2009 Shortstop Rankings

Here we go with some more rankings. Shortstop is usually a trouble spot if you don't address the position early. It seems as if the position gets thinner and thinner every year. See which former start continues to slide downward as the years go by.


1. Hanley Ramirez- The man is the first overall pick more than 50% of the time. If he's your shortstop then you have nothing to worry about. Steals were down in '08 but power was up. Prediction: .306 BA 125 R 35 HR 80 RBI 37 SB

2. Jose Reyes- Like Ramirez you can't go wrong here. Some would argue for Reyes as the top pick. Also like Ramirez, his steals were down a little but he'll still get more than anyone else. Prediction: .293 BA 121 R 18 HR 76 RBI 61 SB

3. Jimmy Rollins- After two monster seasons Rollins regressed closer to his norm. A re-dedicated Rollins should see a bump in his stats. Needs to make more consistent contact. Falls out of the first round in '09. Prediction: .285 BA 105 R 16 HR 78 RBI 42 SB

4. J.J. Hardy- He's beginning to come into his own and has shown more consistency. I believe that he still has not reached his power potential. He's very good value for his ADP. Prediction: .284 BA 85 R 27 HR 87 RBI 4 SB

5. Stephen Drew- Finally has added power to his game but has yet to add speed. Not enough of either to surpass Hardy. He should continue to show improvement in both categories. Prediction: .293 BA 94 R 23 HR 74 RBI 5 SB

6. Troy Tulowitzki- He started to show the kind of player he is late in the season. He needs to learn to not put so much pressure on himself. Huge power potential. Prediction: .286 BA 83 R 23 HR 81 RBI 6 SB

7. Michael Young- Saw a bit of a down season from Young but still a solid player. Still involved in trade rumors. There are few places other than Texas will he will be able to match past numbers. Prediction: .291 BA 98 R 14 HR 80 RBI 9 SB

8. Jhonny Peralta- Probably out-did himself in '08. We should see some regression this year but still a solid hitter. Starting to become a very dependable player at a thin position. Prediction: .272 BA 89 R 22 HR 79 RBI 4 SB

9. Derek Jeter- His skills are starting to deteriorate some but he still has a few more good years left. Nothing fancy anymore but decent numbers across the board. Prediction: .308 BA 99 R 12 HR 73 RBI 14 SB

10. Rafael Furcal- It's hard to know what to expect from him in '09. Injuries are catching up to him and keeping him out for longer periods of time. Played great when he was healthy but injuries are still an issue. If he can produce a healthy '09 these numbers will go up. Prediction: .287 BA 78 R 9 HR 59 RBI 25 SB

11. Mike Aviles- He burst on the AL scene last year and turn many people into believers, including myself. He won't hit .325 again but will be a solid hitter with room to grow in the power dept. Prediction: .295 BA 79 R 16 HR 70 RBI 12 SB

12. Miguel Tejada- Talk about deteriorating skills, Tejada is a shell of his former self. It doesn't look like the power numbers are going to go anywhere but down at this point. Prediction: .286 BA 87 R 12 HR 69 RBI 6 SB

13. Orlando Cabrera- He's starting to get up there in age and the numbers are coming down some. He can still be a solid option at SS but is more of a MI type now. We'll still get a good BA and nice SB numbers. Prediction: .286 BA 91 R 8 HR 53 RBI 21 SB

14. Khalil Greene- A change of scenery will be good for Greene. He was absolutely abismal in '08 but he can't go anywhere but up this year. Prediction: .255 BA 72 R 20 HR 74 RBI 7 SB

15. Ryan Theriot- He's a Juan Pierre-type but with less steals. He's still a good MI option will help with your BA as well. Prediction: .298 BA 83 R 2 HR 42 RBI 23 SB

16. Jason Bartlett- Same as Theriot will a little more upside. Won't score as many runs as Theriot though. Prediction: .289 BA 65 R 3 HR 39 RBI 26 SB

17. Christian Guzman- Has finally solidified himself as a consistent hitter. Great BA with a little bit of everything else. I can see another very good year for him in '09. Prediction: .310 BA 80 R 8 HR 62 RBI 9 SB

18. Yunel Escobar- He is what he is and it's not that much. Just doesn't steal which kills his value. Prediction: .290 BA 75 R 11 HR 63 RBI 2 SB

19. Emmanuel Burriss- He could be the man at SS for the Giants. Has great speed but is still unproven. Keep an eye on the situation in Spring Training. Prediction: .288 BA 71 R 5 HR 41 RBI 26 SB

20. Edgar Renteria- We're starting to get into fantasy irrelevance now. The once great star is now banished to the hitting black hole of San Fran. Prediction: .281 BA 66 R 9 HR 61 RBI 5 SB

21. Jed Lowrie- Not a lot of power or speed but drives in runs and should see an increase in BA in '09. Has the potential to move farther up this list. Prediction: .276 BA 78 R 6 HR 70 RBI 5 SB

22. Brendan Harris- He's a better hitter than .265 but playing time is a question mark. Solid injury fill-n. Prediction: .281 61 R 11 HR 62 RBI 2 SB

23. Yuniesky Betancourt- Has upside but is looking more and more like it won't be reached. His current upside is that he plays everyday. Prediction: .283 67 R 9 HR 60 RBI 6 SB

24. Marco Scutaro- Solid all-around player with multiple position eligibility. Can get hot for extended periods. Prediction: .272 BA 78 R 8 HR 59 RBI 9 SB

25. Jack Wilson- Should be healthy for '09 and plays everyday. Decent option if you're in a bind. Prediction: .282 BA 71 R 9 HR 55 RBI 4 SB