Shortstops
Our run through the positions continues this week with the shortstop spot. Shortstop has been a changing position in fantasy terms over the last five or so years as there are more power bats at short now than speed guys. It used to be that the middle infield was where you counted on your steals and high average coming from, that and center field, but that simply isn’t the case anymore. Sure the guys there will still get steals, but power is the dominant trait of the position now.
With that in mind let’s look at the next crop of shortstops who are coming up and what they bring to the table for your fantasy team.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) - Tatis is the son of the former 11-year Major League veteran of the same name. That lineage gives him a step up to begin with but it’s what he’s done with it that’s the impressive part. He was signed by the White Sox in the 2015 international signing period before being sent to the Padres in June of 2016 as part of the return for James Shields . Since being in San Diego the five-tool shortstop has put on a show through the minor league system. In 2016, over 55 games between rookie ball and low-A, the youngster put up a .273/.311/.432 line with four homers, 39 runs, 25 RBI, and 15 steals. Then in 2017, his first full pro season, he played 131 games split between High-A and Double-A and posted a .278/.379/.498 slash line with 22 homers, 84 runs, 75 RBI, and 32 steals. Oh yeah and he did all of that in 2017 while playing the whole year at 18 years old. Now he is back in Double-A San Antonio this season and his gotten off to a bit of a rough start average-wise, hitting just .235 through 38 games (though he has a .304 BABIP and .348 wOBA). His eight homers, 32 runs, 21 RBI, and three steals are all nice in that span though and his 8.1% BB-rate is the second-highest of his career. Tatis Jr.’s numbers are eye-popping as is his highlight-reel defensive skills and at this point it’s simply a matter of time before he’s up with the rebuilding Padres. If he is still available in your league(s), he needs to be on a roster given his MVP-candidate skill set and the playing time he will receive once ready.
ETA: 2019
Bo Bichette (TOR) - Like his position-mate above, Bichette is also the son of a long-time Major Leaguer in Dante Bichette. His older brother was also drafted into the Yankees farm system back in 2011. Bo, however, possesses the better skill set of the two brothers and at just 20 years old (for a week now) is making waves in the Blue Jays farm system quickly. His 22-game stint in rookie ball in 2016 tipped off what was to come further down the line with a .427/.451/.732 line, four homers, 36 RBI, 21 runs, and three steals. The longer season in 2017, 110 games between Single-A and Advanced-A, showed his skills even more with a .362/.423/.564 slash line, 14 homers, 88 runs scored, 74 RBI, and 22 steals. Now in 2018, over 33 games at Double-A New Hampshire, he’s hitting at a .279/.353/.421 clip with a homer, 28 runs, 13 RBI, and nine steals. Bichette’s 70-grade Hit tool, 55-grade Power tool, and 50-grade Run tool are all average to elite and give him the upside of a top-three SS in the majors. The Blue Jays have a shuffling situation at Short with Troy Tulowitzki injured (again), Aledmys Diaz injured and Yangervis Solarte and a few others being fill-in type guys. This makes a pretty clear path for Bichette once he’s ready to be called up to bring his offensive skills to the majors.
ETA: 2019
Brendan Rodgers (COL) - Taken with the third pick in the 2015 June draft, after two guys named Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman . Rodgers was the youngest of the three and was taken out of high school and then signed to a Rockies franchise-record $5.5-million deal. Rodgers is more of a power hitting middle infielder than a speed/power guy like the previous two. In fact over 271 career minor league games, he has stolen 14 total bags while smacking 47 home runs and 74 doubles. Rodgers has played both SS and second in his pro career, though more short than the keystone. In 2018, playing at Double-A Hartford, he’s slashed .295/.345/.519 with seven homers, 28 RBI, 19 runs, and four steals over 35 games. He’s been consistently between a 6-9% BB-rate and has a career 20% K-rate which is workable with a near .280 career batting average. The 21-year-old possesses 60-grade Hit, 55-grade Power, and 50-grade Run tools all play well as does his 60-grade Arm tool. His six-foot even, 180 lb. frame allows him to play at short, second, or even third without much difficulty and the power plays at all, especially at Coors Field. Trevor Story has three arbitration years left with Colorado but DJ LeMahieu is a free agent following the 2018 season so there is an opening for Rodgers there, though Ryan McMahon can also play second as well.
ETA: 2019
Royce Lewis (MIN) - Lewis is the newest addition to this position listing, having been drafted first overall in last year’s amateur draft by the Twins. He is the prototypical speedy middle infield prospect that hits for a high average. There isn’t a large sample size to go off of here since he was just put into the system in the middle of last year, but there’s enough to be excited. In 54 games a year ago, between rookie ball and Single-A Cedar Rapids, he slashed .280/.381/.407 with four homers, 54 runs, 27 RBI, and 18 steals. Now in 24 games, again at Single-A Cedar Rapids, he’s posting a .343/.387/.414 line with a home run, 15 runs, 12 RBI, and 10 steals along with a .384 BABIP and .377 wOBA. Lewis’ 70-grade Run tool is among the best in the minors, and the only one that’s better at short stop is Jorge Mateo at 80-grade. That grade gives him elite quality speed, up there with Dee Gordon for a close comp for stolen base potential given that he’s compiled 28 steals in 78 games putting him on pace for the mid-50s in a full season. Lewis is still 18, though he will turn 19 on June 5th, and should remain at Single-A for all of, if not, most of the 2018 season. The middle infield in Minnesota is pretty good at the moment with Eduardo Escobar , Jorge Polanco , and Brian Dozier all on the roster for the moment, though Polanco is suspended currently. Lewis though is still a few years out and a lot can change in that time.
ETA: 2021
Carter Kieboom (WAS) - Taken in the first round of the 2016 draft by Washington at 28th overall, he joined his older brother Spencer in the Nats system. Kieboom is a toolsy middle infielder who has flashed plus skills in all five tools at times, though not consistently as of yet. He rose through three levels of the system in 2017, while playing just 61 games combined, with the most (48) coming at Single-A Hagerstown. The 19-year-old hit .297/.396/.493 over that span with nine homers, 41 runs, 35 RBI, and three steals with a 12.3% BB-rate and a 16.4% K-rate. This season he has started out at Advanced-A Potomac for the first 36 games and Kieboom has posted a .268/.381/.443 line with six home runs, 30 runs, 26 RBI, and four steals. His bat plays at the shortstop spot but there are some questions as to whether or not he will stick there long-term or not with most, believing he will move to third base eventually. I, myself, think that a move to second base is in the makings with his range and arm playing well there and the slightly above-average hit and power tools profiling better up the middle more than a corner infield or outfield spot. Also not to mention that with Trea Turner and Anthony Rendón locked in long-term at SS and 3B respectively, second is the cleaner path to the majors as Daniel Murphy is in a contract year in 2018.
ETA: 2020