Fantasy Sleepers: 3 Options at Shortstop in 2016
Shortstop is in a transition period in 2016. With many prospects at shortstop to be called up soon, keep an eye on the future this year.
Shortstop is considered by most to be the most shallow position in all of baseball. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find value late in the draft in these three sleepers.
Marcus Semien
Marcus Semien came over from White Sox to the Athletics via trade in the 2015 offseason. While the move to the Coliseum did him no favors, Semien showed improvement in his patience at the plate, lowering his K-rate from 27.5% to 22%. Can Semien remove the streakiness in 2016?
Semien actually has a pretty impressive hit tool. Among shortstops last season, he ranked second in LD% while also the second lowest GB% in 2015. After his first full season in the league, there is growth to be seen with Semien if he can make improvements in Batted Ball distribution and showing more Hard Hit% — already top five at his position — in the spacious home ballparks his division provides. Also, his September provides optimism, as an increase in patience at the plate led to 12.1% walk-rate and he swatted for home runs over the month leading to a .473 SLG.
I think a reduced K-rate and continued growth could give Semien a shot at a 20/15 season which would be enormous value at his position. Given his Yahoo! ADP and ESPN ranking him at 19th overall, there is too much upside at a cheap price for you not to target him in the later rounds of your fantasy draft.
Projected 2016 Season Stats
| G | R | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 155 | 75 | 19 | 56 | 54 | 120 | 14 | .270 | .332 | .431 |
Ketel Marte
Some might suggest Ketel Marte isn’t a sleeper but he impressed the Mariners and fantasy community in his 57 games played in 2015. Marte offers very little power upside, but his speed and patience at the plate are two very valuable assets.
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Marte has the speed to suggest his BABIP is not fluky and his average will be buoyed by that very fact — well, that and the fact that Marte has displayed a plate approach beyond what people expected of a 21-year-old rookie. Marte walked almost 10% of the time in 2015 and only struck out 17.4% of the time which was top ten among rookies last season. If your league uses OBP instead of AVG, he definitely provides significantly more value. If he can square up the ball more consistently in 2016, he should push for a .300 average.
Marte has some backing by just squeaking inside the top 15 in ESPN rankings. However, Yahoo! drafters don’t share the same opinion, where Ketel falls outside the top thirty (!!!) for players with SS eligibility. For a guy with definite top 10 upside, I don’t know why Marte wouldn’t be a 20-25 round draft pick for your squad.
Projected 2016 Season Stats
| G | R | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 72 | 6 | 61 | 56 | 90 | 27 | .293 | .362 | .408 |
Jean Segura
What happened to Segura since his 2013 season? Following the death of his son in July of 2014, you have to cut Segura some slack. Let’s not pretend that players don’t bleed and that tragedies can’t linger and affect performances. But time heals all wounds and that’s why I’m optimistic about Segura in 2016.
That being said, a huge portion of this optimism lies in the trade that sent Segura to Arizona. Arizona was a top ten offensive in 2015, which is a far cry from Milwaukee which ranked 22nd in the league in runs scored. One of Segura’s biggest weaknesses lies in his plate approach; he will be pushed by the Diamondbacks to increase his walk-rate as Arizona players have shown a commitment to patience — they ranked 8th in OBP in 2015. Otherwise, Segura’s speed will cement his value and I’m predicting a 30 stolen base season with a team who is active on the base paths.
Segura slots in at a 14th overall ADP which only results in a 20th round draft selection in most leagues. Segura is the perfect guy who will outperform his draft position and could make a significant impact on your team in 2016.
Projected 2016 Season Stats
| G | R | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 74 | 8 | 58 | 62 | 85 | 33 | .271 | .319 | .373 |
Related Story: New York Mets Noah Syndergaard: An Ace in Waiting
Remember, monitor the news this season as there are many prospects on the cusp of major league promotions that can boost your team mid-season. There are no Carlos Correa‘s and don’t expect a Francisco Lindor upside performance, but players like Trea Turner, J.P. Crawford, and Orlando Arcia are ready to burst through the door in 2016.