In this series, I am going through each position to identify potential value based on Average Draft Position (ADP). The best time to find these ADP values is early in the draft season when there are still a lot of unknowns. This includes players returning from injury, prospects on the verge of a breakout, positional battles within a team, or a player looking for a bounce-back season. This week we turn our attention to potential shortstop ADP values.
When looking at your team’s construction as you prepare for your drafts, we generally don’t find value in the early rounds. We expect the players we draft high to return their value and when they are combined with multiple players who end up outperforming their draft position, it becomes a winning formula for a successful fantasy team.
The shortstop position is very strong in 2025. Looking at the top of the draft board it is the only position other than outfield that has multiple players ranked Top 10 in current ADP. Taking it further, there are five shortstops ranking inside the Top 16. In comparison, there is only one first baseman, one third baseman, and three pitchers. I definitely recommend getting one of the superstars early but if you somehow make it by the first two to three rounds without a shortstop, here are a few options that could exceed their current ADP value.Â
2025 Shortstop ADP Values
Corey Seager – Texas Rangers
A perennial Top 5 pick at the position, Seager has now fallen into the value range in most drafts. One reason could be the falloff in runs (68) and RBI (74) last season but that doesn’t concern me a whole lot considering the Rangers as a whole struggled offensively in 2024. Despite that falloff in those two categories, Seager has continued to show a ton of power with 30 or home runs in three straight seasons. He also comes with an elite hit profile ranking in the 90th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, Exit Velo, Barrel rate, and hard contact rate.
With the combination of a strong Rangers lineup due for an offensive bounce-back and Seager with an elite hitting profile, I see him getting back to Top 5 shortstop status for fantasy baseball managers.
Willy Adames – Milwaukee Brewers
Getting 30 homer upside from the shortstop position is rare these days and Adames joins Seager as only two of five to do it in 2024. The power shift for Adames came with the move from Tampa to Milwaukee back in 2021 and he has now put up 24 or more long balls in four straight seasons. He not only set a career-high in home runs(32) last season but also set career highs in runs(93), RBI(112), and even stolen bases(21).
The main reason his ADP has fallen over the last couple of months is due to moving to a much less hitter-friendly park in San Francisco as he signed a huge 182 million dollar deal with the Giants in December. With his well-above-average bat speed and barrel rate, I am projecting another 25+ home runs in 2025 with similar run production hitting in the middle of a much-improved lineup in 2025. He is going right around pick 77 as the 10th shortstop off the board but has Top 5 upside. Take advantage and get him on your fantasy roster.
Masyn Winn – St. Louis Cardinals
As I have discussed in previous segments of my ADP series, I love targeting youth and upside later in drafts. While I won’t be punting shortstop as per my strategy in the inro, I do like rostering Winn at minimum cost to either fill a middle infield or utility spot with the upside to become a Top 10 shortstop.
Winn impressed in his rookie season with 15 home runs, 85 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. More impressive and making me feel warm and fuzzy about 2025 is that he received 637 plate appearances showing that the Cardinals have faith in him as their “guy”. He will get a ton of opportunity to build on his rookie season as he is slated to break camp as the Cardinals’ leadoff hitter. He has shown tremendous plate discipline(17% K rate) so even a small improvement in his hit tool(barrel rate, hard contact, exit velo) should mean a big boost in fantasy numbers. I also feel the 11 stolen bases was just a sign of things to come and it is backed up by his track record in the minors as he stole 43 bases in 2022 and 32 in 2021 across multiple levels.
At these prices, he will find himself on plenty of my fantasy teams this season.
Who are your favorite shortstop ADP values this season? Drop some names in the comments below. For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
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