The calendar has turned, the baseball equinox has passed, and the Dynasty Gurus have emerged from their caves to present you with our annual positional rankings. Fortunately for all of us, the caves have internet access so we’ve been able to research, analyze, and debate these players to develop a set of composite rankings that will help you win your dynasty leagues one player at a time.

This year a team of eleven gurus each submitted Shortstop rankings and we are proud to publish the composite results here and in our Discord channel. Over the next several weeks we’ll be publishing these lists by position, with separate prospect lists as well, broken down in easily digestible bites with summaries for each group of ten.

As a reminder, we rank for On Base Percentage (OBP) leagues and we are projecting the three-year impact each player will have on your dynasty roster.

This week we bring you the shortstops, starting with #31 – #50.

#31 – #40

Jett Williams is an exciting young player.  He was drafted in the first round out of high school by the Mets in 2022. It appears the Mets are trying their best to fast-track him to the majors as he has already had two stints in Double-A. A right wrist injury in June almost ended his 2024 season. He was able to recover in time to play a few games in the upper minors and the Arizona Fall League. In addition to shortstop, Williams has started to play center field and his 70-grade speed is an asset. Williams has good power thanks to a short swing and quick hands that generate excellent bat speed. The unfortunate catch is out of his control: He’s listed at a generous 5’6”. There aren’t many players in the modern game that tall who become full-time regular players. He does have the requisite bat speed and athleticism to be an exception.

Trevor Story has not played a full season since he left Colorado as a free agent.  I’m not telling Red Sox fans anything they don’t already know. Due to injuries, he only played one game at second base and 62 games at shortstop in the past two seasons. In those small samples he didn’t perform badly so he should hang onto shortstop eligibility for at least one more year. That’s the best news. He’s starting to strike out more frequently, up to almost 33% of the time in Boston. Story is now over 30 years old, and as you’d expect his sprint speed is declining. He’s now chasing more and barreling less.  Story’s value is restricted to the deepest of the deep leagues barring a late resurgence.

As Twins Daily reports in this blurb, 2024 was a tough season for Brooks Lee. He was successful in a short Triple-A stint despite back issues all season but really struggled in his Major League debut. He seems to be the front-runner for the 2025 Twins second base job. Lee is billed as a hit-over-power infielder and can play shortstop and third base if needed. There won’t be many steals with his profile, but there is potential for a solid-average regular with multi-position eligibility.

Konnor Griffin was an outfielder during the high school showcase season, but the Pirates turned heads when they announced his position as shortstop at the 9^th pick in the 2024 draft. He did not make his official professional debut, playing on the Pirates instructional league team instead. Griffin’s predraft reports all point to “freakish” athleticism and hit-tool questions. We’ll get the answers to those questions in 2025, but highly athletic players with a strong draft pedigree are always exciting.

Jacob Wilson has never seen a pitch that he couldn’t land softly in front of opposing outfielders. His contact skills rocketed him through the minors in a season and a half. He slashed .433/.474/.668, but those numbers are deceptive. He played in great hitting environments, Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas. Wilson possesses a solid eye at the plate, his contact rates are elite, and he pulls the ball when he hits it in the air, but he carries a 50% ground ball rate which will tamp down his BABIP and slugging. Projection systems love him, likely because of his contact rates. However, until he shows he can do more damage, I expect Major League pitchers to attack him in the zone. An empty .280 batting average seems like the most likely outcome for the foreseeable future.

Aidan Miller, Kevin McGonigle, and Marcelo Mayer are all highly rated prospects who are still climbing up the charts.  All three will get closer looks on our prospect rankings so I will be brief.

Mayer has struggled with injuries during his pro career. He’s also the closest to the majors and if he can stay healthy, he could be playing for the Red Sox regularly for much of 2026.  Mayer shows power and hits for average despite a sub-optimal ground ball rate.

McGonigle has been better at shortstop than was expected out of the draft. The Tigers still had him splitting time at second base in 2024. At the plate he had a sub-10% strikeout rate and in his short career has almost walked twice as often as he has struck out. He should end up an above-average offensive player wherever he lands on the diamond.

Miller has been a very solid shortstop during his stops in the Phillies organization. He made five late-season appearances at Double-A Reading to cap off a successful season for the 20-year-old. Miller showed developing power with 45 extra-base hits, he stole 23 bases, and he can control the strike zone. He has shown a strong possibility that he can stay at shortstop as well. If he can fix his tendency to pop out on the infield (20% of batted balls) he will rush up the charts this season.

Ceddanne Rafaela is a free swinger who probably won’t ever hit enough to be more than a utility bat. Especially when you factor all the young infield and outfield talent the Red Sox have coming soon. He plays a good centerfield and can play a respectable shortstop. Rafaela likely ends up more valuable in real life as a multi-positional defender than in a fantasy context. He should have a good-sized role in 2025, but as prospects like Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell start to arrive he likely will start to see his playing time dwindle.

Pitchers had absolutely no idea how to get Tyler Fitzgerald out for nearly three months in 2024. The 26-year-old rookie posted a 136 WRC+ for the Giants in 97 games after being inserted into the lineup as the everyday shortstop. He has defended the position solidly, though some metrics like Defensive Runs Saved don’t care for his efforts. With the signing of Willy Adames, Fitzgerald will be the starting second baseman in 2025. His launch angle sweet spot frequency is 90th percentile which helps his batted ball profile play up. He pulls the ball and hits it into the air which is a great combination. His running speed is elite. His contact rates are below average in the strike zone, and he does chase pitches. He seems like a 20 home run and 20 steal second baseman which is valuable, but there is some risk that his 2024 season was a flash in the pan.

(Brandon Ring)

#41 – #50

First-time All-Star Willie Castro gave fantasy managers exactly what they signed up for in 2024. Eligible at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield, Willie’s statistics will not wow you, but last year’s 635 plate appearances were a big plus in deeper leagues. He posted a career-best 89 runs, 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and a slash line of .247/.331/.385. Increases in his exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate year over year suggest that Castro could add more home runs in 2025. Projecting to bat in the leadoff spot for the Twins will also provide a few extra stolen bases opportunities and could be some sneaky value with his multi-position versatility.

19-year-old Mariners product Felnin Celesten flashed his upside at the 2024 Arizona Complex League. The number two prospect from the 2023 international class blasted three home runs, 27 RBI, and five stolen bases with a .352/.431/.568 slash line during the fall season. He also presented patience at the plate with an impressive 12.5% walk rate, 19.4% strikeout rate, and a .432 batting average on balls in a short sample. Celesten must prove he can stay healthy and improve his defense before moving up prospect lists. Over his 235.0 work in the ACL, Celesten did create eight errors at shortstop. With promising Mariners infield prospects like Colt Emerson and Cole Young likely hitting the big leagues soon, additional time to work through the minor league systems could benefit Celesten’s overall future value.

Colson Montgomery is a natural athlete with a large frame. At six foot three and 225 pounds, Montgomery creates a ton of bat speed and raw power. Montgomery came into 2023 with a more aggressive approach at the plate, hitting 18 home runs at Triple-A Charlotte last year, though it came with a cost. Montgomery struck out 164 times over 130 games and ended with a career-high 28.4% strikeout rate and a drop in his slash line to .214/.329/.381. Montgomery showed improvement bringing a new approach to the Arizona Fall League (AFL), striking out only 6 times over 45 plate appearances and hitting three home runs. Montgomery’s overall athleticism will keep him on the infield dirt, but after spending 64 innings at third base during the AFL, could he debut at the hot corner? Montgomery’s defensive innings this spring training may give us a glimpse into where he will begin his career on the defensive side of the ball, but his offensive stats will keep him in the starting lineup for years to come.

Is 2023 an outlier season for J.P. Crawford? His 19 home runs were the first time in his career that he had hit over 10. Struggling with getting on base during the first half of 2024, Crawford still managed nine home runs in the first half before suffering from a hairline fracture on his right pinky finger after being hit in the hand by a pitch. Crawford would spend 36 days on the IL recovering the injury and failed to hit a home run in the remaining 32 games he played in. Crawford should be healthy entering 2024, and with the changes to his launch angle, he should surpass 15 home runs. Crawford is also patient at the plate, posting a career 11.4% walk rate and 18.6% strikeout rate, making him a decent value add in deeper leagues or a later-round roster plugin OBP leagues while you wait on a prospect call-up.

Emil Morales and Joendry Vargas end up near each other on our list, overall player #45 and #49, respectively. Morales is currently the eighth-ranked Dodgers prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. With 14 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and slashing .342/.478/.691 in the Dominican Summer League, Morales turned some heads. At age 17, Morales has the tools to become a plus power hitter but is still a few years away from seeing the majors. Similarly, Vargas is the seventh-ranked player on the Dodgers’ MLB Pipeline’s list. Vargas, standing six feet four inches and 175 pounds, has plenty of room to grow into his frame. Vargas does not carry the same power potential as Morales but has good bat-to-ball skills and a 20-plus home run potential. During his time at both the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League, Vargas showed off his power, speed, and ability to get on base. Over 379 total plate appearances, Vargas hit 21 doubles and 11 home runs, driving in 55 RBI and stealing 30 bases with a .415 OBP. Both players hold a risk of growing out of the shortstop position and being pushed to third base and are three to four years away from making their debuts.

Cole Young and Luisangel Acuña share a similar speed first profile. Their dynasty values will vary based on your league settings. Acuña got the call to the majors last season, filling in for the injured Fransico Lindor down the stretch. During his time, he hit three home runs in 40 plate appearances. However, don’t expect this to be the norm. We look at the prior two seasons in the minors or his past performance in the Venezuelan Winter League. With 57 stolen bases in Double-A Binghamton during 2023 and 40 stolen bases in 2024 in Triple-A Syracuse, Acuña capped off the year with another 18 swipes during the winter league. Likely sub-10 home run potential, Acuña could be a Bryce Turang-type player for your squad, making his value very between league types. Cole Young has a similar speed-heavy profile; however, he will likely not exceed the 40 stolen base mark in a season. Young has plus contact skills, can spray the ball to all fields, and has similarities to Chicago Cubs’ second base/shortstop Nico Hoerner, but will likely not steal as many bases.

We will finish with #48 Brayan Rocchio and #50 Angel Genao. Rocchio has struggled at the plate over his first 528 plate appearances. The switch hitter posted a .213/.295/.317 slash line over his first two seasons, generating only eight home runs. Of his 99 hits in 2023 and 2024, 24 were doubles showing promising signs of a live bat. Progressive Field is not a hitter park, and this may have played into Rocchio’s lack of power, with seven of his eight home runs coming on the road. Rocchio needs to find his hit tool if we expect much offensively from him, but his defense will keep him in the starting lineup, making him a deep league consideration. Another Cleveland Guardian, Genao, is the team’s current number four MLB Pipeline prospect. Like Rocchio, Genao is a switch hitter who relies on a hit tool and speed over power to succeed. With a good eye at the plate, Genao puts the bat on the ball and will use all fields. Genao will not offer much in the power department but will contribute with 20-plus stolen bases.

(Donovan Miller)