2015 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings
Here’s the first look at the 2015 Lester’s Legends shortstop rankings.
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
Troy Tulowitzki hit .340 in 2014 with 71 runs, 21 home runs, 52 RBI and a stolen base in just 91 games. Extrapolate that out to a 162-game season, and you’re looking at a .340-126-37-93-2 line. Staying healthy has been an issue, as Tulo has missed 281 games over the past five seasons. When he’s healthy, he’s a five-category stud.
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2. Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals
Ian Desmond hit .255 in 2014 with 73 runs, 24 home runs, 91 RBI and 24 stolen bases. Over the past three seasons, he’s averaged 74 runs, 23 home runs, 81.3 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Desmond is more of a sure thing than Tulo and could easily be considered the top shortstop option.
3. Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox
Hanley Ramirez hit .283 in 2014 with 64 runs, 13 home runs, 71 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 128 games. He returns to Boston, where he made his MLB debut. If he can stay healthy, he’s also a five-category stud.
4. Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays
Jose Reyes hit .287 with 94 runs, nine home runs, 51 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 2014. He’s a .291 lifetime hitter and has averaged 89.3 runs and 42.3 stolen bases over the past 10 seasons. Like three of the top four shortstop options, staying healthy is a key.
5. Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs
Starlin Castro hit .292 with 58 runs, 14 home runs, 65 RBI and four stolen bases in 2014. In five seasons, Castro has averaged 67.8 runs, 10.2 home runs, 58.8 RBI and 14 stolen bases while hitting .284.
6. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
Alexei Ramirez hit .273 in 2014 with 82 runs, 15 home runs, 74 RBI and 21 stolen bases. In seven seasons, Ramirez has averaged 72.7 runs, 14.1 home runs, 68.6 RBI and 16.9 stolen bases while hitting .277. He doesn’t excel in any category, but he’s a solid contributor across the board. Durability has also been a key for Ramirez.
7. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
Elvis Andrus hit .263 with 72 runs, two home runs, 41 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 2014. Andrus has averaged 84 runs and 32 stolen bases over the past six seasons.
8. Jimmy Rollins, Los Angeles Dodgers
Jimmy Rollins hit just .243 in 2014, but he finished with 78 runs, 17 home runs, 55 RBI and 28 stolen bases. He turned 36 in November, but he remains a solid home run and stolen-base contributor.
9. Ben Zobrist, Oakland A’s
Ben Zobrist is Mr. Utility. He is eligible at second base, shortstop and outfield. Zobrist hit .272 with 83 runs, 10 home runs, 52 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 2014. Over the past six years, he averaged 85.8 runs, 16.5 home runs, 75.7 RBI and 15.8 stolen bases.
10. Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels
Erick Aybar hit .278 last year with 77 runs, seven home runs, 68 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Over the past six years, he’s hit .280 while averaging 70.3 runs, 6.8 home runs, 52.2 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
This article first appeared on LestersLegends.com.
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