From Jimmy Rollins' NL MVP campaign to Troy Tulowitzki breakout season, 2007 was the year of the shortstops. The position is as deep as it's been in recent memory and boasts an elite top three that could all go in the first round of your fantasy draft. So with that in mind, Update! presents the top twenty shortstops for 2008:
2007: .332 AVG, 29 HR, 81 RBI, 125 R, 51 SB
Comment: Ramirez became the cream of a suddenly rich shortstop position with a dominant 2007. At age 24, there's still room for improvement — shocking considering how incredible he was last year. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has mentioned moving Ramirez out of the leadoff spot with Miguel Cabrera gone. With the Marlins looking to replace his offensive production, there's a good possibility that Ramirez will top 100 RBI in 2008. Ramirez could land in the three spot and thrive as a 30-plus HR threat. Really though, it doesn't matter where he hits, this guy's going to get his stats.
2007: .296 AVG, 30 HR, 94 RBI, 139 R, 41 SB
Comment: Although it's rather difficult imagining the 29-year-old Rollins reaching the lofty heights he touched last year, he should continue to produce at an elite rate in 2008 thanks to a forgiving home ballpark and a strong lineup around him. Rollins hasn't missed more than eight games in a season since 2001, so you know you can count on him to perform all year long.
2007: .280 AVG, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 122 R, 78 SB
Comment: Reyes was a consensus No. 2 overall pick for fantasy drafters in 2007, but just because his value has slipped a bit does not mean that he isn't a fantastic player. The guy stole an amazing 78 bases last season — the most since Marquis Grissom swiped 78 in 1992. His HR and RBI totals were disappointing in 2007, but he's just 24-years old and could very well return to the top of the shortstop rankings by the end of this season.
2007: .291 AVG, 24 HR, 99 RBI, 104 R, 7 SB
Comment: Tulowitzki enjoyed a remarkable rookie campaign last season. Considering he only had two HR entering June and finished with 24, the potential for a 30-plus HR season is definitely there. The only real knock on Tulowitzki is that his home stats (.326 AVG, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 54 R and 2 SB in 77 games) and road numbers (.256 AVG, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 50 R and 5 SB in 78 games) don't quite match up. If he can maintain a consistent performance away from Coors Field, Tulowitzki could take his game to the upper tier of infielders.
2007: .322 AVG, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 102 R, 15 SB
Comment: Jeter enjoyed yet another useful fantasy season in 2007. While he'll likely spend another season hitting in the two-hole, there is cause for concern in Jeter's game. He's turning 34 in June and while he has maintained a high batting average the past couple of seasons, his numbers have dropped elsewhere. His 102 runs last season marked the first time he failed to score at least 110 runs since 2004. His HR totals have dropped consistently every season since 2004 as well. Many consider Jeter a veritable fantasy warhorse, but he may just be on the cusp of a real statistical decline.
2007: .332 AVG, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 87 R, 11 SB
Comment: Renteria missed 38 games in 2007, but still provided good numbers with the Atlanta Braves. With the move to Detroit, Renteria enters a terrific situation, ripe with potential. The Tigers feature what has to be the best lineup in baseball, and Renteria should benefit. He will be reunited with manager Jim Leyland (the man under whom he won a World Series ring in 1997 for the Florida Marlins), and fantasy owners should expect big things from Renteria in 2008.
2007: .315 AVG, 9 HR, 94 RBI, 80 R, 13 SB
Comment: It's nice that Young matched his career-high in stolen bases last season. Plus, he now has four straight 90-plus RBI seasons and continues to hit at a great clip year-in, year-out. But the nine homers he bopped last season is probably evidence that the days of his 20-plus HR power are over. Hopefully, with the acquisition of players like Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley, Young can improve on last season's numbers.
2007: .296 AVG, 18 HR, 81 RBI, 72 R, 2 SB
Comment: Tejada missed 29 games last year, but his 2007 stats were still pretty solid. A nagging wrist injury limited Tejada's production last year, but after a healthy off-season he should improve a bit. He belted 10 homers in Aug. last season, proving he still has 20-plus HR pop, and the Astros lineup is a significant upgrade over the Orioles, meaning Tejada should remain productive in 2008.
2007: .301 AVG, 8 HR, 86 RBI, 101 R, 20 SB
Comment: Cabrera turned in arguably his best season ever with Los Angeles last year. Now, he'll be asked to be a regular producer near the top of the White Sox lineup, following a 2007 White Sox fans desperately want to forget. Cabrera should continue to be a run scoring and stolen base threat. And considering that he's in a walk-year, there's no reason to believe he won't improve on last season's numbers.
2007: .254 AVG, 27 HR, 97 RBI, 89 R, 4 SB
Comment: While he hit just .254 last season, he's clearly solidified himself as a power-threat in the Padres lineup. With San Diego adding Jim Edmonds and Tadahito Iguchi to their offense, the lineup should be better in 2008. Greene has a tendency to be streaky and that trend could continue this season. But at age 28, perhaps he's turned a corner.
2007: .270 AVG, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 87 R, 25 SB
Comment: Furcal battled ankle woes last season, causing a drop in his stolen base numbers. He missed 26 games in 2007, but should be fully healthy in 2008 and is still in a position to produce with Los Angeles. The acquisition of Andruw Jones could help Furcal top 100 runs scored, and if the team continues to run heavily, he could easily swipe over 35 bases in a rebound season.
2007: .277 AVG, 26 HR, 80 RBI, 89 R, 2 SB
Comment: Hardy enjoyed a blistering start to the season, compiling tremendous numbers in April and May (.300 AVG, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 34 R and 0 SB in 52 games). That, unfortunately, made up for most of his overall stats thanks to a mediocre showing the rest of the season (.260 AVG, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 55 R and 2 SB in 99 games). Hardy has got talent, but he obviously needs to work on his consistency. He has tremendous upside in an improving Brewers offense, but he also has the potential to kill your team for long stretches of time.
2007: .270 AVG, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 87 R, 4 SB
Comment: Cleveland has an offense that has made a habit of scoring a ton of runs the past few seasons, meaning Peralta should have plenty of opportunities to at least match last season's totals. He's hit 20-plus HR twice now in his career and hopefully he can do it again in 2008. Peralta will be turning 26 in May, so the best may be yet to come.
2007: .237 AG, 8 HR, 73 RBI, 71 R, 33 SB
Comment: Lugo didn't have the big year many envisioned for him in 2007. It wasn't a terrible season overall, particularly in the RBI and SB categories, but he could do a whole lot better. There's hope for 2008; Lugo hit .280 after the All-Star break and if he can just get on base more often, the runs will come pouring in that potent Red Sox lineup.
2007: .238 AVG, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 9 SB
Comment: Drew entered the 2007 season as one of the bigger sleeper picks in fantasy drafts. However, there were plenty of disappointed owners when Drew went through a rough first full season. He finished the year on a great note, however, hitting .387 in seven post-season games with two home runs, four RBI, six runs and one stolen base. It's possible he was putting too much pressure on himself to perform well last season, meaning he could break out in 2008.
2007: .326 AVG, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 54 R, 5 SB
Comment: Escobar was great for the Braves in 94 games last season. Escobar was so good that when Edgar Renteria was placed on the DL, they shipped the All-Star shortstop to Detroit and entrusted Escobar with everyday shortstop duties. He hit over .300 every month he played last year, displaying impressive consistency for a 24-year-old rookie.
2007: .266 AVG, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 80 R, 28 SB
Comment: Theriot really stumbled towards the end of the 2007 regular season, batting .202 with just eight runs in September. He definitely has 30-plus steal potential and if he bats near the top of the order (as he was doing in 2007), 100 runs is a real possibility. Just don't expect too much help with the power numbers.
2007: .245 AVG, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 70 R, 24 SB
Comment: Lopez's numbers dropped across the board in 2007 with a .245 average being the most alarming aspect of his descent. He needs to be more efficient at the plate. If he improves, the Nationals lineup is strong enough for him to score 90-plus runs with plenty of stolen bases (he stole 44 in 2006).
2007: .309 AVG, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 58 R, 10 SB
Comment: Injuries, again, slowed him down in 2007, but Eckstein should have more value with a one-year deal in Toronto in a pretty-good offense. Expect double-digit steals and perhaps 90 or more runs.
2007: .296 AVG, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 67 R, 2 SB
Comment: Wilson enjoyed a decent-enough season last year, but he really turned it on late in the year. He yielded a white-hot bat in Aug. and Sept. (.410 AVG, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R and 2 SB in 42 games), being a batting average savior of sorts for fantasy teams during the stretch run. His name is always mentioned in trade rumors, and with top prospect Brian Bixler behind him, Wilson may finally be moved. A trade would of course be a boon to his fantasy value — virtually every major league offense is better than Pittsburgh's.
1. HANLEY RAMIREZ
Florida Marlins2007: .332 AVG, 29 HR, 81 RBI, 125 R, 51 SB
Comment: Ramirez became the cream of a suddenly rich shortstop position with a dominant 2007. At age 24, there's still room for improvement — shocking considering how incredible he was last year. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has mentioned moving Ramirez out of the leadoff spot with Miguel Cabrera gone. With the Marlins looking to replace his offensive production, there's a good possibility that Ramirez will top 100 RBI in 2008. Ramirez could land in the three spot and thrive as a 30-plus HR threat. Really though, it doesn't matter where he hits, this guy's going to get his stats.
2. JIMMY ROLLINS
Philadelphia Phillies2007: .296 AVG, 30 HR, 94 RBI, 139 R, 41 SB
Comment: Although it's rather difficult imagining the 29-year-old Rollins reaching the lofty heights he touched last year, he should continue to produce at an elite rate in 2008 thanks to a forgiving home ballpark and a strong lineup around him. Rollins hasn't missed more than eight games in a season since 2001, so you know you can count on him to perform all year long.
3. JOSE REYES
New York Mets 2007: .280 AVG, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 122 R, 78 SB
Comment: Reyes was a consensus No. 2 overall pick for fantasy drafters in 2007, but just because his value has slipped a bit does not mean that he isn't a fantastic player. The guy stole an amazing 78 bases last season — the most since Marquis Grissom swiped 78 in 1992. His HR and RBI totals were disappointing in 2007, but he's just 24-years old and could very well return to the top of the shortstop rankings by the end of this season.
4. TROY TULOWITZKI
Colorado Rockies2007: .291 AVG, 24 HR, 99 RBI, 104 R, 7 SB
Comment: Tulowitzki enjoyed a remarkable rookie campaign last season. Considering he only had two HR entering June and finished with 24, the potential for a 30-plus HR season is definitely there. The only real knock on Tulowitzki is that his home stats (.326 AVG, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 54 R and 2 SB in 77 games) and road numbers (.256 AVG, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 50 R and 5 SB in 78 games) don't quite match up. If he can maintain a consistent performance away from Coors Field, Tulowitzki could take his game to the upper tier of infielders.
5. DEREK JETER
New York Yankees2007: .322 AVG, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 102 R, 15 SB
Comment: Jeter enjoyed yet another useful fantasy season in 2007. While he'll likely spend another season hitting in the two-hole, there is cause for concern in Jeter's game. He's turning 34 in June and while he has maintained a high batting average the past couple of seasons, his numbers have dropped elsewhere. His 102 runs last season marked the first time he failed to score at least 110 runs since 2004. His HR totals have dropped consistently every season since 2004 as well. Many consider Jeter a veritable fantasy warhorse, but he may just be on the cusp of a real statistical decline.
6. EDGAR RENTERIA
Detroit Tigers2007: .332 AVG, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 87 R, 11 SB
Comment: Renteria missed 38 games in 2007, but still provided good numbers with the Atlanta Braves. With the move to Detroit, Renteria enters a terrific situation, ripe with potential. The Tigers feature what has to be the best lineup in baseball, and Renteria should benefit. He will be reunited with manager Jim Leyland (the man under whom he won a World Series ring in 1997 for the Florida Marlins), and fantasy owners should expect big things from Renteria in 2008.
7. MICHAEL YOUNG
Texas Rangers2007: .315 AVG, 9 HR, 94 RBI, 80 R, 13 SB
Comment: It's nice that Young matched his career-high in stolen bases last season. Plus, he now has four straight 90-plus RBI seasons and continues to hit at a great clip year-in, year-out. But the nine homers he bopped last season is probably evidence that the days of his 20-plus HR power are over. Hopefully, with the acquisition of players like Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley, Young can improve on last season's numbers.
8. MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros2007: .296 AVG, 18 HR, 81 RBI, 72 R, 2 SB
Comment: Tejada missed 29 games last year, but his 2007 stats were still pretty solid. A nagging wrist injury limited Tejada's production last year, but after a healthy off-season he should improve a bit. He belted 10 homers in Aug. last season, proving he still has 20-plus HR pop, and the Astros lineup is a significant upgrade over the Orioles, meaning Tejada should remain productive in 2008.
9. ORLANDO CABRERA
Chicago White Sox2007: .301 AVG, 8 HR, 86 RBI, 101 R, 20 SB
Comment: Cabrera turned in arguably his best season ever with Los Angeles last year. Now, he'll be asked to be a regular producer near the top of the White Sox lineup, following a 2007 White Sox fans desperately want to forget. Cabrera should continue to be a run scoring and stolen base threat. And considering that he's in a walk-year, there's no reason to believe he won't improve on last season's numbers.
10. KHALIL GREENE
San Diego Padres2007: .254 AVG, 27 HR, 97 RBI, 89 R, 4 SB
Comment: While he hit just .254 last season, he's clearly solidified himself as a power-threat in the Padres lineup. With San Diego adding Jim Edmonds and Tadahito Iguchi to their offense, the lineup should be better in 2008. Greene has a tendency to be streaky and that trend could continue this season. But at age 28, perhaps he's turned a corner.
11. RAFAEL FURCAL
Los Angeles Dodgers2007: .270 AVG, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 87 R, 25 SB
Comment: Furcal battled ankle woes last season, causing a drop in his stolen base numbers. He missed 26 games in 2007, but should be fully healthy in 2008 and is still in a position to produce with Los Angeles. The acquisition of Andruw Jones could help Furcal top 100 runs scored, and if the team continues to run heavily, he could easily swipe over 35 bases in a rebound season.
12. J.J. HARDY
Milwaukee Brewers2007: .277 AVG, 26 HR, 80 RBI, 89 R, 2 SB
Comment: Hardy enjoyed a blistering start to the season, compiling tremendous numbers in April and May (.300 AVG, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 34 R and 0 SB in 52 games). That, unfortunately, made up for most of his overall stats thanks to a mediocre showing the rest of the season (.260 AVG, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 55 R and 2 SB in 99 games). Hardy has got talent, but he obviously needs to work on his consistency. He has tremendous upside in an improving Brewers offense, but he also has the potential to kill your team for long stretches of time.
13. JHONNY PERALTA
Cleveland Indians2007: .270 AVG, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 87 R, 4 SB
Comment: Cleveland has an offense that has made a habit of scoring a ton of runs the past few seasons, meaning Peralta should have plenty of opportunities to at least match last season's totals. He's hit 20-plus HR twice now in his career and hopefully he can do it again in 2008. Peralta will be turning 26 in May, so the best may be yet to come.
14. JULIO LUGO
Boston Red Sox2007: .237 AG, 8 HR, 73 RBI, 71 R, 33 SB
Comment: Lugo didn't have the big year many envisioned for him in 2007. It wasn't a terrible season overall, particularly in the RBI and SB categories, but he could do a whole lot better. There's hope for 2008; Lugo hit .280 after the All-Star break and if he can just get on base more often, the runs will come pouring in that potent Red Sox lineup.
15. STEPHEN DREW
Arizona Diamondbacks2007: .238 AVG, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 9 SB
Comment: Drew entered the 2007 season as one of the bigger sleeper picks in fantasy drafts. However, there were plenty of disappointed owners when Drew went through a rough first full season. He finished the year on a great note, however, hitting .387 in seven post-season games with two home runs, four RBI, six runs and one stolen base. It's possible he was putting too much pressure on himself to perform well last season, meaning he could break out in 2008.
16. YUNEL ESCOBAR
Atlanta Braves2007: .326 AVG, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 54 R, 5 SB
Comment: Escobar was great for the Braves in 94 games last season. Escobar was so good that when Edgar Renteria was placed on the DL, they shipped the All-Star shortstop to Detroit and entrusted Escobar with everyday shortstop duties. He hit over .300 every month he played last year, displaying impressive consistency for a 24-year-old rookie.
17. RYAN THERIOT
Chicago Cubs2007: .266 AVG, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 80 R, 28 SB
Comment: Theriot really stumbled towards the end of the 2007 regular season, batting .202 with just eight runs in September. He definitely has 30-plus steal potential and if he bats near the top of the order (as he was doing in 2007), 100 runs is a real possibility. Just don't expect too much help with the power numbers.
18. FELIPE LOPEZ
Washington Nationals2007: .245 AVG, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 70 R, 24 SB
Comment: Lopez's numbers dropped across the board in 2007 with a .245 average being the most alarming aspect of his descent. He needs to be more efficient at the plate. If he improves, the Nationals lineup is strong enough for him to score 90-plus runs with plenty of stolen bases (he stole 44 in 2006).
19. DAVID ECKSTEIN
Toronto Blue Jays2007: .309 AVG, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 58 R, 10 SB
Comment: Injuries, again, slowed him down in 2007, but Eckstein should have more value with a one-year deal in Toronto in a pretty-good offense. Expect double-digit steals and perhaps 90 or more runs.
20. JACK WILSON
Pittsburgh Pirates2007: .296 AVG, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 67 R, 2 SB
Comment: Wilson enjoyed a decent-enough season last year, but he really turned it on late in the year. He yielded a white-hot bat in Aug. and Sept. (.410 AVG, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R and 2 SB in 42 games), being a batting average savior of sorts for fantasy teams during the stretch run. His name is always mentioned in trade rumors, and with top prospect Brian Bixler behind him, Wilson may finally be moved. A trade would of course be a boon to his fantasy value — virtually every major league offense is better than Pittsburgh's.
