Preliminary 2021 Rankings: Top 10 Shortstops (Where To Rank The 2020 Breakouts, Any Surprises? & More)

December 7, 2020

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As you view these rankings keep in mind that they are extremely preliminary and will change as we continue our evaluations and projections for 2021. They will also be expanded here on the site, with even deeper rankings and more in-depth analysis available via our draft guide (ordering information is coming soon!)

With that said, let’s get to the rankings:

Rank	Player	Team	Quick Thoughts
1)	Fernando Tatis Jr.	San Diego Padres	Tatis emerged as one of the elite players in the game, hitting .277 with 17 HR and 11 SB. We all knew he had this type of upside, and now imagine what would be possible if he were to improve on his 12.5% SwStr%? With more maturation he could be the best player in the game.
2)	Trevor Story	Colorado Rockies	Story continued to perform like your typical Rockie, mashing at home (.333) but struggling on the road (.246). He did hit 6 HR on the road and with 15 SB his speed helps him make an impact.
3)	Francisco Lindor	Cleveland Indians	The only thing worth discussing is whether or not Lindor will be dealt this offseason. There's a lot of rumors and with his free agency looming it would appear likely that he's moved. His landing spot could ultimately impact his perceived value, though he should be among the best options regardless of where he plays.
4)	Trea Turner	Washington Nationals	Always an elite speed option, Turner saw his power surge in '20 as he hit 12 HR to go along with 12 SB. His power has improved each year, giving us reason to believe in his 17.4% HR/FB, Maybe he slows slightly, but a 25/35 type season could be in his future.
5)	Corey Seager	Los Angeles Dodgers	Seager reached the type of hype that was once bestowed upon him, hitting .307 with 15 HR, 41 RBI and 38 R. Everything is pointing in the right direction, whether it's his Exit Velocity (93.2 mph) or maturation against southpaws (.275 with 4 HR). Already among the better options, things could get even better.
6)	Xander Bogaerts	Boston Red Sox	You have to wonder if Bogarts has already reached his ceiling. He hit .300 with 11 HR and 8 SB in '20, but a potential regression in his power is possible (think 25-28 HR). Keep that in mind, because it's unlikely he moves up ahead of some of the other names.
7)	Gleyber Torres	New York Yankees	It was a poor showing in an injury marred season, with Torres hitting .243 with 3 HR and 1 SB. He really struggled against fastballs (.217 with 1 HR vs. fourseam fastballs) and he also seemingly became too passive at the plate (his Swing% dropped roughly 10%). Look for those issues to be corrected with a significant rebound likely.
8)	Bo Bichette	Toronto Blue Jays	In 75 MLB games Bichette has hit .307 with 16 HR and 8 SB. It's easy to get excited by those numbers, but a questionable approach (41.0% O-Swing%) and lack of impact contact (32.1% Hard%) loom large. Keep that in mind before overvaluing him.
9)	Adalberto Mondesi	Kansas City Royals	Speed... Speed... Speed... There's no question there, but can he make enough contact and get on base regularly? His approach is miserable (20.1% SwStr%, 37.5% O-Swing%), so there's always going to be more risk hanging over him.
10)	Tim Anderson	Chicago White Sox	While Anderson hit .322 in '20, he also benefited from a .383 BABIP. Throw in the potential for a power regression (54.7% groundball rate, 23.8% HR/FB, 394 feet average HR) as well as a questionable approach (43.6% O-Swing%) and there appears to be more risk than reward.