What else is there is to say about the shortstop class this year except, wow! This group is as deep as we have seen the position since the mid-2000s, when Tejada, Jeter, Nomar, Rollins, Hanley, Reyes, Furcal, Renteria, Michael Young, and others had the Shortstop position go 10-12 deep with top 100 players. In 2021 there were 11, and one could easily foresee 12+ in 2022 and that is before talking about any of the minor league players.

The position is so super deep, one could foresee talking multiple Shortstops this season in new Dynasty drafts. There is also surprising depth at the position, so even starting one of the guys ranked after this is quite doable. Though if you want a cornerstone for your team for the next few seasons, make one of these guys it.

1. Fernando Tatís Jr., San Diego Padres (Age: 23, Previous Ranking: 1)

There is not much I can add that you do not already know; he hits home runs, steals bases, plays with a passion and flair that put him right at the tippy-top of the fantasy baseball mountain. The shoulder injuries he suffered may cause one pause, and any injury should, especially a recurring one. Only Ronald Acuna Jr. has 40/40 potential, and it would be a shame if Tatís Jr. did not chase joining that exclusive club at least once in his career. A permanent move to the outfield could be in the cards, but even so, does it matter if he is a threat to go 40/20 every season for the next decade? (Phil Barrington)

2. Trea Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers (Age: 29, Previous Ranking: 2)

Turner is going number one in NFBC drafts, with good reason. Though, as those are annual leagues, I cannot fault guys wanting to draft him before Bichette, Tatís, or Wander, in Dynasty leagues I want those three ahead of him as my cornerstone. It is unclear if the 28 home runs he hit in 2021 is a sign of things to come, or a peak. If you see it as things to come, Turner is easy to rank ahead of the young guns; if not, you will be in the boat with me, who see him as just below. Either way you choose, it is hard to go wrong, as steals are becoming increasing hard to come by in the fantasy game. Expect high counting stats, 20/35 home runs/steals, a .300 plus average as a floor; not too shabby. (Phil Barrington)

3. Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays (Age: 24, Previous Ranking: 5)

Hits the ball to all fields. 25/25 is his floor. Great lineup, so 200 Runs + RBI should be there for the foreseeable future. Has great hair. What is not to like? He led the MLB in hits in 2021 with 191, and it not hard to imagine him joining the 30/30 club next season. Bichette is a player to build around, and it would take one of the guys ahead of him to pry him from my Dynasty teams. (Phil Barrington)

4. Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 21, Previous Ranking: 6)

Who is El Patron? Tony Danza? I don’t think so. Teammates nicknamed the future star El Patron, which translates to The Boss in Spanish, and with good reason. Franco has a tattoo of the MLB logo on his neck as well, a true sign that making the Majors was not a question of if, instead when. When was last season, where El Patron finished third in Rookie-of-the-Year voting after appearing in only 70 games. His sprint speed (85^th Percentile) is something I wanted to make note of, because I have seen others write about how Franco may not steal many bases in his career, thus taking a hit in his future fantasy value. The Rays are a running team, and since we do not know the heights Franco can reach, if he steals 20+ bases this year, we should not be surprised. A player to build all dynasty teams around. (Phil Barrington)

5. Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox (Age: 29, Previous Ranking: 7)

It is not clear if Bogaerts will exercise his opt out clause after this season and be in another uniform come 2023, but that does not matter (much) for fantasy purposes. Bogaerts had a career best 33 home runs with 227 Runs + RBI in 2019; in 2021 he hit 23 home runs with 169 Runs + RBI. Obviously, the team around him makes a difference in accumulating those counting stats, though he had 100 less plate appearances in 2021. He is good for about five steals, give or take, at this point in his career, so if he is not hitting 30+ home runs, he falls behind some of the other shortstops. Expect 25+ home runs, 200ish Runs + RBI, a .300 batting average and an .850 OPS, giving him one of the highest floors at the position. (Phil Barrington)

6. Robert Witt Jr. Kansas City Royals (Age: 21, Previous Ranking: 15)

The one guy in the top ten who has yet to appear in a Major League ballgame, Witt is one of the top two prospects in the game right now. He put up huge numbers between Double-A NW Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha; 33 homers, 29 steals, 196 Runs + RBI and a slash line of .290/.361/.575 in only 123 games. The Royals have already moved Adalberto Mondesi to the third base/DH role, leaving Shortstop for Witt. Let us hope the Royals allow him to start the season in Kansas City; but do not despair if Witt falters at first; his strikeout rate was still 23% with a 9% walk rate, so Ks could be a bugaboo early on in his career. His Dynasty value may never be higher, so if you already have one of these other shortstops on your roster, you should get a king’s ransom in return, if you were so inclined to move him; I would only do so for a top ten overall player. (Phil Barrington)

7. Carlos Correa, Free Agent (Age: 27, Previous Ranking: 11)

The best remaining free agent on the market as of this writing, Correa is coming off a very good season in a consistently good career thus far; while injuries have kept him from playing more than 148 games only twice in his career, he has been mostly healthy the last two seasons, appearing in 206 out of his team’s 224 games since the start of 2020. He uses the whole field, plays solid defense, though he does not steal bases, and that keeps him from the top tier at shortstop. He has shown a remarkable consistency throughout his career, though it seemed he was going to be something even greater after debuting at age 20 season back in 2015. There could be some value to be found in drafts starting this season, as in 100 NFBC drafts he the 15^th shortstop off the board. Once he signs expect that draft value to whittle away. Drafting Correa seems pretty safe, and there is something to be said for playing it that way. (Phil Barrington)

8. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers (Age: 28, Previous Ranking: 8)

Signed with the Rangers to the biggest free agent deal this offseason (Correa may surpass him, but as this writing he is top dog), I am saddened that Seager did not have any fun bonuses added to his contract; I wanted him to ask for some animals, like the two horses the Rangers gave Rougned Odor, maybe two Burmese pythons, or at least a suite for road games. Anyway, Seager has red all over his advance stats, his batting eye is one of the best in the game, but he does not steal bases, so that is why he is down here. Expect a .300+ batting average, .900 OPS, 20+ home runs, and 150+ Runs plus RBI while he gets settled into a new lineup in Texas. (Phil Barrington)

9. Trevor Story, Free Agent (Age: 29, Previous Ranking: 4)

The other Free Agent on this list, where Story signs makes a big difference in his Runs and RBI; a good lineup yields 200+ Runs plus RBI (like Bichette or Turner) compared to 160+ he had in Colorado last season. A lot of Story’s advanced stats have been declining since 2019, except his high-end sprint speed. He is good for at least 20 steals a season, and in the right offense 30 would be possible. His BABIP and Slugging percentages were both much lower than his career averages (BABIP 2021: .293, career: .336 and Slugging 2021: .471, career .523) so expecting a bounce back is likely. Story was vocally not happy about the direction of the Rockies franchise and thus a fresh start should do him good. The steals he brings along with 30+ home run power is why he is still a worthwhile starting shortstop for your fantasy team, now and for the next few seasons. (Phil Barrington)

10. Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox (Age: 29, Previous Ranking: 10)

When you absolutely, positively must have a 20/20 season from your second baseman, Tim Anderson is your guy. A hamstring injury in early September kept Anderson from reaching that mark in 2021, but 17/18 to go along with 94 Runs and a .309 batting average is not too shabby. In the midst of his prime, hitting leadoff in one of the Majors’ best lineups, there is a reason he was an All-Star last season (for the first time in his career). Expect 20/20 along with 100+ Runs and a .300 batting average; that plays in every league. (Phil Barrington)