2010 Fantasy Baseball - Breakout Short Stops

While Hanley Ramirez is the undisputed best shortstop (and some may say overall player) in fantasy baseball and players like Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes and Troy Tulowitzki are the next best in line; here are a few Shortstops that you should monitor this offseason and target in drafts for the 2010 baseball season.

Jason Bartlett - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
After coming off a career year where he hit .320 AVG, 14 HRs, 66 RBIs, 90 Runs and 30 SBs, Jason Bartlett should be the 6^th shortstop taken in fantasy baseball drafts in 2010. The main question is, what round will he be drafted in as the top tiered shortstops are usually off the board by round 5. If I were a betting man I'd say Bartlett will be going on average in the 7^th round of drafts this season. With the job in Tampa Bay locked up for next season Bartlett should produce similar numbers to last season. I see a slight increase in HRs and RBIs as well for Jason. As an all star for the first time in 2009, I see him making the team in 2010 and also ranking in the top 50 fantasy baseball players for the year. If you can snatch him up in the 6^th or 7^th round he will pay you great dividends at that price.

Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers
This 21 year old hasn't even started to show the league what he is made of. After two years of constant hype I believe that 2010 is the year that Elvis Andrus stops showing small flickers of potential greatness and actually delivers a consistent campaign in which he provides excellent fantasy value to all his owners. After finishing 2009 with .267 AVG, 6 Hrs, 40 RBIs, 72 Runs and 33 SBs; Andrus was only about a quarter owned in fantasy leagues among all formats. In addition his numbers ranked him 20^th among shortstops in the major leagues. In 2010 Elvis will improve immensely and show more pop, consistency and speed than he did last year. All his teammates are impressed with his raw talents and believe a little seasoning is all he needs. Well 2009 was his seasoning, Michael Young gladly moved to 3B for him and the sky is the limit for this product of Venezuela. In 2010 I project Andrus to finish up between 8^th and 13^th among shortstops with numbers around .280 AVG, 10 HRs, 58 RBIs, 84 Runs and 42 SBs. Keep an eye on this youngster and strike before the iron gets too hot.

Alcides Escobar - Milwaukee Brewers
With J.J. Hardy shipped to the Twins this offseason for Carlos Gomez, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin made it clear that the highly regarded Brewers prospect Alcides Escobar would be the team's starting shortstop in 2010. Currently he is listed 8 on Major League Baseball's top prospects list and that's saying a lot for this 22 year old who has already shown the league what he's got. While he doesn't possess much power, he is a consistent hitter and would fit ideally in the 2 hole as he has plenty of speed to complement his bat. In only 38 games last season for Milwaukee, Escobar hit .304 AVG, 20 Runs, 1 HR, 11 RBIs and 4 SBs over 125 ABs. This is roughly a quarter of a season for a raw talent. I must say great things are going to come of him in 2010 with a fulltime position in tow. Although I wouldn't draft him until the later rounds of your draft I foresee the following season out of him in 2010: 311 AVG., 83 Runs, 13 HRs, 69 RBIs and 27 SBs.

Orlando Cabrera - Minnesota Twins
He may be 35 years old and not a player you should target in keeper/dynasty leagues, but Orlando Cabrera will most certainly be a serviceable fantasy shortstop in 2010. You may be asking how could someone this old be a breakout player? Well I consider him among this category because he will put up even better numbers in 2010 than he did in 2009. Although he is a defensive liability (Led MLB shortstops with 25 errors - which we don't care about for fantasy purposes) Cabrera shined while standing at home plate. In 2009 he hit .284 AVG, 83 Runs, 9 HRs, 77 RBIs and 13 SBs. I see Cabrera hitting above .300 AVG while chiming in 90 Runs, 15 HRs, 85 RBIs and similar SBs to last season. If you haven't drafted a shortstop by round 15, this may be your man. He is also a great fill-in short stop in case your top tiered Reyes hurts his hammy again.

Cristian Guzman - Washington Nationals
Only 4 years younger than Cabrera is the 31 year old Guzman. Plagued by injuries for most of his career, Guzman is set for a big season in 2010. Last season in 135 games he hit .284 AVG, 74 Runs, 6 HRs, 52 RBIs and 4 SBs. These numbers are pretty weak for a guy of his talents. In defense of his season he did and still does play for arguably the worst team in baseball. 2010 may get a little bit better for him from a teammates perspective, but I think he personally will be a leader in the clubhouse and on the field. In 2010 I predict Guzman to hit .305 AVG, 88 Runs, 12 HRs, 70 RBIs and 12 SBs. I think he will have his first completely healthy season in Washington and he will surprise many. Keep an eye on him in the final rounds of your draft.