1) Bobby Witt Jr., Royals<\/p>\n
He\u2019s going as a top 3 pick in most early drafts, but I would still take him one overall, over Judge and Ohtani.\u00a0 He\u2019s a 5-category stud who has yet to have his peak statistical season as of yet.\u00a0 When he does, we could be looking at a triple crown level, MVP season to the tune of .335-35-120-100-50.\u00a0 The triple crown might be tough playing half of his games in Kaufman Stadium, but this guy is more than worth his draft capital at any pick.<\/p>\n
2) Gunnar Henderson, Orioles<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27196976-1024x685.jpg\")
Sep 28, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) throws out New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (not pictured) at first base after fielding a ground ball during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll be happy to take any discount I can get with this guy if the other owners decide to hold last year against him.\u00a0 He was hurt to begin 2025, and he never quite got on track as his power numbers dipped from 2024, despite the Orioles lowering the fence in left field.\u00a0 His K rate and walk rate improved slightly, and the speed was there with a career high of 30 steals.\u00a0 If\/when he puts it all together, he could put up a 40\/40 season.\u00a0 Entering his age-25 season, I\u2019m buying Henderson anywhere I can.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Fantasy Baseball 2026 First Base Rankings (16-30)<\/a><\/p>\n 3) Francisco Lindor, Mets<\/p>\n He has settled in as an elite first-round talent that you can count on for .260-30-90-100-25 year in and year out.\u00a0 At 32 years of age, it won\u2019t last forever, but it will last at least another year.\u00a0 His K rate actually dropped a bit last year, and with a little better luck, he could bat closer to .280.\u00a0 He\u2019s a safe late first-round pick who makes a great anchor for your offense.<\/p>\n 4) Elly De La Cruz, Reds<\/p>\n The good news is he managed to cut down on his strikeouts.\u00a0 The bad news is that he still got stuck over 180 times.\u00a0 We can live with that.\u00a0 It was actually 6 fewer K\u2019s than Shohei Ohtani, so as long as he can maintain a batting average north of .260, I\u2019m in.\u00a0 The curious part of his game right now is that he still hasn\u2019t had a 30-home run season while playing in that bandbox in Cincy.\u00a0 The power and speed are there for him to put up a 40\/40 or even 50\/50 season someday, but for now, we\u2019ll take 25+ homers and 35+ steals as a baseline.\u00a0 He\u2019s worth a shot in the late 1st or early second round based on potential alone.<\/p>\n 5) Trea Turner, Phillies<\/p>\n Turner is another year older, but he\u2019s still a top performer when he\u2019s on the field.\u00a0 If he can manage 140+ games again like he did last year, we\u2019ll take the .300+ average, 15+ homers, and 30+ steals that will come with it.\u00a0 He\u2019s a solid player across the board and may fall a bit in smarter drafts due to his age and lack of upside potential.\u00a0 We aren\u2019t buying him for his potential; we are buying him here because he\u2019s a steady batting average anchor that contributes to all counting stats.<\/p>\n 6) Mookie Betts, Dodgers<\/p>\n Much like Turner, his draft stock is somewhat tarnished amongst the \u201csmart crowd\u201d.\u00a0 Entering his age-33 season, most will think he\u2019s on the downside of a great career, and you may be able to pick him up as late as the 4th round in some drafts.\u00a0 As we get closer to the season, his name still carries weight, so he likely won\u2019t last that long in your home league.\u00a0 We are buying here for the same reasons as Turner.\u00a0 He\u2019s a steady contributor across the board, and I\u2019m willing to bet that last year\u2019s batting average dip was due to bad luck and not a slowing bat.\u00a0 He should return to .280-20-80-90-10 in a full season<\/p>\n 7) Geraldo Perdomo, Diamondbacks<\/p>\n There is a lot to like here.\u00a0 Perdomo was always a good prospect for Arizona, but nobody saw last year\u2019s breakout coming.\u00a0 He hit 20 home runs, up from a career high of 6, and stole 27 bases, up from his previous best of 16.\u00a0 Most impressive was the .290 batting average and .389 OBP that was fueled by an impressive 94\/83 Walk to K ratio.\u00a0 A guy who walks more than he K\u2019s and hits the ball hard is always a good bet to put up stats.\u00a0 His season was such a revelation that the D-backs will now have to find a new position for top prospect Jordan Lawlar.\u00a0 Perdomo will be a top 3 or 4 option if he does it again, and I\u2019m willing to buy in with his current ADP sitting as late as the 5th round.<\/p>\n 8) Zach Neto, Angels<\/p>\n Neto is coming off a great year where we saw him elevate his game to some lofty levels by hitting 26 homers along with 26 steals, despite missing over 30 games of the season due to shoulder surgery last offseason.\u00a0 He just turned 25 this offseason, so there\u2019s good reason to think there are even more gains left in his overall arsenal.\u00a0 The strikeouts lowered slightly, but there is still room to improve from last year\u2019s 23.8% whiff rate.\u00a0 He\u2019s not a great base stealer yet, and if he doesn\u2019t improve his .318 OBP from last year, he won\u2019t bat at the top of the lineup and may not get as many chances to run.\u00a0 He will likely be a bit over drafted for my liking, but if he falls to the late 3rd or 4th round, I\u2019m all in.\u00a0 Downside: .230 BA with only 15 steals.<\/p>\n 9) Jeremy Pena, Astros<\/p>\n Pena is coming off a career year where he batted .304 with 17 homers and 20 steals.\u00a0 The power and steals were there in previous seasons, but the average was quite the revelation.\u00a0 The underlying numbers suggest that .304 is probably an outlier, but the contact gains he made should keep him above his career .271 rate.\u00a0 His numbers last year came in just 127 games, so it\u2019s possible he can flirt with a 30\/30 season in 2026 if he stays healthy.\u00a0 He\u2019s a great pick-up in the middle rounds if you missed out on the top options.<\/p>\n 10) C.J. Abrams, Nationals<\/p>\n He grew up some last year and was able to replicate his stat line from 2024.\u00a0 He still has yet to put together a full season, but at just 25 years old, that year is coming.\u00a0 The batting average will always be a bit of a risk due to his free-swinging approach, but his upside potential is a 30\/40 season.\u00a0 There\u2019s another level here, and I will definitely be buying into it to find it.<\/p>\n 11) Jacob Wilson, Athletics<\/p>\n There\u2019s a batting crown coming, and it just might be this year.\u00a0 He also showed some pop in his bat last year as he hit 9 of his 13 homers before missing a month of the season due to a broken arm.\u00a0 If he can stay in the 15-home run range and chip in with a handful of steals, he\u2019ll be well worth a mid-round pick.\u00a0 At worst, he\u2019s a batting average anchor that will chip in 80+ runs and RBI.\u00a0 His full potential is .350-15-90-90-1,0, and we will take that all day long.<\/p>\n 12) Dansby Swanson, Cubs<\/p>\n Swanson is an amazing real-life player who gives the Cubs a great clubhouse leader and top-notch defender at shortstop.\u00a0 In fantasy, it\u2019s been a bit of a mixed bag over the last 4 years, and he has plateaued at around a .240 batting average with anywhere from 16 to 27 homers and anywhere between 9 and 20 steals.\u00a0 If we get 25 homers and 20 steals, he\u2019s a winning player; if we get 15 and 9, not so much.\u00a0 The runs and RBI totals have been solid, so he has a decent floor to give us a .245-18-80-80-15 type season.\u00a0 He stays healthy, which is more than we can say for some players.<\/p>\n 13) Corey Seager, Rangers<\/p>\n Yep, this is who I meant by \u201csome players\u201d.\u00a0 Seager is one of the best-hitting shortstops in the game, and he very well could have had a Hall of Fame career if he could have managed to stay on the field for 150+ games every year.\u00a0 He has accomplished that feat exactly twice in his 9-year career (10 years including 2020).\u00a0 He teases us every year, but all he seems to do is get another year older.\u00a0 He\u2019s this generation\u2019s Larry Walker at shortstop.\u00a0 If he can manage to play 120 games, he\u2019s worth a draft pick in the middle rounds.\u00a0 When he plays, he bats in a prime spot in the Rangers\u2019 lineup, and he produces across 4 categories.\u00a0 If he falls to the 9th round or so, I can\u2019t pass him up.<\/p>\n 14) Bo Bichette, Mets<\/p>\n Bichette found a new home in New York and will fill a new position at the hot corner.\u00a0 The multi-position eligibility enhances his value, as third base has become a bit of a wasteland.\u00a0 Bo is a very good real-life player as he makes great contact, but the power has been trending in the wrong direction, and the stolen bases have almost completely evaporated.\u00a0 The move from The Rogers Centre to Citi Field isn\u2019t going to help much either.\u00a0 Bichette is a good bet to anchor your batting average while chipping in 15+ home runs and decent run\/RBI numbers.\u00a0 At just 28 years old, there\u2019s a chance for the speed and power to come back, but I can\u2019t count on that right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n 15) Trevor Story, Red Sox<\/p>\n Story might have made a crossroads deal last season to not only stay healthy for the first time since joining the Red Sox in 2022 but also to put up his best statistical season since 2019 while he was still in Colorado.\u00a0 Last year\u2019s numbers merit a higher draft pick, but I just can\u2019t do it before the 8th or 9th round.\u00a0 If he falls that far, I\u2019m all for adding him to the roster, but his age and injury history make chasing last year\u2019s numbers feel like a fool\u2019s errand.\u00a0 I\u2019ve watched enough episodes of \u201cSupernatural\u201d to know how those crossroad deals end.\u00a0 He will be drafted ahead of somebody like Otto Lopez and Masyn Winn, but I\u2019d prefer to wait and take one of the younger players.<\/p>\n \u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead <\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n NFL: Ranking the greatest Super Bowl quarterback performances<\/a><\/p>\n NBA: Former NBA champion Anthony Davis dealt in blockbuster trade<\/a><\/p>\n OLYMPICS: Mikaela Shiffrin has 4-word message for Snoop Dogg two days before Winter Games<\/a><\/p>\n SPORTS MEDIA: 9 MLB teams abandoning FanDuel Sports Network immediately<\/a><\/p>\n ENTERTAINMENT: Police deny viral claim about suspect in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie\u2019s missing mother<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27284533-1024x669.jpg\")
Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws to first for an out in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_26493375-1024x683.jpg\")
Jun 17, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pe\u00f1a (3) during the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_26919681-1024x683.jpg\")
Aug 24, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) cannot field a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians second baseman Brayan Rocchio (not pictured) during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
VIRAL: WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella clears air on Cooper DeJean dating rumors<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shortstop is a much deeper position than the rest of the infield positions coming into 2025, with some…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":562317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2290],"tags":[5,28,4,2332],"class_list":{"0":"post-562316","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-baseball","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-fantasy-baseball","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-shortstop"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116040892913560522","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=562316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/562317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=562316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=562316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}