Early 2022 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings: Top 20 shows Wander Franco closing in on Trevor Story

Shortstop's transformation into a powerhouse position continues. It's gone from being star-studded in recent years to what I'd describe now as just plain deep. And that's with tried-and-trues like Trevor Story and Francisco Lindor facing a suddenly murky outlook.

Of the top 20s I've revealed at each of the infield spots, this one is the most impressive from top to bottom.

Granted, there are multi-eligible players who could thin the herd in an actual draft. Fernando Tatis, Trea Turner, Marcus Semien, Javier Baez, Jorge Polanco, Jake Cronenworth, Jazz Chisholm and Brendan Rodgers fit into that category. But even if they're all drafted to play elsewhere (they won't be), it still leaves 12 quality options. Case in point: No. 20 averaged Head-to-Head points per game than No. 6 this year.

The drop-off is still pretty sudden once you move beyond the top 20 -- a product of so few players having the defensive chops to man the position -- but anyone who plays in a standard-size league probably won't even notice. For what it's worth, Adalberto Mondesi and Tommy Edman won't be eligible at the position to begin next year.

Note that these rankings are intended for 5x5 scoring (such as Rotisserie leagues), but I point out distinctions for points leagues where applicable.

Top 20 shortstops for 2022

1	Fernando Tatis San Diego Padres SS
Concerns about his left shoulder subluxation, which he reportedly won't have surgery to correct in the offseason, might steer some away from him with the top overall pick, but he managed to play through it this entire season, with some reports suggesting it dates back to his days in the minors. Fair to say it hasn't hampered his production.
2	Trea Turner Los Angeles Dodgers 2B
His transition to the Dodgers went as smoothly as anyone could have hoped, but now the odds are good he'll be drafted as someone's second baseman instead, stretching the shortstop position a little. He isn't the stolen base outlier he was at the start of his career but has improved his hitting to remain an obvious first-rounder.
3	Bo Bichette Toronto Blue Jays SS
His first full major-league season pretty much confirmed what we all suspected but most notably validated him as a base-stealer, his 25 swipes in 26 attempts putting on the verge of first-round status in 5x5 leagues, where he stands out across the board. His free-swinging approach makes him firmly a second-rounder in points leagues.
4	Marcus Semien Toronto Blue Jays 2B
He may have set the single-season record for home runs by a second baseman, but he still saw enough time at shortstop to remain eligible there. And maybe he moves back there full-time with his new team, whatever it is. Some regression is to be expected, but being in the MVP conversation two of the past three years earns the late-bloomer some trust.
5	Corey Seager Los Angeles Dodgers SS
His 2021 probably feels like a disappointment after the show he put on during the brief regular season and postseason last year, but a September surge brought his batting average (.306 vs. .307) and OPS (.915 vs. .943) nearly in line. The impending free agent's Statcast page is still lit up like a Christmas tree, and I think his best is yet to come.
6	Xander Bogaerts Boston Red Sox SS
He raised eyebrows with his 33-homer, 52-double 2019 and got off to a similar start this year, but his lackluster second half confirmed he's decidedly second-tier. Statcast pegged him as an overachiever during that career year as well. He's built more for batting average than power and doesn't run much at this stage of his career, but the floor remains awfully high.
7	Trevor Story Colorado Rockies SS
He'll be one of the most difficult players to evaluate given that he's almost certainly leaving the comforts of Coors Field, and an off year only clouds things further. He finished strong, though, with few red flags therein, so I think 2021 oddly served as a sneak peak into the sort of player he'll be outside Colorado -- i.e., a .250-hitting, 25-homer, 20-steal guy.
8	Wander Franco Tampa Bay Rays SS
The undisputed top prospect in baseball from the time he was 18 debuted at age 20 and made a strong impression, striking out just 11 times over the final two months. He may not elevate well enough for big power right away, but it could come quickly and with a great batting average in the meantime. Slot him ahead of Trevor Story in points leagues.
9	Carlos Correa Houston Astros SS
I'm not totally comfortable ranking him this low given that I'm not sure he's so different than Xander Bogaerts at this stage, but the latter has proven to be a more reliable source of batting average. Correa has had some durability issues, too, and we'll want to see where he ultimately ends up signing. He actually averaged more points per game (3.28) than Bogaerts (3.12) this year, though.
10	Javier Baez New York Mets 2B
Though he's yet another shortstop set to hit the open market, the concerns for Baez go beyond where he signs. His plate discipline went from dreadful to abysmal in 2021, but because his BABIP and home run-to-fly ball rate became even greater outliers, you hardly noticed. The fall could be hard when it comes, but particularly in 5x5 play, it's hard to pass up the power/speed combo.
11	Jorge Polanco Minnesota Twins 2B
Much like Marcus Semien, Polanco has taken us on a wild ride the past three seasons, improving on his 2019 breakout this year after an injury-ridden disaster in 2020. Hard to say if 30 homers is his new baseline, but combining a low strikeout rate with a low ground-ball rate should lead to good things.
12	Francisco Lindor New York Mets SS
The soon-to-be 28-year-old looked like a perennial first-rounder not too long ago, which earns him some benefit of the doubt. When you consider, though, that his power spike came during the first full year of the juiced ball (2017) and relied on him putting the ball in the air a ton, it's possible he'll need to change his swing to account for the new baseball. It's a cross-your-fingers type of pick.
13	Tim Anderson Chicago White Sox SS
After a third straight season of a .370 BABIP or better, it's fair to say Anderson is a freak on balls in play, but he may not be as good at hitting them out of play (as in over the fence) with the new baseball. He also lost a step, according to Statcast sprint speed, so while you can expect a quality batting average, the home runs and stolen bases may be closer to 15 than 20.
14	Jake Cronenworth San Diego Padres 2B
Cronenworth checks in at nine among first basemen and 12 at second base, which tells you how shortstop shapes up comparatively. The versatility gives him the nod over some batters who have more upside, particularly in the power department, but the 27-year-old himself fell short of his expected stats this year, his low strikeout rate positioning him for a better batting average.
15	Jazz Chisholm Miami Marlins 2B
He showed as a rookie the impact he could have, particularly in 5x5 leagues, coming within two homers of a 20/20 campaign despite losing nearly a quarter of the season to injuries. The plate discipline was bad but not the disaster it could have been. If steals are the priority, you'll endure the growing pains, but knock Chisholm down five spots in points leagues.
16	Willy Adames Milwaukee Brewers SS
An issue with the batter's eye at Tropicana Field made Adames a significantly better hitter on the road during his time with the Rays, and he became that hitter full-time with the Brewers, batting .285 with an .886 OPS following an early-season trade. Seeing as he's only 26, there's a new world of possibilities here.
17	Dansby Swanson Atlanta Braves SS
Turning 28 before the start of next season, Swanson has likely peaked as a good-but-not-great Fantasy option, offering above-average power with usable speed and a middling batting average. For all of his streakiness in 2021, his final percentages looked similar to 2019, with the totals being higher thanks to good health.
18	Bobby Witt Kansas City Royals SS
The prospect we were all begging to see called up this year will certainly arrive next year, and presumably sooner than later. If there's even an inkling he makes the opening day roster, he'll move up a couple spots in these rankings. Expect him to be the first minor-leaguer drafted after hitting .290 with 33 homers, 29 steals and a .936 OPS.
19	Brendan Rodgers Colorado Rockies 2B
That a player as promising as this one can barely crack my top 20 shows how much talent is to be had at the position. Rodgers' point-per-game average was similar to that of Willy Adames and Dansby Swanson, and that was with him underachieving at home and struggling to elevate the ball. He'll more likely be drafted to play second base.
20	Brandon Crawford San Francisco Giants SS
You should always be skeptical of the 34-year-old who has a career season, particularly at a position that tends not to age well. Still, we're at a point in the rankings where we can't ignore what Crawford did, contributing a combined 35 homers and steals with a point-per-game average better than Xander Bogaerts.