Top 10 fantasy baseball shortstops for the 2023 season

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We continue on in our fantasy baseball rankings, this time with shortstops. Like third base, this position is deep and there are plenty of young prospects like Elly De La Cruz and Anthony Volpe coming up soon who will only make this position deeper.

This list is a ranking of the top 10 fantasy baseball shortstops you should target for your team.

First, a few shortstops who just missed the list:

Jorge Mateo is a guy with intriguing talent who hasn’t put it all together yet. The former top prospect hit just .221/.267/.379/.646 last year, which is an OPS+ of just 81. He showed some pop with 13 homers and 25 doubles, but he was mostly known for his baserunning, including 35 stolen bases. He needs to cut down on strikeouts and learn how to walk more, but the raw talent and athleticism is undeniable. He could benefit from the bigger bases this year.

Wander Franco has yet to play a full season in The Show, but the talent is tantalizing. In the half of the season he played last year, he slashed .277/.328/.417/.746, good for a 117 OPS+. He hit six homers, 20 doubles, drove in 33 runs, and scored 46. He walked (26) almost as many times as he struck out (33), and he was perfect in stolen base attempts, swiping eight bags without being caught. He just turned 22, so we haven’t seen anywhere near the best of him yet.

Amed Rosario put up his best season in 2022. He slashed .283/.312/.403/.715, which was an OPS+ of 106. He hit 11 homers, led baseball with nine triples, hit 26 doubles, drove in 71 runs, and scored 86. He still refuses to walk, but he did steal 18 bases, which roughly evens out in terms of fantasy value.

Tommy Edman is exactly the type of player you picture when you think of the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s a complete player who plays all over the diamond. Last year he slashed .265/.324/.400/.725, good for a 108 OPS+. He hit 13 homers, 31 doubles, scored 95 runs, and stole 32 bases. He’s another guy who could benefit from the bigger bases.

These are all guys that you should be content with on your fantasy baseball teams. With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s look at the top 10 fantasy baseball shortstops you should target for your team in 2023.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 03: Jeremy Pena #3 of the Houston Astros hits a RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning in Game Five of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park on November 03, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Fantasy baseball shortstops #10: Jeremy Pena

Jeremy Pena was one of the most exciting players to watch in the postseason, and he looks to carry that momentum into the 2023 season. In the regular season last year, he slashed .253/.289/.426/.715, which was an OPS+ of 101. He hit 22 homers, 20 doubles, drove in 63 runs, and scored 72. He also stole 11 bases. As mentioned above, he caught fire in the postseason, hitting .345/.367/.638/1.005 with four homers. One thing that would benefit him is walking more, and if he can do that consistently, he’ll establish himself as a premier shortstop and move up this list.

Fantasy baseball shortstops #9: Oneil Cruz

Oneil Cruz has some of the best tools in baseball, and if he can just put it all together at the Big League level, he can be a superstar. Last year, he slashed just .233/.294/.450/.744, which was an OPS+ of 107. He hit 17 homers, 13 doubles, drove in 54 runs, and scored 45. He is a free swinger who definitely needs to work on his discipline, striking out 126 times in just 87 games. He got really hot in September, hitting .288/.359/.525/.884, and that’s the type of player he’s capable of being if he puts it all together and strikes out less.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 21: Willy Adames #27 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets in the sixth inning during a game at American Family Field on September 21, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Fantasy baseball shortstops #8: Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa has been a very consistent producer over the last several years. Last year, he hit .291/.366/.467/.834, good for a 140 OPS+. He hit 22 homers, 24 doubles, drove in 64 runs, and scored 70. He was highly sought after in free agency this winter, agreeing to deals with the Giants and Mets before returning to Minnesota, where they hope to build a contender around him. They’ve got some nice pieces around him, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to score and drive in runs, given health, which is a major concern.

Fantasy baseball shortstops #7: Willy Adames

It turns out that playing in a stadium where you can see the ball is good for hitters, and Willy Adames has proven that by taking a step forward since being traded to the Brewers. His OPS+ in Tampa was 102, but it jumped 20 points to 122 in the year and half since the trade. Last year, the righty slashed .238/.298/.458/.756, which was a 112 OPS+. He crushed 31 homers and doubles, drove in 98 runs, scored 83 runs, and stole a career-best eight bases. Strikeouts are a bit of an issue with him (166 last year in 139 games), but he takes his walks too, so it balances out a little bit. The Brewers have an interesting lineup full of bounceback candidates, and he’ll be right in the middle of it.

ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 04: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers bats during a game against the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field on October 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) /

Fantasy baseball shortstops #6: Dansby Swanson

Mallory Pugh’s husband had a career year in 2022. He slashed .277/.329/.447/.776, good for a 115 OPS+. He hit 25 homers, 32 doubles, drove in 96 runs, and scored 99. He also set a career high with 18 stolen bases. Swanson departed Atlanta for the Chicago Cubs this winter, going from one of the best teams in baseball to a team in a rebuild showing some signs of promise. It’s fair to expect a dip in production because he won’t have the same amount of talent in the lineup around him that he had in Atlanta. With that said, he can still be really good.

Fantasy baseball shortstops #5: Corey Seager

Corey Seager’s first season in Texas went pretty well. The lefty slashed .245/.317/.455/.772, good for 119 OPS+. He hit 33 homers, 24 doubles, drove in 83 runs, and scored 91. The top half of the Rangers’ lineup is very strong, featuring guys like Marcus Semien, Nathaniel Lowe, and Adolis Garcia around Seager, so he’ll have plenty of chances to score and drive in runs. His slashline was lower than usual last year, so look for a bounceback in those rate stats. That would improve his already-strong fantasy baseball outlook.

TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 30: Bo Bichette #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on September 30, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Fantasy baseball shortstops #4: Xander Bogaerts

We now enter the elite tier of shortstops, starting with the newest Padre, The X Man. He slashed .307/.377/.456/.833, good for a 131 OPS+. He hit 15 homers, 38 doubles, drove in 73 runs, and scored 84. That home run total was low for him, so I’d expect a bounceback in that category. He doesn’t even really need the power with the contact skills he displays, but it will increase his fantasy baseball value for sure. It’ll be interesting to see where he fits into what’s going to be a very deep and dangerous Padres lineup.

Fantasy baseball shortstops #3: Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last two seasons. Last year, he slashed .290/.333/.469/.802, good for a 127 OPS+. He hit 24 homers, 43 doubles, drove in 93 runs, and scored 91. He has led the American League in hits in each of the last two seasons, tallying 189 hits last year and 191 in 2021. His stolen bases (13) were down a bit in 2022, so it’d be good to see that number rise back to their 2021 level (25). He’s entrenched in the middle of a dangerous Blue Jays lineup, so expect him to continue this level of production.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 20: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during game one of a double header at Citizens Bank Park on August 20, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Mets defeated the Phillies 8-2. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Fantasy baseball shortstops #2: Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor’s second season in Queens was a smashing success. The switch hitter slashed .270/.339/.449/.788, good for a 125 OPS+, just a few points shy of his career high (132 in 2018). He hit 26 homers, 25 doubles, drove in 107 runs, and scored 98. He stole 16 bases, also his highest total since 2018. Lindor locked down the third spot in the lineup, playing in every game except one. He’ll have on-base guys in Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte in front of him, and Pete Alonso behind him, so there will be plenty of opportunities for him to drive in and score runs. He’s one of the best at this position, especially if your league has assists as a defensive scoring category.

Fantasy baseball shortstops #1: Trea Turner

The newest Captain America comes in at number 1. He’s been one of the best players in baseball for a few years now, and his incredible WBC performance can only help his stardom. Last year, he had a bit of a down year for his standards, but he still got MVP votes and won a Silver Slugger, so that just shows you how good he is. He slashed .298/.343/.466/.809, which was a 101 OPS+. He hit 21 homers, 39 doubles, drove in 100 runs, scored 101 runs, and stole 27 bases. His stolen base numbers might double with the bigger bases, considering he’s already stolen 40+ bags with the smaller bases twice. Look for the best player at this position to get even better.

How would you rank your top fantasy baseball shortstops? Let us know in the comments.

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