REMINDER. Shortstops Give Reminder in 2010: 2010 FANTASY BASEBALL RANKINGS: Shortstop (SS)
Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t/ Ain’t nothing changed for me except the year it is/ I think I have to send you a reminder/ Here it is.
- Jay-Z, “Reminder” - The Blueprint 3 (2009)
Reminder. Remember when the holy trinity of shortstops ruled MLB and fantasy baseball first rounds? It wasn’t that long ago… AROD. JETER. NOMAH! There was also Tejada in Oakland who couldn’t win, place or show with those three thoroughbreds holding down the mantel. And then all of a sudden, AROD arrives in NY and moves to 3B. Miggy moves to Baltimore, then Houston and off the juice or off the cream or off the clear or is really 46. Mr. Mia Hamm got shipped out of Beantown and never looked the same in each of his later stops, limping and gimping. And then there’s Jeter. The guy is still pimping models and actresses like it was 1999; while manning the SS position and playing like it was 1999. His offense was Jeter-esque in ‘09 and he actually looked better defensively than he has in years.
Fast forward a decade later and yes, Jeter is still standing. But not at the top of the mountain, just below the summit, the peak, just below the new holy trinity. In 2010, we now have a new trio that will propel the new decade into a fantasy era of the Shortstop. Fashions and trends have come back throughout the history cycle and this is another case of history repeating itself. Hanley, Jose` Jose` Jose` and Tulo are the Next Generation my friends, The New Holy Trinity of SS.
Reminder. Alex Rodriguez WAS the 5-tool, all-around, freakish super athlete SS that every MLB and fantasy owner craved on their squad and in their lineup. These owners would do anything, pay any insane amount of dollar figure to attain this player. He could hit for average, power, drive in runs, steal bases at a high clip all while playing stellar gold-glove defense. Legit Fantasy 40/40-type guys. Ask any G.M. and he WAS arguably the best player in baseball.
Reminder. Hanley Ramirez IS the 5-tool, all-around, super freakish athlete SS that every MLB and fantasy owner craved on their squad and in their lineup. These owners would do anything, pay any insane amount of dollar figure to attain this player. He could hit for average, power, drive in runs, steal bases at a high clip all while playing stellar gold-glove defense. Legit Fantasy 40/40-type guys. Ask any G.M. and he IS arguably the best player in baseball.
Reminder. This player, in most fantasy baseball leagues, was ranked the #1 overall player in ‘05, ‘06 and in ‘08 (top 5 in ‘07). #1 OVERALL. Not Pujols. Not Arod.
He had an injury ridden ‘09 and is looking to see if he can re-capture that magic and some luck with his hammy’s. Remember who I am? I am Jose Reyes, SS of the New York Mets… I look for Reyes to come out healthy this year and re-gain his all-world status as an elite in the fantasy universe. His game is centered around his speed and his legs being healthy are 100 % the most important thing for him. If he is healthy, look for this gazelle to challenge Hanley for the top spot.
Reminder. As a rookie, this guy put up .290-24-99-104-7. After a little injury, mixed with some soreness, a splash of sophomore slump and some missed games and you have yourself a lost year cocktail. In ‘09, he tweaked some ingredients and his stance a bit and saw his numbers jump to .297-32-92-101-20. 32/20 is what Fantasy 40/40 looks for and loves. In 2010, Troy Tulowitzki plans on adding to his already impressive MLB résumé with possibly a 30/30 season. This SS also wears #2 and yes, its why you think it is. He grew up watching the Yankee Captain and idolized his game and every move. He is now his team’s captain with possibly the most power at the position and he is only 25.
Reminder. There is this other SS who wears #2 and still has something to prove in a contract year. Derek Jeter is still a top 5 fantasy SS in 2010. Amazing.
2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Projections: SS
TIER 1
1. Hanley Ramirez FLA – Ranked as the overall #2, Hanley Ramirez is a fantasy stud. No questions. He led the NL with a .342 average while going 24-106-101-27 in his new home in the 3-hole in ‘09. He didn’t steal as many bases or hit as many HR as fantasy owners would have liked, but can’t argue the entire package. 5 categories from a SS. .336-31-114-103-32.
TIER 2
2. Jose Reyes NYM – Jose is back from hamstring problems and is ready to unleash the fury. He’s up and running down in Florida and is poised to have a bounce back year. Possibly the most exciting player in MLB, when healthy, this shortstop may finish 2nd, 3rd or possibly out of the TOP 10 SS in 2010. Fantasy 40/40 doesn’t think so. Look for Reyes to return to the top of the Mets lineup and steal bases, score runs and create havoc for opposing teams. .286-14-59-100-47.
3. Troy Tulowitzki COL – The third piece to my new “Holy Trinity” of Shortstops, Tulo is the power source of the three. He puts up nice power numbers, 30 HR and possibly 100 RBI. He wanted to be his favorite player growing up, Derek Jeter, and he leads his team like the Captain, too. Tulo should have the Rockies in the playoff hunt out west and should provide fantasy owners with a great SS in Rounds 3-5. .292-28-103-93-22.
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4. Jimmy Rollins PHI - Some fantasy people have JROLL as high as #2 and as low as #6. Honestly, he could and should return to his ‘08 numbers. Fantasy owners have reason to take Rollins with a high draft pick – he leads off for the best lineup in the NL and has multiple run producers behind him in a bandbox ballpark. Look for Rollins to roll again this season. .280-24-72-111-36.
5. Derek Jeter NYY – The owner of the best black book in history, Jeter returns to the top of the SS list. His ‘09 numbers were close to his best yet and he is now in his last year of his contract. DJ might not match the 30 SB or the .330 avg., but he should do just fine hitting in front of Tex and AROD. The last member of the original Trinity, DJ will have another good year and re-up as Yankee Captain next summer. .303-14-64-103-18.
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6. Yunel Escobar ATL – Escobar has been the Braves SS the last couple years and has provided Bobby Cox with great defense and an adequate bat. He bats close to or around .300, but doesn’t offer many SB or many HR. He’s that magical age of 27 this year so look for Escobar to possibly exceed past highs, possibly putting up a career year. .295-13-70-81-5.
7. Jason Bartlett TB – Bartlett really had a breakout season last year as a 29-year-old. He is now 30 and I don’t see him maintaining his numbers. A dip in categories across the board would not surprise me at all. His lasck of track record and age make me a non-believer. .282-10-59-72-24.
8. Alexei Ramirez CHW – A lot of people saw Ramirez as a possible breakout candidate last year. He didn’t meet expectations. A fulltime switch to SS might have had something to do with that. I see an improvement in his production in 2010 and should make a nice double play combo with Gordon Beckham for manager Ozzie Guillen. .284-19-76-77-11.
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9. Alcides Escobar MIL - Escobar had a recent Fantasy 40/40 profile done. So I will basically cut and paste. This defensive wizard is the reason JJ Hardy plays in Minnesota. With management giving Escobar the starting job, the young Brewer is a speed source and nothing more. He will bat close to .290 with around 60 RUNS with a .300AVG/85R potential ceiling depending on batting order. Don’t expect any HR or RBI though – should be used in Rotisserie leagues for his SB help. .287-4-38-58-24.
10. Stephen Drew ARI – The younger Drew brother took a little bit of a dip last year and is looking to regain his form. Predicted as a possible “Chase Utley” at the plate as a prospect, Drew possesses good skills for a shortstop. He is in a young lineup in Arizona that includes Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds. He can offer serviceable numbers for fantasy owners and can be found in rounds 9-12 in most mixed leagues. Might be a sleeper this year because of his value in the round taken. .281-18-76-88-7.
11. Asdrubal Cabrera CLE – Fantasy 40/40 recently gave a 2010 outlook on Cabrera. We like him and like his potential. .291-8-68-85-16.
12. Elvis Andrus TEX - Another, younger than 25 SS who can flat out fly. Andrus was apart of the original Mark Teixiera deal from Atlanta and was promoted last year. Similar to Alcides Escobar, Andrus is a Gold-Glover in waiting and offers fantasy owners SB potential in all leagues. .267-5-44-71-38.
13. Miguel Tejada BAL – We have Miggy here with SS because he still qualifies as a SS until he mans the hot corner. His SS/3B tag will help owners with flexibility in their lineups in case of injury. He isn’t what he was in Oakland or Houston, but can still be valuable to owners. He should produce some runs though, batting in the middle of a young, good lineup surrounded by names like Roberts, Markakis, Wieters and Reimold. .290-13-80-74-4.
TIER 6
14. Ryan Theriot CHC – AKA “The Riot”. Mr. Theriot is similar to most SS in that he will offer some RUNS and some SB for your fantasy squad. Not much power production, but The Riot will match numbers from SS 10-20. He’s in a decent lineup in Chicago and take him as a backup or NL only option. Be carefull, prospect Starlin Castro is ready, he might make a move for the starting spot sometime this year. .288-4-49-83-23.
15. Orlando Cabrera CIN - Cabrera has another new home in 2010 and a new league as well. Cabby will have to adjust to new pitchers and new teammates. More of an avg. defender now, he is also more of an avg. bat as well. The good thing he has going for him is the Great American Launching Pad and not much competition to look at (Paul Janish, Todd Frazier). .276-9-66-82-5.
16. Everth Cabrera SD – Another target of a recent 2010 Projections post, Cabrera fits into the Escobar/Andrus mold. Fast. SB is his only contribution and he could be a useful backup in mixed leagues. Otherwise, use him as a NL only option. .263-3-30-80-36.
17. Erick Aybar ANA – A member of the Izturis/Aybar/Kendrick circle, Aybar saw 500 AB for the first time in his career. He batted .312 for Anaheim and could easily add to his ‘09 numbers. He has stole 30+ bases in the minors so the SB threat is there. Take Aybar as a flier in mixed leagues as a backup or an AL only option with upside. .292-4-56-74-16.
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18. JJ Hardy MIN – Hardy also has a new home in 2010, being traded for Carlos Gomez this summer. Hardy will also have to learn new pitchers and a new league like Cabrera. His potential and skill have always been there; problem is consistency. Hardy is a very streaky player and it can drive fantasy owners crazy. If he can find his stroke again, Hardy might exceed his draft position. .258-16-66-62-2.
19. Rafael Furcal LAD – Once a SS force, Furcal has started to slow down over the last few years. Injury along with aging have taken their toll on Furcal. He won’t steal you 30, probaly not 20, but 80-100 RUNS is very possible, especially leading off that Dodger lineup. Question is his health. .278-8-46-88-16.
20. Jhonny Peralta CLE – Now manning 3B, Peralta isn’t the bat he used to be. 20-80-80 are unlikely with this Indian. But, once again, his 3B/SS eligibility ranks him in the top 20. He had poor numbers in ‘09 and should increase those in 2010; just don’t look for biblical improvements. .267-16-81-66-0.
Everyone else can be had usually on waiver wires, should be left alone for AL/NL only leagues or injury replacements.
21. Marco Scuturo 22. Edgar Renteria 23. Maicer Izturis 24. Cristian Guzman 25. Willie Bloomquist 26. Cliff Pennington 27. Brendan Ryan 28. Ian Desmond 29. Emilo Bonifacio 30. Jerry Hairston Jr.
