Call to the pen
Fansided

Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 Shortstops for 2019

By Jason Evans

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Austin Hedges #18 of the San Diego Padres as Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers crosses the plate after home run in the game at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Austin Hedges #18 of the San Diego Padres as Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers crosses the plate after home run in the game at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 11
Next
fantasy baseball
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 16: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox dives a single hit by Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros during the first inning of Game Three of Major League Baseball’s American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo By Christopher Evans/Digital First Media/Boston Herald via Getty Images) /

9. Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox

2018 stats: 136 games .288/.360/.522 23 homers 103 RBI
2019 Steamer: 143 games .286/.355/.465 19 homers 84 RBI

Xander Bogaerts rebounded from a down offensive 2017 to set career highs in homers, RBI, OBP and slugging. He also increased his walk rate while cutting down his strikeout rate.Now entering his age 26 season, and a contract year to boot, 2019 is going to be a big year for the Red Sox shortstop.

For a team with so many stars, Bogaerts seems to fly under the radar as one of the better shorstops in the game. A 20 homer bat with a good OBP could be very valuable asset for fantasy baseball in 2019. Since taking over as the Red Sox starting shortstop in 2014, he’s played in over 130 games every year of his career. You can count on him being in their day in and day out.

Over the past three years, Bogaerts ranks eighth in homers, second in runs, fourth in RBI and OBP, ninth in walk rate and WRC+, and fifth in batting average.

I expect Bogaerts to approximate what his output was in 2018. If that’s the case, that’s not a bad consolation prize is you miss out on some of the top guys at the position.

Home/Fantasy Baseball