2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 20 Shortstops

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is one of the game's most productive players on a per-game basis.

Based on his career numbers, he averages 103 runs scored, 102 runs batted in, 28 home runs and 13 steals in 162 games.

That said, how close will he come to playing 162 games?

Since he played a career-high 155 games in 2007, Tulowitzki has played at least 125 games in only two of the past five seasons.  Last year, he played his fewest games (47) since his rookie season.

With Tulo, that is the dilemma.

Currently he is the 19th player off the board in fantasy drafts based on average draft position data from Mock Draft Central.  If he plays 150 or so games, he'll be a steal.

If you draft Tulowitzki, make sure you have an adequate back-up plan for if/when he misses time.

The Other Rockies Shortstop (in Fantasy)

When it comes to fantasy sports, eligibility at multiple positions for the players on your roster is never a bad thing.

Provided he can stay healthy for a full season, Tulowitzki is the Rockies' everyday shortstop and Josh Rutledge will be the team's second baseman to open the year.  That said, Rutledge spent more time at shortstop in 2012 than second base, and therefore has eligibility at both relatively thin positions.

In the minors and big leagues combined last year, Rutledge hit 21 home runs and stole 21 bases.

While I don't expect a 20/20 year in his first full big league season, a 15/15 season for Rutledge seems more than likely.  If you use his big-league numbers of eight homers and seven steals in 73 games last year, he was on pace for 18 home runs and 16 stolen bases.

Likely to hit second in the lineup in front of Tulo, Rutledge will have a shot at scoring 90 runs.  Considering he plays half of his games at Coors Field, it's also reasonable to expect him to hit close to .275 like last year.

After the top 12 or so (fantasy) shortstops are off the board, Rutledge is a solid option to target later in your draft.  His ADP is currently 252 overall (via Mock Draft Central).

Another 20/20 season for HanRam

Speaking of eligibility at multiple positions, Hanley Ramirez has position eligibility at third base as well.  While shortstop is a shallower position than third base, the flexibility is an added bonus for owners that draft HanRam.

While Ramirez once stole 51 bases in back-to-back seasons and hit a career-high 33 homers in 2008, he is unlikely to come close to either number.  That said, he should repeat as one of the few shortstop-eligible players to post another 20/20 season.

Ramirez has stolen 20-plus bases every season since 2006.  Meanwhile, he has 20-plus homers in five of the past six seasons.  The only exception was 2011 when he played just 92 games and hit 10 home runs.

In addition to Ramirez, Washington's Ian Desmond and Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins were the only other players eligible at shortstop to have 20/20 seasons last year.

From 2006 to 2010, Ramirez has a BABIP of at least .327 each season and hit .300-plus in four of those five seasons.  In 2011 and 2012 (before the trade to the Dodgers), Ramirez had a BABIP of only .275 and .271, respectively, with the Marlins.

Assuming that his BABIP is closer to his rate with the Dodgers last year (.319), Ramirez should see his average bounce back to the .280 range (or perhaps a bit higher).

Reyes Moves to the AL East

Moving to the American League, Jose Reyes will be playing with his third team in the past three seasons.  For Reyes, that is good news.

With all of their offseason moves, the Toronto Blue Jays have one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball.  As the table-setter for an explosive offense, Reyes will have an opportunity to score a lot of runs provided he stays healthy.

Coming into the 2013 season, Reyes has averaged 110 runs scored over 162 games.  Since 2009, however, Reyes has played close to that number only once (last year).  From 2009 to 2011, Reyes missed at least 29 games per season and a total of 191 games during that span.

Although he is a career .291 hitter, Reyes won the NL batting title (.337) in 2011.  The only other season he hit above .300 was his rookie year (2003).

Provided he stays healthy for 150 games or so, which is no lock considering his injury history, Reyes should hit around .290 with 100 runs scored and 40 steals.

Here are my shortstop rankings for the 2013 fantasy baseball season (based on Yahoo! eligibility):

1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
2. Hanley Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays
4. Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs
5. Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals
6. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
7. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
8. Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
9. Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians
10. Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
11. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
12. Josh Rutledge, Colorado Rockies
13. Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals
14. Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves
15. J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles
16. Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels
17. Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
18. Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants
19. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
20. Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres

For a second opinion, check out Duncan Sanford's shortstop rankings. (Or view our consensus shortstop rankings here.)

Other positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP

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(Updated) 2012 Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Top 25 Shortstops

We noted in our first basemen rankings that the position is especially deep in A.L.-only leagues but not very deep in N.L.-only leagues as seven of our top eight-ranked first basemen play in the American League.

For shortstops, it is the opposite.

In our rankings, five of our top six shortstops play in the National League. There is a gap between the top three and the next group of shortstops and all three of those elite shortstops play in the N.L.

Here are some notes on shortstops:

- Since becoming the Rockies everyday shortstop in 2007, Troy Tulowitzki has put up great numbers when he was on the field. Tulo set a career high in runs batted in (105), hit 30 homers for the second time in his career and batted .300-plus for the second straight season in 2011. On the other hand, the 27-year-old missed 19 games last season and has averaged only 134.4 games per season since 2007.

- With the offseason acquisition of Jose Reyes, the Marlins have two of my top three fantasy shortstops. Although Hanley Ramirez will move to third base, he has shortstop eligibility as well. The good news is Reyes hit a career-high .337 and won the N.L. batting crown last year and stole 39 bases despite missing 36 games last year. Like with Tulowitzki, that's the biggest problem with Reyes, who has played 133 games or less in each of the past three seasons.

- Speaking of Hanley Ramirez, he had his worst season of his career and missed 70 games. Ramirez, who hit only .243 last year, is a career .306 hitter that averaged 25 homers and 39 steals per year from 2006 to 2010. Based on his average draft position of 20 from Mock Draft Central, HanRam could easily be one of the biggest early-round bargains after several seasons of being a top-five pick.

- Unlike many shortstops, Detroit's Jhonny Peralta won't help you on the basepaths. For his career, he has a total of nine stolen bases. Unlike many shortstops, Peralta will help you with the power categories. For the fourth consecutive season, Peralta finished with 80-plus runs batted in and he hit 20-plus homers for the fourth time in his career.

- In his four seasons in the big leagues, White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez has been solid and steady if not spectacular. There has been relatively little season-to-season fluctuation in his stats and here are his four-year averages: .279 career hitter, 17 home runs, 12 steals, 75 runs scored and 71 RBIs.

- Although he doesn't turn 22 years old until March 24th, Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro already has already hit .300 in two major league seasons. In fact, Castro finished fourth in all of baseball in hits (207) after Michael Young, Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury. The Cubs will move Castro, who hit 10 homers and stole 22 bases last year, to third (from leadoff) in the batting order this year.

- Before last season, Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera hit a total of 18 home runs in four seasons (1,415 at-bats). Out of nowhere, Cabrera hit 25 home runs (in 604 at-bats) last year. In addition to his power surge, he set career highs in runs scored (87) and runs batted in (92) while tying his previous career high in steals (17).

- In 56 games last year, Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon ran 31 times and was successful of 24 of those steal attempts. While he will provide absolutely no power (zero homers and 11 RBIs last year), he has the potential to lead the league in steals if he plays 150-plus games.

Here are our top 25 shortstops for the 2012 season:

1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
2. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
3. Jose Reyes, Marlins
4. Starlin Castro, Cubs
5. Elvis Andrus, Rangers
6. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
7. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
8. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
9. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
10. Derek Jeter, Yankees
11. J.J. Hardy, Orioles
12. Erick Aybar, Angels
13. Dee Gordon, Dodgers
14. Marco Scutaro, Rockies
15. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays
16. Stephen Drew, Blue Jays
17. Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins
18. Rafael Furcal, Cardinals
19. Zack Cozart, Reds
20. Ian Desmond, Nationals
21. Sean Rodriguez, Rays
22. Jed Lowrie, Astros
23. Alcides Escobar, Royals
24. Jason Bartlett, Padres
25. Cliff Pennington, Athletics

Other Positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP

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Jose Reyes to leadoff tonight vs Marlins

When the Mets face the Marlins in Miami tonight, shortstop Jose Reyes will return to a familiar spot. (And, no, I don't mean the disabled list.)

Reyes, who is hitting only .207 on the season since returning from the DL, will be the leadoff hitter in tonight's lineup, according to Brian Costa of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Meanwhile, Angel Pagan will bat third in the order in front of left fielder Jason Bay tonight.

Only six teams have a lower batting average than the Mets (.240).

Through 55 at bats so far in May, Reyes has only ten hits (.182 batting average), but he has stolen four bases.

In addition to struggling in May (even more so than in April), Reyes is struggling on the road (.136 average and .329 OPS). His home batting average is a solid .290 with an OPS of .763.

Reyes is hitless in his past three road games and has never faced Nate Robertson, who will start for the Marlins tonight.

Jose Reyes to start season on DL

Last year, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes missed 126 games.

To start the 2010 season, he will miss (at least) four more.

According to Brian Costa of the Newark Star-Ledger, Reyes will start the season on the disabled list (DL). In addition, the Mets could make it retroactive, which would allow Reyes to return as early as April 10th.

“As soon as I feel comfortable at home plate, I’ll be ready to go,” Reyes said (via the Star-Ledger).

If you're a glass-half-full guy, the problem has been his timing at the plate -- not the hamstring or running. Nonetheless, there seems to be more risk than reward with Reyes for my taste.

Monday Night Links

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes took batting practice for the first time on Monday, but his status for Opening Day hasn't yet been determined.

Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt, who received an injection in his back, is expected to start on Opening Day.

Marlins ace Josh Johnson is also expected to be ready to make his Opening Day start.

Royals first baseman Billy Butler said, “No personal goals. It’s team goals. Win the American League Central. Make some noise and show our organization is moving in the right (direction). If we do that, my individual goals will all be there because we’ll be where we want to be.”

When asked about his 20-20 potential, Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones said, "I think it's possible."

The Toronto Blue Jays have released outfielder Joey Gathright.

For ceremonial first pitches, Barack Obama will throw out the first pitch in Philadelphia while Roger Staubach will throw out the first pitch in Arlington.

Pirates manager John Russell plans to hit the pitcher 8th in the Pirates' lineup.

As expected, Ryan Perry earned a roster spot in the Tigers' bullpen.

Marlon Byrd said of Milton Bradley: ''I want him to be him. In Texas, he didn't smile. He put up ungodly numbers. He has to be himself. That's the only thing he can do. That's the only way he can play. I want to see him do it, 162 all-out, because he has MVP material.''

Orioles reliever Koji Uehara will start the season on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello had a strong outing against the Blue Jays.

Felipe Paulino has a shot at winning the Astros' fifth starter spot in the rotation.

Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore said, "Whatever soreness or pain I've had has been minimal. I recovered from the next day. Going into this last week of spring training, I feel strong like I'll be ready to go for the season."

Reds pitcher Homer Bailey allowed five runs on five hits in five innings against the Dodgers single-A team.

Royals pitcher Gil Meche threw 127 pitches in a simulated game and didn't feel any soreness.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch on his elbow, but X-rays weren't required as it's only a bruise.

Jose Reyes might be ready for Opening Day

He's back. Sort of. But I'm still staying away.

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes has been cleared to resume baseball activities and is expected to return to Tradition Field tomorrow, according to John Harper of the NY Daily News.

“I can’t tell you if he’s going to be ready for Opening Day,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. “I can’t tell you that he is or that he’s not. But the reality is, we’re happy to get him back. I know for us and for all the players, everybody was excited. He’s excited. Let’s get him back here. Let’s get that smile back on our team.”

Last year, Reyes played only 36 games due to hamstring issues. He hit only .279 with two home runs and 15 runs batted in while stealing 11 bases.

In the four seasons before 2009, Reyes averaged 113 runs, 13.5 home runs, 66 RBI and 64.5 stolen bases per season while hitting .287.

With the exception of batting average, I would be highly surprised if he exceeds his average on any of the other four statistical categories in 2010.

In most fantasy baseball drafts, he's the fourth shortstop drafted behind Florida's Hanley Ramirez, Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki and Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins. So, although his thyroid level seems to be back to "normal," if you want him on your fantasy team, you can have him.

Jose Reyes won't play Monday

According to Adam Rubin of the NY Daily News, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes says there is "no chance" that he'll play on Monday.

Ramon Martinez left Sunday's game against the Red Sox in the eighth inning with back discomfort.

In the past 10 days, Reyes has played in only three games in which he is one-for-seven at the plate.