Fantasy Baseball 2010: Top 10 Shortstops to Draft

With so few bona fide fantasy stars available, finding a good shortstop during your 2010 fantasy baseball draft should be a top priority, after all gone are the days when A-Rod, Garciaparra, Jeter and Tejadas all presented attractive options at the position. Last season only five shortstops hit above .300, and of those only two went on to hit over 20 homers. Speed is also missing from this year's crop as only three of these middle infielders stole over 30 bases. That being the case it would be wise for all fantasy owners to do their homework prior to the draft and ensure themselves of getting at least one of the better available shortstops. To help here then is a list of the top 10 shortstops available for the 2010 fantasy baseball season.

Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

Ramirez is in a class by himself having posted great fantasy numbers across the board last season. The Marlins shortstop hit .342 with 24 homers and 106 RBIs while stealing 27 bases and scoring 101 runs. Though his homers steals and runs were down from 2008, his RBI totals and average were a career high. Only 26 Ramirez should be a fantasy star for years to come, and the only shortstop worthy of a first round pick.

Derek Jeter (Yankees)

Though Jeter had a fantastic 2009 season, age is starting to make him a high risk, high reward pick. Last season Jeter hit .334 and scored 106 runs while stealing 30 bases. In the process, he collected his seventh 200 hit season. Though he will be hard press to post those types of numbers again this season, Jeter still hits in a star studded lineup and he has shown no signs of slowing down. However, since you do not know when the wheels will finally come off on this future Hall of Famer, Jeter should not be drafted higher than the third round.

Troy Tulowitzski(Rockies)

After a disappointing 2008 season Tulowitzski found his hitting stroke again hitting .297 with 32 homers and 92 RBIs while adding 101 runs and 20 steals to his numbers. The fact that he plays his home games at Colorado should help his numbers as he hit an impressive .326 at his home park. Tulowitzski's power is legit as the Rockies' shortstop added 15 homers on the road to his totals last season. With a .344 post All-Star game average, there is little to suggest that Troy is headed for a let down this year. Look for fantasy numbers in the 25-90- .300 range and take him in the top third of the draft.

Stephen Drew (Diamondbacks)

Sephen Drew can flat out hit, though he is coming off a disappointing fantasy year. Still, over the last two seasons Drew has collected 73 doubles, 23 triples, and 33 homers, and chances are he will return to the types of numbers he enjoyed in 2008. Look for him to post fantasy numbers in the 20-80-.300 range this season and take him if he slips down in the draft because of his 2009 numbers.

Jimmy Rollins (Phillies)

Two years removed from a career year that earned him an MVP award, Rollins is not the fantasy god he once was as evident by his .250 average last season. Still, Rollins continued to show both power and speed last season, hitting 21 homers, collecting 31 steals, and racking up 100 runs in the process. While he will not approach his 2007 numbers, Rollins should still post good numbers this season given that he is surrounded by excellent hitters in Philly. Add to that the fact that only once in nine years has he failed to get at least 625 at-bats, and you have the makings of a solid fantasy draft pick.

Miguel Tejada (Astros)

His days of hitting 30 homers and driving in 100 runs are gone. Having said that, Tejada posted a .313 average last season and collected 199 hits along the way. At 35 it is highly unlikely that he will improve on those numbers and owners should be cautious while drafting Tejadas this year. Look for Miguel's numbers to fall in the .290-15-75 range, and take him in the latter rounds of your fantasy draft.

Yunel Escobar (Braves)

The Cuban born Escobar has proven he can hit major league pitching compiling a .326 average in 2007 and a .299 average last season. What's more the 6-2, 200 lbs, right handed hitter increased his power numbers last year hitting 14 homers and 76 RBIs. If he learns to hit lefty's a bit better (.232 -4- 19 last season) there is no reason that Escobar cannot turn into a .300-20-90 player over the next few seasons. While he won't get you steals, look for Escobar to continue to improve this season and take him in the lower part of the draft if he is available.

Alexei Ramírez (White Sox)

Ramirez is another Cuban born player who has the potential to post up big fantasy numbers this year. Though Alexei's numbers were a down a bit last season, the tall lanky White Sox shortstop might have one of the biggest fantasy ceilings at the position, which makes him a fantastic sleeper pick. Look for Ramirez to become a 25-90-.290 hitters for years to come. The fact that he will add 12-18 stolen bases a year is a bonus. If you like to gamble on a player with a high upside then Ramirez is the shortstop for you.

Jason Bartlett (Rays)

Bartlett is coming off a career year having hit .320 with 14 homers and 30 steals in 2009.

It is doubtful he can repeat the performance in 2010, but he should still be good for a +.290 average and 20-25 steals. Having said that, Barlett has shown the capacity to hit equally well against lefty's or right, and can hit on the road. While you can do a lot worse than Barlett, you should not waste anything but a late round pick on him.

Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians)

Cabrera is an up and coming young shortstop (just turned 24), who comes with a high fantasy upside after hitting .308, with 17 steals and 52 extra bases last season. Look for him to make a slight improvement on those numbers, with a .310, 15 homers, 25 steals season being within his range over the next few years. If you are in a keeper league, then taking Cabrera as a late round sleeper might be a good option.

Statistical References:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/stats/

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/