With fantasy baseball drafts coming up in the coming days and weeks, it’s time for us to release our position-by-position rankings for 2023. We’ve hit on all the infield positions, with the exception of the shortstops — but that changes with this list. We’ve got our picks for the ten best shortstops heading into the 2023 fantasy baseball season. Let’s kick it off with a former All-Star in Chicago.
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10. Tim Anderson
We’ll start off with two-time AL batting champion Tim Anderson. Anderson hit for an average (.301) above .300 for the fourth straight time in 2022, a campaign that saw the 29-year-old miss much of the second half last season to a sagittal band tear in his left middle finger. When healthy, Anderson has been fairly reliable at the dish. The two-time All-Star recorded five straight double digit home run campaigns prior to 2022, and will steal anywhere from 10-20 bases a season.
One of the game’s elite contact hitters, Anderson should remain a strong fantasy option provided he stays healthy.
9. Willy Adames
Brewers shortstop Willy Adames put up strong numbers in his first full season in Milwaukee. Adames hit 31 bombs and drove in 98 runs for the Brewers., figures that ranked second and third among all shortstops in MLB last year, respectively. However, a .238 batting average did hinder his value a bit in fantasy leagues.
Despite that average, Adames should be a very good source for power and does have the potential to be among the league’s best in RBIs yet again thanks to solid protection around him.
8. Carlos Correa
After a wild winter, Carlos Correa is back in Minnesota. Correa did just fine in his first campaign with the Twins, one that saw him hit .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBIs, and 70 runs scored. That .291 batting average ranked as the fourth-best among shortstops (min. 450 PA). While Correa hit for both average and power in 2022, the RBI and runs scored figures could have been better.
Entrenched in a good Twins lineup, Correa should be a valuable fantasy asset yet again.
7. Fernando Tatis Jr.
Fantasy baseball players will have to approach Fernando Tatis Jr. somewhat similarily to Ronald Acuña Jr. last year. Tatis Jr. will still need to serve his suspension for a banned substance, which is set to end on April 20. The Padres star also appears to be fully healthy, a very promising sign for Tatis Jr. moving forward.
Tatis Jr. has the potential to be a steal in fantasy leagues this season, but this might be the last year in which he’s eligible to play at the shortstop position. The 24-year-old will head to the outfield for the 2023 campaign, to accommodate a new face in San Diego.
6. Xander Bogaerts
New Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts could be in line for a big year, thanks to a fantastic supporting cast around him. Last season, Bogaerts was one of just seven players in 2022 to bat .300 or higher, 15 or more home runs, and at least 70 RBIs. The 30-year-old led all shortstops in batting average (.302) last season.
We don’t know exactly how the Padres plan to slot Tatis Jr. or Bogaerts in the lineup, but the two should be in very good shape to drive in, and score a lot of runs.
5. Corey Seager
Rangers SS Corey Seager did just fine in his first season down in Texas. The 28-year-old set a career high in home runs (33), a figure that led all shortstops in the Majors last season. In addition to those 33 home runs, Seager scored 91 runs (5th-best among SS) and drove in 83 runs (6th-best).
One negative from the 2022 campaign was his .245 batting average, well below his career average of .287. However, the new shift rules could benefit Seager, a pull-leaning hitter, in 2023.
4. Bo Bichette
Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette didn’t replicate his outstanding 2021 campaign last year, but he did well nonetheless. Bichette led all AL batters in total hits (189), and owned the fifth-best batting average (.291) among shortstops. The 24-year-old hit 24 home runs, 93 RBIs, and swiped 13 bags for the Jays in 2022.
A complete shortstop from a fantasy perspective, Bichette should produce strong numbers yet again in 2023.
3. Bobby Witt Jr.
We’ve already talked about Bobby Witt Jr. in our look at the best fantasy third basemen, but we can’t emphasize how impressive the Royals phenom was last season. Despite not being a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year award. Witt Jr. recorded a 20-20 campaign in his opening act in the Majors. The 22-year-old drove in 80 runs and scored 82 for Kansas City last year, as well.
Witt Jr. should be a great source for power and stolen bases on an emerging Royals team in 2023.
2. Francisco Lindor
In a deep Mets lineup, SS Francisco Lindor hit .270 with 16 stolen bases, 26 home runs, 98 runs scored, and 107 RBIs. The Mets star led all shortstops in runs driven in last season, one year after a difficult opening act in Queens.
Set to bat in a deep Mets lineup again, Lindor could replicate those numbers in 2023. Should he do that, the 29-year-old will be among the game’s most valuable players in fantasy.
1. Trea Turner
New Phillies shortstop Trea Turner is arguably the most valuable player in fantasy. With the Dodgers last year, Turner hit .298 with 21 home runs, 27 stolen bases, 101 runs scored, and 100 RBIs. An elite hitter with power and blazing speed, Turner possesses all the tools fantasy players would want from a first-round talent. Now set to be the leadoff man in Philadelphia, Turner should be in position for another 100+ run scored season and quite possibly another 20 home run season.
Turner can check all the boxes for fantasy owners. If you have the top pick in a fantasy draft, Turner needs to be seriously considered.
