If you are hoping to land the Florida Marlin’s Hanley Ramirez as your fantasy league shortstop, you better have one of the top three picks in your league or be willing to pay the steep price he will command in an auction league. There are several great shortstop options to choose from after Hanley, but the question is “who is second best at shortstop?” Four amateurgm.com analysts give their thoughts on this fantasy question for the critically important position of shortstop and discuss Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins, and Troy Tulowitzki.
Scott Oleniczak (Derek Jeter) – 10-time all-star shortstop Derek Jeter is this generation’s “Iron Horse.” Jeter is showing no signs of slowing down playing an average of 153 games over the last three season which ranks him first over Rollins, Tulowitzki, and Reyes. In 2009, Jeter swiped 30 bases showing he still has the ability to get you points in the all important stolen base category. Jeter is not going to win any HR titles, however, his power still needs to be respected as he averaged 14 HR over the last three seasons which ranks him 3rd verses his competition. Jeter excels in OBP and BA over the other shortstops, and falls just slightly behind Tulowitzki for the lead in OPS. The bottom line is Derek Jeter is that solid force you want in your fantasy lineup for his consistent approach to the game. One more thing, if you are looking for a shortstop who can raise the dateability of your entire roster, Jeter is second to none. Check out this list of past girlfriends, and tell me how cool it would be to have the rest of your fantasy team hanging out with him.
Ryan Oleniczak (Jose Reyes) – Before missing most of the 2009 campaign to injury, Jose Reyes was a mark of durability (no less than 153 games played since 2005) and arguably the most exciting player in all of baseball. Reyes electrified the fans in attendance with his blazing speed and knack for getting on base. In comparison to the other shortstops on this list, Reyes numbers will be skewed due to playing in only 36 games last season. In Reyes last two full seasons, 2007 and 2008, he led all shortstops in runs scored with 232 and also took home the steals crown with an amazing 134 SB. While Reyes does not display the power of a Tulowitzki or Rollins, he helps fantasy owners in OBP (.356 average over the last 3 seasons) and a BA of .285 which is second only to Jeter’s three-year average. The recent news of Reyes diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, which has him reportedly missing anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks of baseball activity, puts his early season production in doubt. This news will scare off many fantasy owners come draft time. While the other three men on this list might be safer options at shortstop for this year, why not take a pass on them and take Reyes later in draft and shore up help at other positions. Many fantasy owners were scared of taking ARod last season with the news that he was scheduled to miss most of April after hip surgery, but he rewarded fantasy owners with his MLB record 13th 30 HR-100 RBI season and at a much lower cost. Why not take that approach with Reyes this year? Even if Reyes misses some or most of April, you can still count on him putting up elite SB and R totals, especially in a Mets’ lineup with David Wright and Jason Bay around him. Guys with Reyes talent are hard to find and a healthy Reyes will bring excitement to your fantasy team.
Jon Heintzelman (Jimmy Rollins) – When looking at the shortstops after Hanley, it can be splitting hairs to decide who’s next best. Arguments can be made for both Tulowitzki (best last year and youngest), and Reyes (best before last year)–sorry Jeter–but for my money the second best investment is none other than J-Roll. Always remember that fantasy drafts are never won in the first few rounds. The fantasy season usually comes down to whose sleepers pan out more, but make no mistake about it, drafts can definitely be lost early on (just ask Jay Oleniczak about last year and buying Jose Reyes). When it comes to early picks it’s all about elite and stable skills, good intangibles, and reliability. Jimmy Rollins brings an elite power/speed skills combo to the shortstop position, and sits atop one of the best line-ups in baseball in a hitter’s park to boot. He has a history of reliability, leading the NL in AB for the past decade. Some may point to his slow first half last year as a sign of decline, but I say blame it on the abnormally low 21% hit rate (on balls in play) and look to his second half rebound as the norm (projected: 30 HR/100 RBI/40 SB/120 R/.290 BA). While he doesn’t walk as much as some may like, he has maintained an elite 90% contact rate which always projects to a near .300 BA. And while his SB production dipped, his SB opportunities did not change much (still around 30%), so a return to the elite 40-50 steal range is possible if not probable. When it comes to drafting in the first and seconds rounds, do you really want to leverage your season on Reyes’ overactive thyroid (not to mention the tight hamstrings). What about Tulowitzki’s drastic swings in production (look at his 1H/2H splits last season), partially due to his low contact rate (at or below 80%), not to mention his lost 2008 and never before seen or duplicated SB spike? With all due respect, there’s no need to even discuss Mr. Jeter. The smart money is on J-Roll as the #2 fantasy shortstop; you’ll give yourself the best chance to win your league with successful sleepers in the later rounds.
Bryce Carlson (Troy Tulowitzki) – On a team that continues to make me scratch my head, Troy Tulowitzki is a legitimate superstar. He may not stack up against Hanley Ramirez, who is in a class all by himself, but Tulowitzki is definitely the next best thing. The shortstop position for 2010 is pretty thin. There are a lot of big names, but with a disappointing 2009 campaign from Jimmy Rollins and a season plagued with injuries for Jose Reyes, shortstop is a position without much of a bench. Tulowitzki does not have a long major league resume, but barring injury you can expect him to put up similar numbers as last year where he hit .297 with 32 HR, 101 R, 92 RBI, and 20 SB. After Hanley is gone, Tulowitzki is your guy. Just please don’t jump on the Rockies’ bandwagon when they make the playoffs unless you plan on following them all year… not that I have experienced anyone doing that in Denver. I’m just sayin’…
Loading ...