Below is a chart of every shortstop ranked and covered in MLB.com's 2009 Fantasy Preview, a rundown that includes established big leaguers and up-and-coming prospects.
The list features dollar values compiled by our MLB.com staff based on standard 23-man, $260, 5x5 mixed-league play. We included projected stats for the 2009 season as well as a one-liner prediction that encapsulates every player's value in 10 words or fewer. This page will be updated throughout the spring to reflect the impact of inevitable transactions, injuries and changing job situations.
An indispensable part of the draft-day kit, the cheat sheet can make the difference between winning and losing your fantasy league. With quick-hitting rankings and forecasts, it'll help you keep the remaining players on the board in order as the draft wears on. The last thing you want to be doing is flipping through some magazine when it's your turn to pick.
So play fair, but don't forget your cheat sheet when you head to your draft.
| Shortstops |
TM |
$$ |
Avg |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
Notes |
| Hanley Ramirez | FLA | 42 | .311 | 115 | 28 | 73 | 42 | Prime power/speed option worth top dollar. |
| Jose Reyes | NYM | 39 | .295 | 122 | 17 | 69 | 61 | Speedster offers all-category upside. |
| Jimmy Rollins | PHI | 31 | .285 | 98 | 19 | 73 | 37 | Terrific value even without MVP-caliber numbers. |
| Alexei Ramirez | CWS | 19 | .288 | 89 | 22 | 75 | 16 | Versatility boosts already lofty value. |
| Derek Jeter | NYY | 17 | .305 | 108 | 13 | 74 | 14 | Veteran SS still capable of quality production. |
| Rafael Furcal | LAD | 17 | .293 | 91 | 8 | 52 | 26 | Upside offsets injury risk. |
| Stephen Drew | ARI | 15 | .283 | 75 | 20 | 71 | 7 | Capable of sustaining '08 production. |
| Jhonny Peralta | CLE | 14 | .279 | 101 | 25 | 87 | 2 | Could make run at 30-HR season. |
| Troy Tulowitzki | COL | 14 | .285 | 88 | 21 | 87 | 5 | Strong '08 finish hints at bounceback campaign. |
| J.J. Hardy | MIL | 12 | .279 | 81 | 22 | 83 | 2 | Slugging SS at prime age to blossom. |
| Michael Young | TEX | 11 | .288 | 93 | 13 | 83 | 9 | May struggle to regain consistency in '09. |
| Miguel Tejada | HOU | 9 | .288 | 80 | 14 | 78 | 4 | No longer capable of big power numbers. |
| Yunel Escobar | ATL | 9 | .297 | 75 | 13 | 68 | 8 | Developing SS offers mild upside. |
| Mike Aviles | KC | 8 | .279 | 73 | 14 | 65 | 8 | Hard-hitting infielder no one-year wonder. |
| Edgar Renteria | SF | 7 | .285 | 79 | 9 | 66 | 7 | Set for bounceback with return to NL. |
| Felipe Lopez | ARI | 5 | .272 | 68 | 12 | 51 | 15 | Move to Chase Field helps value. |
| Orlando Cabrera | OAK | 5 | .272 | 81 | 6 | 58 | 15 | Speed game hurt by move to OAK. |
| Cristian Guzman | WSH | 4 | .289 | 62 | 5 | 42 | 8 | Unlikely to match '08 AVG. |
| Ryan Theriot | CHC | 4 | .284 | 74 | 1 | 39 | 25 | Capable source of SB, runs. |
| Jason Bartlett | TB | 3 | .277 | 59 | 3 | 44 | 18 | Offsets minimal power with AVG, SB. |
| Asdrubal Cabrera | CLE | 3 | .275 | 76 | 10 | 58 | 10 | Must prove '08 second half was no fluke. |
| Clint Barmes | COL | 3 | .272 | 43 | 9 | 40 | 8 | Will need strong start to keep starting job. |
| Elvis Andrus | TEX | 3 | .271 | 67 | 1 | 27 | 28 | Strong glove will help keep speedster in lineup. |
| Khalil Greene | STL | 2 | .251 | 69 | 17 | 70 | 3 | Sure to relish departure from PETCO. |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | SEA | 2 | .291 | 73 | 10 | 64 | 5 | Must continue developing patience. |
| Jed Lowrie | BOS | 2 | .273 | 77 | 12 | 76 | 4 | Julio Lugo injury opens door to starting role. |
| Cesar Izturis | BAL | 2 | .262 | 53 | 1 | 20 | 27 | Has made successful return to mixed-league radar. |
| Brandon Wood | LAA | 2 | .250 | 54 | 19 | 57 | 7 | Top power prospect close to sticking with big club. |
| Wilson Betemit | CWS | 2 | .263 | 47 | 16 | 45 | 1 | Power could help in deep leagues. |
| Emmanuel Burriss | SF | 2 | .270 | 64 | 1 | 37 | 24 | Warrants look for big-time SB potential. |
| Jerry Hairston Jr. | CIN | 2 | .274 | 51 | 6 | 37 | 18 | Could earn regular PT while Alex Gonzalez recovers. |
| Erick Aybar | LAA | 2 | .271 | 55 | 5 | 42 | 16 | Capable of reclaiming starting job. |
| Brendan Harris | MIN | 2 | .270 | 58 | 8 | 54 | 4 | Versatility helps offset troubling trends. |
| Jack Wilson | PIT | 1 | .276 | 50 | 9 | 40 | 2 | Don't expect return to '07 form. |
| Bobby Crosby | OAK | 1 | .240 | 58 | 10 | 55 | 9 | Former promising talent clinging to starting job. |
| Nomar Garciaparra | OAK | 1 | .275 | 31 | 8 | 39 | 1 | Veteran bat may provide value in deep leagues. |
| Alberto Callaspo | KC | 1 | .275 | 46 | 1 | 32 | 4 | Could be ticketed for starting job in KC. |
| Aaron Miles | CHC | 1 | .295 | 40 | 1 | 25 | 2 | Likely slated for platoon duty. |
| Omar Infante | ATL | 1 | .277 | 44 | 4 | 37 | 3 | Should see fair share of AB behind Chipper. |
| Jeff Keppinger | HOU | 1 | .281 | 51 | 6 | 45 | 4 | Playing time aplenty behind Geoff Blum. |
| Ben Zobrist | TB | 1 | .255 | 41 | 11 | 39 | 7 | Limited to backup duties for loaded Rays. |
| Marco Scutaro | TOR | 1 | .261 | 61 | 7 | 55 | 5 | Offers little upside, even as starter. |
| Maicer Izturis | LAA | 1 | .277 | 58 | 6 | 47 | 12 | Often finds way into starting lineup. |
| Ramon Vazquez | PIT | 1 | .268 | 42 | 8 | 38 | 4 | Faces few obstacles to regular PT with Bucs. |
| Willie Bloomquist | KC | 1 | .269 | 34 | 2 | 20 | 11 | Offers some speed for AL-only owners. |
| Nick Punto | MIN | 1 | .271 | 55 | 1 | 32 | 12 | Versatile understudy safe bet for double-digit SB. |
| David Eckstein | SD | 1 | .279 | 51 | 2 | 33 | 6 | Declining vet has little to offer. |
| Alcides Escobar | MIL | 1 | .288 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 9 | Slick-fielding speedster blocked in Milwaukee for now. |
| Brendan Ryan | STL | 1 | .261 | 40 | 4 | 19 | 8 | Provides handful of steals in deep formats. |
| Adam Everett | DET | 1 | .245 | 59 | 3 | 40 | 9 | Defensive specialist safe to bypass. |
| Julio Lugo | BOS | 1 | .255 | 36 | 2 | 25 | 9 | Knee surgery hurts chance of winning regular gig. |
| Matt Tolbert | MIN | 1 | .274 | 28 | 2 | 21 | 8 | Versatile INF could see expanded role. |
| Alex Gonzalez | CIN | 1 | .261 | 15 | 3 | 19 | 0 | Oft-injured vet questionable for start of '09. |
| Alfredo Amezaga | FLA | 1 | .255 | 32 | 1 | 21 | 7 | Speed game may be hurt by knee injury. |
| Eric Bruntlett | PHI | 1 | .241 | 24 | 3 | 26 | 9 | Versatility doesn't offset low AVG. |
| Everth Cabrera | SD | 1 | .244 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 14 | Lacks plate discipline to showcase outstanding wheels. |
| Chin-lung Hu | LAD | 1 | .245 | 36 | 3 | 31 | 4 | Relegated to bench by Rafael Furcal re-signing. |
| Freddie Bynum | WSH | 1 | .243 | 31 | 3 | 20 | 7 | Will need strong camp to stick with Nats. |
| John McDonald | TOR | 1 | .234 | 31 | 0 | 22 | 4 | Slick-fielding shortstop offers little at the plate. |
| Ramon Santiago | DET | 1 | .269 | 41 | 5 | 37 | 3 | Could deliver AL-worthy numbers with starting gig. |
| Alex Cintron | FA | 1 | .271 | 33 | 5 | 32 | 4 | Young enough to see decent AB as utilityman. |
| Omar Vizquel | TEX | 1 | .245 | 30 | 1 | 26 | 7 | Veteran SS hoping to stave off Father Time. |
| Brent Lillibridge | CWS | 1 | .256 | 33 | 5 | 31 | 5 | May see increased opportunity on South Side. |
| Brian Bixler | PIT | 1 | .245 | 30 | 4 | 20 | 6 | Likely to spend most of '09 in Minors. |
| Alex Cora | NYM | 1 | .255 | 31 | 1 | 19 | 3 | Could see more PT behind oft-injured Luis Castillo. |
| Alberto Gonzalez | WSH | 1 | .261 | 24 | 4 | 22 | 3 | Needs to build on promising '08 finish. |
| Brandon Fahey | TOR | 1 | .231 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Unlikely to spend much time in bigs in '09. |
| Craig Counsell | MIL | 1 | .233 | 22 | 1 | 14 | 3 | Value hurt by diminished power, speed. |
| Luis Rivas | CHC | 1 | .244 | 26 | 2 | 21 | 3 | May have trouble landing job after rough '08. |
| Donnie Murphy | BAL | 1 | .262 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 2 | Roster spot there for taking in BAL. |
| Ronny Cedeno | SEA | 1 | .275 | 40 | 3 | 30 | 5 | Trade to SEA should help. |
| Cliff Pennington | OAK | 1 | .250 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 3 | Speedster not ready to make impact. |
| Augie Ojeda | ARI | 1 | .245 | 34 | 2 | 25 | 2 | Defensive abilities provide no fantasy help. |
| Omar Quintanilla | COL | 1 | .255 | 32 | 4 | 24 | 1 | Unlikely to get chance in crowded infield. |
| Ivan DeJesus | LAD | 1 | .226 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | A year of Triple-A and he'll be ready. |
| Reid Brignac | TB | 1 | .233 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | Should continue development in Triple-A. |
| Chris Gomez | BAL | 1 | .274 | 20 | 0 | 16 | 0 | Has consistently provided solid average. |
| Tony Pena | KC | 1 | .239 | 25 | 1 | 14 | 3 | Stuck behind promising Mike Aviles. |
| Paul Janish | CIN | 1 | .235 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | Offers little offensive upside. |
| Angel Berroa | NYY | 1 | .244 | 18 | 2 | 16 | 1 | Unlikely to see much time in All-Star NYY lineup. |
| Luis Cruz | PIT | 1 | .261 | 14 | 2 | 17 | 2 | Offered little appeal to big club in '08. |
| Ivan Ochoa | BOS | 1 | .249 | 14 | 0 | 11 | 3 | Little more than reserve INF. |
| Juan Castro | LAD | 1 | .208 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 | Value to ML teams based solely on defense. |
| Brian Bocock | SF | 1 | .203 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 2 | May have missed opportunity with Giants. |
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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