowhere last summer and hit 14 home runs, stole 10 bags, and put together 69 combined runs and RBI in 62 games from July 9 to the end of the season. On the one hand, the hot streak made Fitzgerald a top-30 hitter per the FanGraphs Player Rater in the second half of last season, but on the other, there are some significant holes in Fitzgerald’s profile that concern me.
The obvious one is strikeouts. Fitzgerald’s 31.7% strikeout rate is especially ugly when paired with a 6.5% walk rate, and Fitzgerald’s September strikeout rate was a whopping 37.2%. He also struggled with contact in the zone, connecting on just 78.9% of pitches he swung at that were over the plate.
Fitzgerald looks like the favorite to be the everyday second baseman by the Bay, and that role plus his defensive versatility should help him get the volume necessary to smack 20 home runs and steal close to 20 bases; however, I fear the counting stats and ratios that come with those homers and steals will hurt more than they help, making Fitzgerald only valuable for a small array of roster constructions.
26. Ceddanne Rafaela (2B/SS/OF, BOS) — Ceddanne Rafaela finished inside the top-100 hitters last season, but that was mostly from his first half. Rafaela finished with an absolute whimper, hitting .190/.197/.310 over his final 35 games with zero walks (he did get hit by a pitch, though) and just two home runs and two steals. The Red Sox started benching him by the end of the season, and while there’s upside for 20 home runs and 20 steals, it comes at a significant cost to ratios and with a lot of performance risk.
Tier 8
27. Jacob Wilson (SS, ATH) — Wilson is a slap-hitter who won’t bring power or speed to the table, but he’ll rarely strike out and has a starting job for the A’s. If Wilson somehow finds a way to the top of the order, he could be a poor man’s Brendan Donovan or Luis Arraez, but if he’s stuck at the bottom of the A’s lineup, he’ll be just a points league fill-in or an empty ratios and volume contributor.
28. Brooks Lee (2B/3B/SS, MIN) — Lee is a jack-of-all-tools prospect and a master of none. That’s not exactly a recipe for fantasy relevance. Still, Lee enters the 2025 season as the starting second baseman for the Twins, and in 2024, he showed that he can get his bat on anything major league pitchers can throw at him. Lee hasn’t shown that he can do much more than make contact, though, and until he does, he probably should be left to AL-only or deep points league formats.
29. Luisangel Acuña (SS, NYM) — The glimpse of Acuña we saw in 2024 was a bit misleading, as I don’t think he can hit more than 10-12 home runs given a starting role, though he could steal 30 bases. Acuña hit a ton of grounders in the minors, which makes me a bit worried about what kind of long-term quality of contact he can bring to the majors. Further, he needs several things to happen to get regular playing time,. That said, if you want to dream on the speed and the small 2024 sample, you won’t get much resistance from me.
30. Colson Montgomery (SS, CHW) — Montgomery wasn’t nearly as exciting in Triple-A last season as he was in the lower minors the year before. Still, he will be handed a starting job for the White Sox. Given the strikeout and quality of contact woes he suffered in Triple-A, I expect a rough rookie season ahead for Montgomery, though prior to his clunker in 2024 he was considered a top-20 prospect by some.
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Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)