2011 Fantasy Baseball: Shortstop Ranks

As I look at the landscape, there are few positions that seem to have the volume of turnover that we see at Shortstop. While the names may largely remain the same, the productivity has changed to such a large degree that the rankings need to be adjusted. There is no doubt that a couple of these names are going to be at the top or near the top of draft boards. Others seem to get a big muddled as we go down the ranks.

With that said, here is how I look at the top-25 Shortstops. As in the past, the teams and positions are from ESPN.com:

Some thoughts:

• You will find more balance of production at this position. Six players with eligibility at shortstop stole more than 20 bases, six hit better than .300, four hit more than 20 home runs, and five scored more than 85 runs. Odd about it is that not one shortstop drove in more than 100 runs in 2010 with Troy Tulowitzki being the closest at 95.
• While many have Hanley Ramirez as the best option available at Shortstop, my board has Troy Tulowitzki in the top spot. Tulo missed time last season yet still managed to out-perform Ramirez in three of the five major categories while playing him even in runs. The difference is in steals. Both are elite. Both are first round picks. I give the tip ball to the guy in Colorado.
• People do not give enough love to Alexei Ramirez. Take a look at his numbers in the last three seasons. He has averaged 18 home runs and better than 70 RBI to go with a .283 average. Solid consistency and he will even reach double-digits in steals for owners. He ranks below Jose Reyes for me more because of the giant disparity in steals and runs that could develop. Easily can be flip flopped for many though.
• I like Elvis Andrus, but I have a problem with one-tool players. He has little to no pop, but he will score some runs in that offense and can steal bases. To me, he needs to be able to hit closer to .280 to have real value. Right now, it just does not seem to be in the cards. Andrus is closer to a fringe starter than the sixth shortstop overall where he is going.
• One of the biggest question marks is Jimmy Rollins. Which one will you get if you draft him? Sure, he will still steal bases without a doubt, but his average continues to dip and he has been on the disabled list three times in the last three years, losing over 100 days of the regular season to injury. His average has dropped every year since 2007 when he hit .296 and his career 162 game average is only 17 home runs, not the 20+ many might expect.
• Best Value - Without a doubt it is Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez is going at pick 93 on average early on here and is going to generate value better than what you will get 40 picks earlier by grabbing Derek Jeter. Stephen Drew at pick 124 is no slouch either.
• Sleeper Selection - Two names here, one for really deep leagues and one for less so. If you are really looking deep and late, Jhonny Peralta can provide better than 15 home runs and 75 RBI if you are willing to sacrifice some average. With an ADP of 390, he's not going to cost you much if anything since most drafts do not quite go that long. Ian Desmond shows good value in more shallow leagues with a selection closer to 217. I like little stats. Like the fact Desmond hit 30 points better after the All-Star break than before. And then there is that he his .326 in 184 at-bats once moved to the two-hole, a place where he likely spends a lot of time in 2011.
• Situation to Avoid - Nothing major from a position battle standpoint, but I would not want to get stuck owning any of the Astros as my primary means of generating offense.
• Situation to Watch - Boston. While Marco Scutaro is listed as the incumbent and starter, many in Boston loved what they saw out of Jed Lowrie over the latter portion of the season. Lowrie, though, cannot seem to keep himself healthy and is not even considered the long term answer at shortstop with Jose Iglesias waiting in the wings. Boston may look to see what they have here with Lowrie, but it is more likely he plays a super-sub role and spells at each position once a week. Probably gets enough at-bats to be impactful in AL-only leagues, but Scutaro is the one to own early.
• Biggest Risk - Alex Gonzalez. It seems at this point that many are seeing through the type of season he had last year, but others still think he possesses greater value than he likely will provide. Gonzalez is the 10th shortstop being taken right now. Gonzalez has only hit more than 20 home runs one other time before 2010 and that was in 2004. He can give you 15 home runs, but expect him to hit .240 to .250 in the process.