Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Shortstop is where you find your superstar/franchise-type players. The top of this list is littered with first-round picks and players who can carry your team in all five traditional rotisserie categories. These players are expensive and will cost you top draft capital, salary at auction, or players, prospects, and draft picks in trade.
The best athletes play shortstop and typically get drafted or signed at this position. The best will stick at the “Six,” while the lesser athletes or veterans will age out or transition to other positions. It’s rare to see players stay at shortstop into their mid-thirties; you will generally see players in their prime stick up the middle.
Three studs are just coming into their own at the top of this list; if you can get your hands on them, Bobby, Gunnar, and Elly will set your franchise up to be successful for years to come. Behind them are two solid veterans who continue to age, like fine wine in Mookie Betts and Francisco Lindor, who provide five-category value. After these top five, there is a mixture of youth and veteran options who provide a ton of value, and even several top prospects are knocking on the door of the big leagues.
Top 60 Dynasty Shortstops
1. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals, Age: 24 (Overall dynasty rank #3)
2024: 709 PA 332/389/588 125 R 32 HR 109 RBI 31 SB 8.0 BB 15.0 K
Witt Jr. might be the best player in fantasy; he can do it all. The amazing part is he is just 24 and has many years of elite production ahead of him. He’s one of the few players in MLB who can post a 300/400/500 season while going 30/30. Witt’s contact quality continues to develop (14.3% barrel rate, 48.3% hard-hit rate, 106.7 mph 90th% EV). Witt improved dramatically with sinkers and sliders in 2024, which was his Achilles heel heading into the season, and he is now extremely difficult to pitch to. He has top-of-the-scale speed and should be a stolen base threat for years to come. His one weakness is his chase rate (32.1%), which isn’t even that bad and something that typically gets better with experience. Be confident you are rostering a stud when you have Witt Jr. at shortstop.
2. Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds, Age: 23 (#5)
2024: 696 PA 259/339/471 105 R 25 HR 76 RBI 67 SB 9.9 BB 31.3 K
Elly has the highest fantasy upside in the sport, and it’s probably not close. His tools are off the charts with insane power and speed metrics. He does have more variance than Witt Jr., which is why he comes in second on our list. Elly’s 90th% EV and sprint speed rank in the top 10, giving him his extremely high ceiling. His plate discipline improved dramatically in 2024, improving his chase rate from 32.8% to 26.9%, and now comfortably above average. Elly’s main struggle is with his swing-and-miss; his zone contact dropped to 75.6% and overall contact to 66.6%. This may improve a little, but it could be something we have to accept with Elly. The upside is what you are banking on with Elly, and 40-70 is not out of the question as a peak.
3. Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles, Age: 23 (#6)
2024: 719 PA 281/364/529 118 R 37 HR 92 RBI 21 SB 10.8 BB 22.1 K
Gunnar has blossomed into a superstar, and his 2024 flew under the radar because of what Aaron Judge and Juan Soto did in New York. He took steps forward in every aspect of his offensive game, improving his quality of contact (92.8 mph average EV, 53.9% hard-hit rate, and 34.5% sweet spot rate) and plate discipline (10.8 BB%, 23.2% chase rate). Gunnar curiously struggled against fastballs (-2 run value vs. 4 Seam/Sinker/Cutter) and crushed breaking balls, which is something to monitor in 2025.
He doesn’t quite have the power/speed ceiling of the two ranked ahead of him, but he is a rock-solid option to anchor your dynasty team.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
