2013 MLB Preview: Fantasy Baseball AL-Only Shortstop Rankings

Ryan LesterJun 8, 2018

Here’s the 2013 LestersLegends shortstop rankings for AL-only leagues.

1. Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays

Reyes turned in an impressive .287-86-11-57-40 line with the Miami Marlins. Once again, he finds himself entering the season with a new home. He should transition nicely to the American League and put up monster numbers in its potent offense.

2. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays

Zobrist has a lot of versatility with second base, shortstop and outfield eligibility. Over the past four seasons, he has averaged 88.8 runs, 19.3 HRs, 82.8 RBI and 18.5 stolen bases. You’ll have to live with his .260 lifetime batting average.

3. Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians

Cabrera regressed as expected, but his .270-70-16-68-9 line was more than adequate for a starting fantasy shortstop. He should deliver some solid pop for the position.

4. Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals

There are a number of ways to go at the middle of AL-only fantasy shortstop class. You can go with power with J.J. Hardy or all-around play like Derek Jeter or Alexei Ramirez. Escobar swiped 35 bases last year, and he gives you a solid jump in that category. He should also provide a solid amount of runs and decent average.

5. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Jeter turned back the clock with a .316-99-15-58-9 line. He’ll turn 39 in June, but it’s hard to write him off when he just keeps producing.

6. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers

Andrus saw his stolen base total drop from 37 to 21. He’s been caught stealing 37 times over the past three seasons. A lot of his value is based on his stolen base total, so there is a little concern. Andrus has improved his batting average from .266 in his first two years to .283 in the last two years. He has averaged 89.7 runs and has even averaged a respectable 61 RBI during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Andrus has 14 career home runs. Four out of five categories isn’t bad.

7. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox

Ramirez’s .265-59-9-73-20 line is below his norm. He is a solid contributor in all five 5×5 categories, though, and he should be better in 2013.

8. J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles

Hardy is known for two things. He has some solid pop for a shortstop (20-plus home runs in four of the past six year) and he gets dinged up. His batting average and lack of stolen bases hurts his value, but he is a decent option for runs and RBI.

9. Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels
Aybar is a solid contributor in the steals category and a decent contributor in the runs and batting average category. Aybar offers little in the home run or RBI category, but he’s a good value option.

10. Stephen Drew, Boston Red Sox

Drew is a solid risk option, particularly in AL-only leagues. His health is a constant concern, but if he can stay healthy, he should do well in Boston.

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