If you’re the kind of drafter who worries a lot about positional scarcity, you can breathe easy for the duration of this article. Shortstop is the strongest position in Fantasy, especially for 12-team leagues, where there are, if anything, more good players to go around than SS spots to put them in.
Of course, that’s less true in 15-team leagues, naturally. But even in 12-team leagues, I would never say you can be totally comfortable just waiting on your shortstop, either. Because, while the position has more than 12 true difference makers, some of those difference makers will be drafted by the same team – the person who takes Zach Neto might double-up and pair him with Bo Bichette in either the MI or UT spot to make up for Neto’s bad batting average, for example; conversely, you might see someone take Francisco Lindor, then follow it up with Bo Bichette, with the intention of having Bichette play SS while Lindor is recovering from hand surgery, only to slide him over to 3B when he gains eligibility after the first week of the season.
If you wait too long, you might end up with Dansby Swanson or Jacob Wilson as your starting shortstop. They’re fine, don’t get me wrong. But when everyone else in your league has true difference makers, getting someone who is just fine puts you at a disadvantage. That point comes pretty early in drafts – Willy Adames represents the end of a tier as the 14th shortstop with an ADP right around the end of the 10th round – so don’t go into your draft thinking you can just play chicken with the shortstop position and still end up with a stud.
Of course, the options in the early rounds at shortstop are so good that it’s hard to get through a draft without drafting at least one almost by accident. If you want speed, Bobby Witt and Elly De La Cruz will provide it in the early rounds, while C.J. Abrams and Geraldo Perdomo have you covered in the 50-80 range; Gunnar Henderson could hit 30-plus homers as your second-rounder, or you could wait 80 picks and take Corey Seager to do the same. No matter what you’re looking for, you can find it at shortstop, at least in the first 10 rounds. There are plenty of useful players beyond there, of course. Xavier Edwards is the No. 17 SS in ADP, but he’s No. 11 at second base, to name one cross-positional example; similarly, Jose Caballero is SS21 in ADP, but he’s the No. 16 third baseman.
You’re probably going to end up with multiple shortstops on your roster, in other words. There aren’t as many high-end options with multiple eligibility, but you could still build a viable team with, say, Trea Turner, Geraldo Perdomo, and Corey Seager at SS, MI, and UT while covering all five Roto categories. I’d go so far as to say, if you aren’t using a shortstop in that MI spot, you’re probably putting yourself at a disadvantage relative to your competition.
Here’s what you need to know about the shortstop position in 2026:
- Position Previews: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
- Position Strategies: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
- Position Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
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2026 Draft Prep
Shortstop Top Prospects
1. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .333 BA (484 AB), 21 HR, 65 SB, .941 OPS, 50 BB, 122 K
Griffin is what everybody pictures when they hear the word “athlete,” which is what got him drafted ninth overall in 2024, but the ease with which he’s transitioned to the pro game is what’s moved him to the top of this list. For a player this imposing to also be this skilled right away is honestly reminiscent of Mike Trout, though Griffin probably won’t be quite the on-base threat Trout was.
Scott’s 2026 Fantasy impact: fighting this spring
2. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .305 BA (331 AB), 19 HR, 10 SB, .991 OPS, 59 BB, 46 K
McGonigle isn’t as tooled up as Griffin but has maxed out his skills such that he’s also in the No. 1 overall discussion, with Baseball America even awarding him an 80 grade for his hit tool. He doesn’t impact the ball as hard as some of the elite prospects, but he’s begun to adapt his swing for power and has walked more than he’s struck out at every level.
Scott’s 2026 Fantasy impact: fighting this spring
3. Jesus Made, SS, Brewers
Age (on opening day): 18
Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .285 BA (453 AB), 6 HR, 47 SB, .792 OPS, 67 BB, 108 K
Though Made has yet to actualize his power, it’s easy to project given that he already generates exit velocities better than most major leaguers and has made it all the way to Double-A as an 18-year-old. Between his switch-hitting, his base-stealing prowess, and his knack for putting bat to ball, a Jose Ramirez-like outcome could possibly be in his future.
Scott’s 2026 Fantasy impact: late-season look
4. JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2025: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor league stats: .306 BA (408 AB), 17 HR, 23 SB, .931 OPS, 72 BB, 73 K
Wetherholt doesn’t get the same press, but he’s 90 percent of the way to being what McGonigle is, boasting a top-of-the-scales hit tool with high walk and low strikeout rates. The biggest difference is that he hasn’t come as far in tailoring his swing for power despite being a couple years older, but he still homered at a nice rate.
Scott’s 2026 Fantasy impact: fighting this spring
5. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .255 BA (455 AB), 15 HR, 11 SB, .806 OPS, 66 BB, 107 K
The Padres tend to promote their prospects more aggressively than the numbers can keep up with, which adds suspense when they then flip one of those fast movers for, say, an ace reliever. But the Athletics followed their lead after acquiring De Vries for Mason Miller, bumping him up to Double-A almost immediately, and the 18-year-old responded by slashing .281/.359/.551 in 21 games there, adding fuel to the Francisco Lindor comparisons.
Scott’s 2026 Fantasy impact: late-season look
