Is Red Sox Xander Bogaerts the worst fantasy shortstop?

Despite hitting .200 since the All-Star break, Xander Bogaerts is almost universally owned. There are so many more productive shortstops on waivers.

I called up the ESPN Fantasy Baseball helpline to point out the glitch in their system, but they were adamant that the ownership rate of 98% for Xander Bogaerts was correct. I explained that he had been the worst shortstop in the second half, but to no avail.

Since the break, the Indians’ Francisco Lindor is the most valuable shortstop with 144 wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created). Of the 25 qualified hitters at the position, Bogaerts ranks last with 48 wRC+. That’s behind players like the Marlins Miguel Rojas, Blue Jays Ryan Goins and Phillies Freddie Galvis. Yet he is owned in almost every fantasy baseball league.

With 21 home runs, 89 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 115 runs last season, Bogaerts was one of the most valuable fantasy baseball shortstops and thoroughly deserved his ADP of 26.

He was a top-10 shortstop in the first half of this season but then it spiraled out of control and no one seems to have noticed.

Every day we seem to get at least one player with a two-homer game, and some of these are the most unlikely sluggers (Rene Rivera, Erik Gonzalez), yet since the All-Star break, Bogaerts has just two homers in 48 games.

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As if to illustrate Bogaerts’ poor second half production, he has 12 RBI in 198 plate appearances. This season, Cardinals’ pitcher Adam Wainwright has 11 RBI in just 49 plate appearances.

Boston’s manager John Farrell has infield options with rookie Rafael Devers, new acquisition Eduardo Nunez and talismanic veteran Dustin Pedroia all vying for playing time. All three are hitting north of .300 in the second half.

It is not easy to pinpoint the reason for Bogaerts’ decline but his hard-hit rate has plummeted below 16% in September, down from 30% over the last couple of years, and he is struggling against power pitchers. Pitchers have adjusted, Bogaerts needs to.

It would be easy to suggest that he has not been right since being hit on the hand by a Jacob Faria pitch on July 6, but perhaps the downwards trend started long ago. The Aruban slashed .351/.405/.544 in May 2017, but that is the only month stretching back to last July that he posted an OPS above .800.

Regardless of the reasons or the timescale, there are so many more productive shortstops to slot into your lineup.

Why not consider the Twins’ Jorge Polanco (51% owned) and his 1.017 OPS over the last 30 days, or perhaps the resurgent Jose Reyes (41% owned) with six stolen bases and .345 AVG in the 15 games since returning from the DL.

Next: What is the fantasy value of Victor Robles?

I know it’s tough to give up on a second round pick but it is too late in the season to still be holding on to Bogaerts with the hope that he will miraculously give you second round production.