When you think about shortstop for Fantasy Baseball purposes, you think about the studs at the top. This season, based on NFBC ADP, nine shortstops are being drafted in the top 40 picks. Six of those are in the top 25. The position does bottom off after a certain point, but given the talented shortstop prospects on the way, this position is only getting better. Who is at the top, and how deep is the position? Let’s dive in on my shortstop OBP prospect rankings.
Prospect Positional Rankings: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base
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Shortstop OBP Prospect Rankings
| Rank | Player | Team | Age | ETA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wander Franco | TB | 20 | 2021 |
| 2 | Bobby Witt Jr. | KC | 20 | 2021 |
| 3 | Marco Luciano | SF | 19 | 2022 |
| 4 | CJ Abrams | SD | 20 | 2022 |
| 5 | Noelvi Marte | SEA | 19 | 2023 |
| 6 | Jeter Downs | BOS | 22 | 2021 |
| 7 | Jordan Groshans | TOR | 21 | 2022 |
| 8 | Nick Gonzales | PIT | 21 | 2022 |
| 9 | Jazz Chisholm | MIA | 23 | Debuted |
| 10 | Royce Lewis | MIN | 21 | 2022 |
| 11 | Ha-Seong Kim | SD | 25 | 2021 |
| 12 | Geraldo Perdomo | ARI | 21 | 2021 |
| 13 | Orelvis Martinez | TOR | 19 | 2023 |
| 14 | Tyler Freeman | CLE | 21 | 2021 |
| 15 | Oneil Cruz | PIT | 22 | 2022 |
| 16 | Wilman Diaz | LAD | 17 | 2026 |
| 17 | Luisangel Acuna | TEX | 19 | 2023 |
| 18 | Carlos Colmenarez | TB | 17 | 2026 |
| 19 | Cristian Hernandez | CHC | 17 | 2026 |
| 20 | Liover Peguero | PIT | 20 | 2023 |
| 21 | Robert Puason | OAK | 18 | 2024 |
| 22 | Xavier Edwards | TB | 21 | 2022 |
| 23 | Brayan Rocchio | CLE | 20 | 2023 |
| 24 | Ed Howard | CHC | 19 | 2024 |
| 25 | Bryson Stott | PHI | 23 | 2022 |
| 26 | Maximo Acosta | TEX | 18 | 2024 |
| 27 | Greg Jones | TB | 23 | 2022 |
| 28 | Ronny Mauricio | NYM | 19 | 2022 |
| 29 | Reginald Preciado | CHC | 17 | 2025 |
| 30 | Braden Shewmake | ATL | 23 | 2022 |
| 31 | Brice Turang | MIL | 21 | 2022 |
| 32 | Gunnar Henderson | BAL | 19 | 2024 |
| 33 | Jeremiah Jackson | LAA | 20 | 2023 |
| 34 | Jose Garcia | CIN | 22 | Debuted |
| 35 | Carson Tucker | CLE | 19 | 2024 |
| 36 | Manuel Beltre | TOR | 16 | 2026 |
| 37 | Yasel Antuna | WSH | 21 | 2022 |
| 38 | Arol Vera | LAA | 18 | 2024 |
| 39 | Will Wilson | SF | 22 | 2022 |
| 40 | Kyren Paris | LAA | 19 | 2024 |
| 41 | Keoni Cavaco | MIN | 19 | 2023 |
| 42 | Jeremy Pena | HOU | 23 | 2022 |
| 43 | Gabriel Rodriguez | CLE | 19 | 2024 |
| 44 | Alex De Jesus | LAD | 18 | 2024 |
| 45 | Jordan Westburg | BAL | 22 | 2023 |
| 46 | Ji-Hwan Bae | PIT | 21 | 2022 |
| 47 | Alexander Vargas | NYY | 19 | 2024 |
| 48 | Oswald Peraza | NYY | 20 | 2023 |
| 49 | Brainer Bonaci | BOS | 18 | 2024 |
| 50 | Angel Martinez | CLE | 19 | 2024 |
Shortstop 2021 Impact
- A month ago, I said Bobby Witt Jr. would not debut in 2021. After a dominant Spring Training, there is speculation that Witt could break camp with the team. His ETA seems like it will inevitably be 2021, and I see no reason why Witt will not make an immediate Fantasy impact. He has moved ahead of Abrams and Luciano for me because of proximity and the skills he has shown this spring.
- Jeter Downs and Jazz Chisholm were both discussed in the second base rankings article.
- Ha-Seong Kim was one of the big splashes the Padres made this offseason. Kim was one of the most hyped prospects from the KBO in several years. After hitting 30 home runs and stealing 23 bases last season in the KBO, Kim’s expectations are high. I would not expect him to play every day, but 5 days a week seems reasonable. A 15/15 type season from Kim would be solid.
Shortstop Breakout
- Geraldo Perdomo does not have any tools that will wow you. He does have excellent OBP skills, developing power, and above-average speed. For his Minor League career, Perdomo has a .411 on-base percentage. Perdomo looks like a prototypical leadoff hitter. He also gets the added benefit of being a switch hitter. Perdomo has been underrated much of his career, but a player I believe could take off in 2021.
Geraldo Perdomo smacks one through the left side to drive in a pair for the #Dbacks 💪 pic.twitter.com/NNnShl2l2D
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 12, 2021
Shortstop Faller
- Ronny Mauricio came into Spring Training looking noticeably bigger. His power projection was always about him filling out his frame. He looked impressive in 12 Spring at-bats, gathering five hits. The issue is they were all singles, and Mauricio still did not show much power. I have been pessimistic about Mauricio’s power for some time. If it does not being to show in 2021, I am not sure we will ever see the plus power hitter that some thought would develop.
Media References: MLB Pipeline
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