Fantasy Baseball 2026 shortstop rankings (16-30)

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10 February 2026 at 16:20

Shortstop is a much deeper position than the rest of the infield positions coming into 2025, with some elite options that should fly off the board in the first round of drafts. If you miss out on studs like Bobby Witt, Francisco Lindor, Gunnar Henderson, or Elly De La Cruz in the first round, fear not; there are a bunch of young and exciting options that we can grab later in our drafts that I feel are primed for a breakout season in 2026. Let’s take a look at the 16th to 30th-ranked shortstops for the 2026 fantasy baseball season.

16) Otto Lopez, Marlins

He qualifies at both 2b and SS after switching positions with Xavier Edwards last year in Miami. Lopez has an interesting combination of power and speed, but last year’s numbers look like they might be close to the ceiling for him. Close, but not necessarily final. Slight improvements in his walk and strikeout rates give me hope that he may have one small step forward coming into his age-27 season. A 20/20 season is very possible, and I’ll take a shot on him over some of the older guys to follow on this list.

MORE: Fantasy Baseball 2026 Catcher Rankings (16-30)

17) Masyn Winn, Cardinals

Sep 7, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) fields a grounder hit up the middle for the out on San Francisco Giants batter Drew Gilbert (not shown) in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

Winn was a hot target last year after posting a .267-15-57-85-11 season as a 22-year-old in 2024. He played most of last year with a torn meniscus in his knee, so I’m willing to buy in on the bounce back. At just 24 years old, with a full-time job and full health, he’s expecting to run more this year. A 20/20 season is very possible, and much like Lopez, I’d much prefer Winn to

18) Willy Adames, Giants

His power numbers didn’t take quite the hit that I expected with the move to San Francisco from Milwaukee, but his batting average bottomed out. We can give him a pass, as the numbers did improve as the season went on, so maybe it was just a period of adjustment. The stolen base total came back to earth as well after a career high of 21 in 2024. He’s a solid bet to repeat the 30 homers and chip in 10 steals or so, with a batting average closer to .245 than last year’s .225

19) Xander Bogaerts, Padres

Another veteran who isn’t quite what he used to be, Bogaerts was having a bit of a rebound season last year before a broken foot ended the campaign early. The 20 stolen bases were a career high, and I don’t think we can expect anything more in that department at age 33. If he can come close to that steal total, the rest of the numbers will all be solid across the board. A .265-15-60-80-15 season is very attainable.

20) Ezequiel Tovar, Rockies

Anybody who bought him last year based on his 2024 numbers was a bit disappointed, to say the least. He had a hip injury that forced him out of games for about a month, and when he was on the field, the only thing that carried over from 2024 was his strikeout rate. He’s still young, so I’m OK buying back in for a bounce back on the cheap. Just don’t expect 30+ home runs. I can see a return to 20+ and an uptick in steals into the double digits. His on-base skills will keep him towards the bottom of the Rockies lineup, which may limit his other counting stats.

21) Jose Caballero, Yankees

Sep 23, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) reacts after hitting a walk off single against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

He has led the AL in steals for the past two seasons and doesn’t need a full-time gig to pile up steals. He will begin the season getting a decent run at shortstop while Anthony Volpe rehabs from offseason shoulder surgery. Once the team is fully healthy, he’ll have to settle for a super utility role. He’s a one-category guy, so you will have to make up for the lost power numbers elsewhere. The Yankees don’t exactly let their players run wild, so he will most likely top out around 30-35 steals. He gives you a ton of roster flexibility on top of those steals, so he’s a nice option at middle infield.

22) Colson Montgomery, White Sox

Montgomery burst onto the scene last year with 21 home runs in just 255 at-bats after his call-up around mid-season. He’ll turn 24 before this season begins, and while he hasn’t peaked yet, he has some work to do before being a true fantasy asset. The power is for real as Monty is a big kid who may eventually move over to third base permanently, but for this year, he should play every day at short. He does qualify for both positions, so he makes for a better option at the thinner 3B spot for this season. He has 30+ homer upside, with a low batting average floor due to his near 30% K rate.

23) Anthony Volpe, Yankees

The good news is that Volpe’s terrible 2025 can be chalked up to him playing with a shoulder injury that required surgery in the offseason. The bad news is he will miss at least a month of 2026 as he works his way back from said surgery. The power and speed are both still there, and he’s still a baby at just 24 years old. Once he returns in May, he should play every day, and he could give us a discount version of what Zach Neto did last year. I’m not counting on it, but I can see 15 homers and 15 steals.

24) Carlos Correa, Astros

Sep 24, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) hits a double against the Athletics in the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Correa has returned to the scene of his former glory days and figures to play every day between 3rd base and DH for the Astros. For this year, he still qualifies at shortstop as well as 3rd, so his position flexibility is nice. He’s just 31, but he seems much older as he has always been an injury risk. We’re not expecting 150 games, but what we can expect is that he will bat in the middle of Houston’s lineup, and he should put up decent, but not spectacular numbers. He’s a pretty unexciting option, who can give you a decent batting average with 15 or so home runs, but not much more.

25) Andres Gimenez, Blue Jays

Gimenez has been trending in the wrong direction for a couple of years now. Last year a couple of injuries knocked him out of Toronto’s lineup for most of April and May and when he returned, he didn’t run very much. He’s still just 27, so I don’t think he’s washed up, but he may fall into a platoon if he can’t improve his numbers against lefties. On the bright side, he would still be on the larger half of that platoon. Double-digit home runs are probably a stretch, but hopefully the 30-steal seasons return. If you can get him super late, he’s worth a shot.

26) Zach McKinstry, Tigers

He’s better suited to be a super utility type of guy rather than an everyday player. He qualifies at SS, 3B, and OF, so he’s a nice piece to have in deeper leagues, but last year very well may be a career year for him. At 31 years of age, I don’t see more growth coming, but he can settle in at around .250-10-50-50-15. Not exciting, but a decent streamer or deep league option.

27) Joey Ortiz, Brewers

Ortiz showed some promise as a rookie in 2024 with 11 homers and 11 steals, but last year he was pretty brutal. He’s a very good defender, so Milwaukee will keep rolling him out there, but I’m not sure how much he will help your fantasy team. He’s not particularly young, but at 2,7 he’s not too old to learn a few new tricks either. He has enough speed that he could chip in upwards of 20 bags if he can improve his on-base numbers, and he has enough pop to chip in 10 homers. Downside is he gets off to a slow start, and the Brewers decide to take a look at newly acquired Jett Williams at short.

28) JP Crawford, Mariners

Mar 9, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop JP Crawford (3) flips the ball for an out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

He’s playing for a new contract, but at 31 years of age, I’m not sure he has much more left beyond what we’ve seen from him the last few seasons. The problem with Crawford is that his stats have been all over the map for the past three years. He missed some time in 2024 with a broken finger, but he was moved to the bottom of the lineup even before that. He’s a late-round pick that offers little to no upside. He’s the type of guy you can pick up to hold a spot in your lineup while you’re waiting for Anthony Volpe or even Ha-Seong Kim to return from injury.

29) Brooks Lee, Twins

Lee was pretty solid in his first full year in the majors in 2025, posting 16 homers over 139 games, playing all over the infield for Minnesota. He is slated to be their everyday shortstop this season, the position he filled when they dealt Carlos Correia last season. While he’s getting consistent at-bats, he’s worth a fantasy roster spot; it just remains to be seen if he can hold down shortstop for a full season.

30) Brayan Rocchio, Guardians

The Guardians seem to have had about 10 versions of this guy over the last few seasons. You aren’t the only one if you can’t remember the difference between Rocchio, Daniel Schneemann, and Tyler Freeman, etc. He began last season as the starter at short but flopped and was sent down. When he returned, he was a bit better, but nothing exciting. He’s just 25 years old, and he’s slated to be the starter as of right now. He doesn’t have much power, but has enough speed that he could steal 10-15 or so bases with a full season. He’s a deep league option or a streamer at best.