Shortstops:
1. Jimmy Rollins
Say what you will about JRo but the man puts his bat where his mouth is. After grandiose claims that the Phillies were the
team to beat in the National League East, Rollins all but went on an offensive rampage, besting his 2006 totals with an MVP
2007 season. Ending 2007 with 30 homers and 41 steals to go with a .296 average, Rollins quickly catapulted his name to
the top of the NL shortstop list. A solid second half and the same lineup protection this coming year that Rollins enjoyed last
year will make him a solid pickup. Though we do not expect 30+ home runs again, 20-25 is reasonable to go with 35-45
steals and an average that may break .300.
2. Jose Reyes
A second half collapse that, in many ways, was tied by media and fans to the Mets historic collapse, contributes to his drop
in the rankings. When healthy and locked-in, Reyes is capable of 20 homers and 70-80 steals with a .300 or greater
average. Whether he capitalizes on his talent and stays away from protracted slumps will be determined in 2008. In many
ways this season will shape fantasy managers’ conception of Reyes – as many expected an MVP caliber year similar or
better than 2006 in 2007, rather than the small step backward Jose produced. Things to be happy about are that, while
Reyes’ average suffered in the second half of last season, his long ball totals rose. At age 25, it is easy to think that Reyes
is fully cooked but he is very much a work in progress, and should rebound entering 2008.
3. Hanley Ramirez
Only because he had shoulder surgery and lost Miguel Cabrera as primary protection in the batting order, is Hanley down
in the number three hole of our rankings. Winner of the retrospective 2007 fantasy Most Valuable Player award, Ramirez
batted a lusty .332 with 29 homers and 51 steals following a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2006. If he is healthy and
shrugs off the fact that he is protected by no more than Jeremy Hermida, Dan Uggla, Mike Jacobs, and Josh Willingham,
Hanley could have another MVP caliber year. Most rankings have Hanley shoulders above Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins
due to end-of-year statistics alone. We have considered his health status and the subtraction of Miguel Cabrera and feel
that Ramirez will perform somewhere between 2006 and 2007 in 2008. Watch his shoulder in spring training and draft with
confidence!
4. Troy Tulowitzki
T squared was “on” in 2007, his rookie campaign. Calling Coors Field home never hurts, but Tulowitzki was more than the
product of a good home field. Troy belted 24 homers and fell one RBI short of 100 in his freshman season. He batted .291
and even stole 7 bases to go with those 24 home runs, 15 of which, by the way, were hit after the all-star break. Having
never flashed the sort of power we saw last season at any previous level in the minors, we expect Troy Tulowitzki to regress
slightly in his sophomore year. That said, Troy is the centerpiece of the Rockies offensive youth movement along with Matt
Holliday, Garrett Atkins, and Brad Hawpe and should be a top shortstop in mixed league formats for the next decade if he
continues to make necessary adjustments.
5. Miguel Tejada
In an off-season punctuated by a trade to Houston, being fingered by George Mitchell for abusing performance-enhancers,
and targeted by Congress for purgery, it is easy to forget that this former MVP is still just 31 years old. With only 18 homers
and 19 doubles during 2007, Miguel has a lot to prove in 2008. Houston will need the Tejada-of-old in order to compete in
a division that may be the only one in all of the NL that is still up-for-grabs, and Tejada will need to win back the hearts and
minds of baseball fans. We think Miguel Tejada is a good bet to rebound in 2008 and will benefit from the lineup protection
of Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, and the kinetic phenom Hunter Pence.
6. Rafael Furcal
For Rafael Furcal, 2007 could be summed up in a single word – ouch. Furcal never seemed quite right and never
appeared to put it together after suffering from nagging injuries that limited him at the beginning of 2007, If healthy, Furcal
seems poised for a big comeback season in 2008. Be wary of the hamstring injuries that have been dogging him this off-
season, but all signs point to a dramatic comeback. The addition of Andruw Jones, Joe Torre and staff, import of Kuroda,
and projected emergence of rookies LaRoche, Ethier, and Kemp, we expect Rafael Furcal and the Dodgers to rise in
phoenix-like fashion in 2008.
7. Khalil Greene
PETCO Park decimated the careers of Brian Giles and Marcus Giles but seems to have inspired incredible power from
Khalil Greene and Adrian Gonzalez. Greene is not only a dazzling defensive shortstop, but more than earned his long-term
contract during the 2007 campaign. Slugging 27 homers after totaling no more than 14 at the professional level previously,
Greene came into his own in 2007. With 44 two-baggers and solid second half, we expect much the same from Greene in
2008. Don’t hold your breath that he breaks 30 homers yet, but at age 28, I wouldn’t bet against him either.
8. JJ Hardy
Speaking of shortstops who flashed spontaneous power in 2007, Khalil Greene wasn’t alone. In a Milwaukee lineup rich with
sluggers, Hardy made his presence felt by belting 26 homers and drove in 80 runs while batting a respectable .277. It didn’t
hurt that J.J. had Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun hitting behind him either. While Hardy technically fared better in the
number 8 spot in the order, he will find himself in either spot for the majority of 2008. We think if he begins hot and
Milwaukee bats him 2nd, Hardy could very well excel and even improve upon 2007’s totals.
9. Felipe Lopez
RFK Stadium has become the answer to the age-old question of, “how do you snuff out the offense of a rising star?” Felipe
Lopez was another in a long line of Washington Nationals that saw their batting numbers swiftly decline after declaring RFK
home. Lopez went from being a potential 20/20 middle infielder to being a Furcal-wannabe. Having now moved to Nationals
Stadium, we expect offensive splits across the Washington lineup to rise in response. Felipe Lopez is poised for a big
comeback in 2008 and we think it is entirely possible to see him pound 15+ homers and steal 25+ bases again.
10. Stephen Drew
Speaking of young shortstops whose stock is on the rise – meet Stephen Drew. Although batting an anemic .238 in his
rookie effort, Drew did a lot to turn fantasy managers heads in 2007. Hitting 12 homers, stealing 9 bases, and driving in 60
runs while posting a respectable BB:K ratio, Stephen Drew is more polished than his numbers suggest. Although his batting
average looks problematic and only worsened after the all-star break, it helps to remember that Drew is only 25 years old.
He walked more, struck out less, and flashed more power in the second half, proving that this Drew will take no second seat
to brother J.D.
11. Jack Wilson
Just when you began thinking that Wilson’s 2004 effort was irreproducible for this middling middle infielder, he bounced
back in 2007 with 12 homers and a .296 average. Batting a chunky .356 after the all-star break, Jack Wilson proved to
detractors that he was more than a warm body occupying SS/MI on fantasy teams. The Pirates seemed on the brink of
trading Wilson to Kansas City during 2007, and apparently that was the kind of inspiration needed to recapture his 2004
groove. With a player of Wilson’s skill set, see-sawing from mediocre to “pretty good” is typical, and it is this lack of
reliability that makes him a guarded pick. Draft or purchase-at-auction with care.
12. Omar Vizquel
Move along. Don’t stop here and even consider this aging shortstop with a broken body. The talent is there, but with no
replacement chosen at this point, we can neither recommend Vizquel, nor any of his fill-ins. So, again – move along.
Speaking of depth at a position, look at shortstop now! The top three are inarguably first round draft picks in any mixed-
league format, and the next-best aren’t too bad. When your second-tier shortstops include Miguel Tejada, Troy Tulowitzki,
Khalil Greene, and JJ Hardy, you are talking about a deep position. While you may not feel too great about getting stuck
with (the already injured and Yoda-esque) Omar Vizquel, there are many excellent options at shortstop to consider in 2008.
|
