Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Shortstops | FIOMattyH's Blog

1. Hanley Ramirez, FLA - A recurring injury to his left shoulder did not stop Ramirez from putting up numbers worthy of being the No. 1 ranked shortstop in all the land in 2007. Last season, Ramirez put up big numbers across the board, hitting .332 with 29 homers, 81 RBIs, 125 runs scored and 51 stolen bases. Things may come tougher for Ramirez in '08, however, as slugger 3B Miguel Cabrera will no longer protect him in the lineup. Still, with a projected lineup slot of third, Ramirez stands to once again be a must-have five-category player.

2. Jose Reyes, NYM - Reyes's explosion out of the gate made many believe that he was on his way to putting up never before seen numbers for a shortstop. However, his production tapered off in the latter part of the season, dropping him out of the top spot for fantasy shortstops in ‘07. The good news is that Reyes continues to improve his plate discipline, walking 77 times in '07, up from just 27 times in 2005, and he stole a ridiculous 78 bases to easily lead the majors. Hitting at the top of a potent Mets lineup, Reyes stands to put up similar numbers in 2008.

3. Jimmy Rollins, PHI - Rollins' early prediction of a Phillies playoff run was vindicated by impressive play in 2007, as he put together a season that earned him the 2007 NL MVP. Over the last three seasons, Rollins has seen his power increase while not losing any speed or average. As one of the few shortstops who will give you solid production in all major categories, Rollins stands to put together a repeat performance as his age, home ballpark and lineup all work in his favor.

4. Derek Jeter, NYY - Jeter continued to spray the baseball all over the field in 2007, collecting over 200 hits for the third straight season while posting a splendid .322 batting average. Nevertheless, his power declined for the third straight season and his stolen base total (15) dropped to less than half from his 2006 total of 34. With that in mind, expect the 33-year-old Jeter to continue to hit for a high average and score lots of runs, as he still finds himself hitting near the top of a potent Yankees lineup

5. Michael Young, TEX - If you want hits, you got them with Young. For the fifth consecutive season, Young pounded out 200+ hits, resulting in a .315 batting average for 2007. His declining power and slugging percentage over the last few seasons is cause for concern, but... (Read the full article here: Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Shortstops)

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March 3, 2008 05:25 PM ET

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not a bad list, although the computer simulation put Jeter as the worst SS in the league, but what does a computer know.

Foxy's Back

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March 3, 2008 10:12 PM ET

Good. Michael Young is on my Fantasy Team!

Marc.H

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March 5, 2008 08:28 PM ET

jeter's fielding ability is grossly over rated, he only goes for what he thinks he can get, not what he might get.

jemmco

Palos Heights, IL

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March 24, 2008 04:55 PM ET

NO WAY is Derek Jeter even in the top 10 of this list. The guy only makes plays on balls in play he thinks he can grab - and he misses some of those too. Khalil Greene and Troy Tulowitzki belong on this list before Jeter. Your top-three I completely agree with.