Continuing on with the series of the week, we shift our focus over to shortstop. The past two days have looked at what takeaways fantasy baseball managers should be taking from the 2025 season. Shortstop is likely the most notable position in all of baseball with names like Francisco Lindor, Bobby Witt Jr, and Gunnar Henderson. However, 2025 was not good for everybody. Keep reading to learn what 10 takeaways you should be taking from the 2025 MLB season.
10 Shortstop Takeaways from 2025
1) Elly De La Cruz was good, but is he really elite?
In terms of fantasy value, Elly De La Cruz still went 20/30 in 2025, but it is hard not to come away feeling disappointed after he stole 67 bases with 25 homers in 2024. On the season, Elly posted a 108 wRC+ while batting .264. He was good.
FanGraphs Auction Calculator shows that he was the fourth most valuable shortstop in fantasy. His $30 valuation ranked him as the 15th-best batter overall. Not bad, but also not great considering he was drafted fourth overall. At just 23 years old, De La Cruz is a very good player with room to grow. However, the lack of improvement to his hit tool suggests he may not be worth a first-round pick in 2026.
2) The Geraldo Perdomo breakout is hard not to sell-high on
Credit to those who did not take the advice of many “experts” to sell high on Geraldo Perdomo. Every time it looked like he might slow down, Perdomo picked things right back up. On the season, Perdomo finished with 20 homers, 27 steals, and a .290 batting average.
He ranked as the third-best shortstop in fantasy and cemented himself at the top of Arizona’s lineup. Perdomo is a testament to the fact that selling high is not always a good idea.
Looking ahead to 2026, it is difficult to project this success continuing. Perdomo’s hit tool is really good. His batting average is definitely the most sustainable piece of his profile. However, his speed is below average, and his hard hit rate ranks in the 11th percentile. Perdomo will regress in 2026, but that does not mean he will not still prove useful.
3) So long as the A’s are in Sacramento, Jacob Wilson is going to be elite for fantasy baseball managers
When Jacob Wilson came up from Triple-A, everybody knew that his hit tool was incredible. We were looking at a right-handed Luis Arraez with better fielding. What nobody saw coming was Wilson cracking 13 home runs in his rookie season.
Even now, looking at his profile, there is nothing to suggest his power outburst is legit. The only difference maker is Wilson playing his home games in Sacramento. The A’s home for a few seasons, Sacramento has proven to be an extreme hitter’s ballpark.
Sutter Health Park ranked as the second most favorable hitting condition for right-handed batters in all of baseball. With the A’s continuing to play their home games there in 2026, banking on Wilson for 10-15 home runs again next season is realistic, even if the batted ball data suggests it is not.
4) Bobby Witt Jr. distanced himself from other top shortstops
Amongst the group of young and exciting shortstops taking the game by storm, Witt has proven to be the most reliable for fantasy baseball managers. Elly De La Cruz’s inconsistencies have already been discussed. Gunnar Henderson played well but experienced a major regression in his home run totals.
Meanwhile, Witt was as dominant as ever, finishing as the top shortstop in fantasy. He hit .295 with 23 homers and 38 stolen bases. The home run regression Witt experienced has as much to do with poor luck as it does with anything. Witt is the best shortstop in fantasy and should be the top one taken in 2026 drafts. He is also still only 25 years old.
5) Ho-Hum, another top-five performance from Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor does not get the same kind of attention that Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, or Bobby Witt Jr. get. Maybe it is because he is a bit older, or maybe just because the shine has worn off.
Either way, Lindor just keeps on producing. In 2025, Lindor flirted (and this year achieved) with a 30/30 year for the third straight year. He finished with 31 homers, 31 stolen bases, and a .267 batting average. He once again contributed to all five categories.
He finished the season as the second-best shortstop in fantasy and the 10th-best hitter overall. Lindor is an elite asset who deserves to be considered in the first round of drafts in 2026.
6) Shortstop is really deep for fantasy baseball
There were five different shortstops that finished as $30 players according to FGAC. That means seven of the top 17 hitters in fantasy baseball were shortstops. 26 different players finished as positive-value players. This was the most for any infield position.
So, what does this mean for fantasy baseball managers? If you are playing in a league with a MI slot, make sure to fill it with a shortstop. Grab one early, and then grab another for your MI slot.
If you are in a shallow league or a league without a MI slot, you can afford to wait on shortstops early in drafts. While other positions thin out and lose top-end value, shortstop has plenty of options that will be available later on. Here are some examples of value found later at the position in 2025:
- Trevor Story: SS28 ADP, SS6 finish
- Maikel Garcia: SS24 ADP, SS8 finish
- Zach Neto: SS23 ADP, SS11 finish
7) If you draft Corey Seager, you cannot project more than 110 games played
The injury-prone label has been tied to Corey Seager’s name for years. Things did not change in 2025. Seager once again battled injuries throughout the season. These injuries limited Seager to just 102 games played, his fewest since 2022.
When healthy, Seager continued producing with a 137 wRC+, but he is too unreliable for fantasy managers to invest a high-round pick on him. Seager was the eighth shortstop off the board in 2025 drafts. There is no reason to draft him inside the top 10 at the position in 2026. Seager turns 32 next April and is likely to battle injuries once again. He finished as the SS26 in 2025.
8) Zach Neto is what people want Anthony Volpe to be
The expectations for Anthony Volpe have always been astronomical. In both real life and fantasy, Volpe has failed to live up to the hype. Through three seasons, he owns an 85 wRC+. The home run and stolen base totals have kept his fantasy value afloat, but very few people are actually excited to roster him in fantasy baseball leagues.
He finished 2025 as the SS27 on the season. Team expectations and pedigree play a significant role in prospect expectations. In Volpe’s case, the Yankees’ pedigree raised expectations, while in Zach Neto’s case, they were lowered.
2025 was also Neto’s third season in the Major Leagues. The results, though, were much different. After a delayed start to the year, Neto appeared in 128 games for the Angels. He finished with 26 homers, 26 steals, and a .257 batting average.
Despite the delayed start, Neto finished as the SS11. Neto is not a perfect player. He has some hit tool risk, but if you are looking for a shortstop to provide consistent home run and stolen base totals, look at Neto instead of Volpe.
9) Too big a deal was made about Willy Adames switching ballparks
This off-season, Willy Adames landed on the bust list for shortstops. One of the driving forces behind Adames’ landing on that list was his move from a favorable park in Milwaukee to an unfavorable one in San Francisco.
At the end of the day, the new ballpark did not have much of an impact on his home run output. Adames still managed to hit 30 home runs with his new club. He was especially strong once he settled in. After posting a 92 wRC+ in the first half, Adames posted a 130 wRC+ with 18 homers in the second half. Park factors are important, but they often do not have as much of an impact as fantasy baseball players like to believe. Keep that in mind when evaluating free agent signings during the off-season this year.
10) Fantasy baseball players need to be very careful with Colson Montgomery
The evaluation of Colson Montgomery is going to be fascinating to watch unfold this offseason. Montgomery’s value as a prospect was a bit of a roller coaster ride, and his Major League debut was not any different.
Starting with the good, Montgomery hit 21 home runs in just 71 games this season. His 600 PA pace was 44 home runs. The bad was that Montgomery hit just .239 with a strikeout rate of nearly 30%. Montgomery’s hit tool is well below average, but his power also represents significant fantasy upside.
Taking a shot on Montgomery in 2026 will ultimately depend on his draft price. Fantasy managers should be very cautious when spending a high-round pick on a player whose profile is as risky as Montgomery’s.
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