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Fantasy baseball 2020 tiered shortstop rankings

By Bill Pivetz

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 14: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians looks on during the first game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on September 14, 2019 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 14: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians looks on during the first game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on September 14, 2019 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

This tier features shortstops with good bats but have something preventing them from behind ranked higher. They will be good backups for mixed leagues.

Dansby Swanson, ATL

Swanson hasn’t been the contact guy we saw in the minors. His .251 average last season was his best when playing for a full year. He also hit a career-high 17 home runs with 65 RBIs and 10 steals.

The Braves added Travis d’Arnaud and Marcell Ozuna this offseason, pushing Swanson to the No. 7 spot. Hitting that low will decrease the number of at-bats but if he builds on his metrics, he could finish with a .270 average and double-digit home runs and steals.

Kevin Newman, PIT

I talked about Newman in my second base rankings. He had a good 2019 but don’t expect him to repeat that this season. His best season in the minors was in 2016 when he hit five homers, 52 RBIs and .320 between High-A and Double-A.

Paul DeJong, STL

DeJong’s batting average fell off a cliff in the second half. After hitting .258 in the first half, he barely hit over .200 post All-Star break. He did hit 17 home runs in the second half, though. Regardless, he’s locked as the Cardinals shortstop hitting in the middle of the lineup.

DeJong finished with 30 home runs, 78 RBIs and nine steals. He won’t have any problem hitting another 30 with 85 RBIs and a .250 average. The average may hurt but power is the name of the game.

Didi Gregorius, PHI

If he wasn’t going to stay in New York, joining the Phillies is the next best team. Despite playing in just 82 games, Gregorius hit 16 home runs, 61 RBIs and .238. With a full season ahead, a 25 home run season can happen.

Citizens Bank Park ranked seventh in home runs last season, according to ESPN Park Factors. With Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins hitting in front of him, Gregorius will have plenty of chances to drive in runs.

Jean Segura, PHI

Sticking with Philadelphia, Segura had a good first season with the Phillies. In 144 games, he hit 12 home runs, 60 RBIs and .280 with 10 steals. The addition of Gregorius forces Segura over to second base, which he’ll earn eligibility after 10 games.

His floor is higher than many other shortstops around this tier but without the likelihood of 20-30 steals, his ceiling is not as high. Segura will hit .285 with 10 home runs and steals. With an ADP of 191, he’s a good player to draft that late.

Amed Rosario, NYM

Rosario put it all together in his second full season with the Mets. In 157 games, he hit 15 homers with 72 RBIs, .287 and 19 steals. Barring injury, he’s on pace to improve on most of these numbers this season.

However, as the No. 8 projected hitter, the opportunities won’t be there compared to the other shortstops. His floor is high with a potential 20 HR/20 SB/.290 season but I can’t see him doing better than that.

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