Deep in the Hole - Shortstops 2005
March 12, 2005
by Chris Wang
Thanks to Jim for filling in during my absence and I apologize for the delay in the middle of fantasy season but I had an incredible trip to Cambodia, Thailand and Hong Kong which I'll never forget. If you're interested in a quick read about my Cambodian trip, you can check out my FIC blog.
Overview
Shortstop has emerged as a power position in recent years with the so-called Holy Trinity of Shortstops (A-Rod, Jeter, Nomar). With A-Rod moving to third, the position is led by Miguel Tejada who had a huge first year with the Orioles in 2004. Shortstop is a bit top heavy in the front 6 but the dropoff could be cushioned by healthy seasons from Nomar and Jose Reyes. Even if you don't land the top names, all fantasy managers should come away with a good option at short as most guys below the line bring a decent mix of speed and power.
Rounds are figured on a basic twelve team standard 5X5 league
If you're looking for auction values and/or player rankings, please go to the player rankings page.
1st-3rd Round
Miguel Tejada, Derek Jeter, Michael Young
4th-6th Round
Edgar Renteria, Jimmy Rollins, Rafael Furcal
7th-10th Round
Nomar Garciaparra, Jose Reyes, Carlos Guillen
11th-16th Round
Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Crosby
17th-23rd Round
Pedro Feliz, Juan Uribe, Khalil Greene, Cesar Izturis, Ryan Freel, Kaz Matsui
Rebound with Boston Roots
Nomar Garciaparra left Boston with a bitter taste in his mouth and it must have been painful for him to watch the Sox win the Series without him. It was a tough year on the field as well as he suffered through injuries (Achillies, groin, wrist) and hit .308/.365/.477 with 9 homers and 41 RBI in 81 games. Garciaparra is high-risk (injury), high-reward player this season as he'll drop on many draft boards due to his sub-par 2004. He enters spring training completely healthy and working on a one-year deal with a lot to prove. Look for a rebound to his 2002/2003 form: .300-26-100.
Edgar Renteria joins Boston but he's coming off a down year after a career year in 2003 (.330-13-100-34). He moves from the best offense in the NL to the best offense in the AL. Batting in the 2-hole for the Sox should provide more RBI opps for Renteria and the Green Monster should help him to challenge his career numbers. Don't expect his stolen base total to push much more than 20 as the Sox don't emphasize the running game.
Repeat Success?
Cesar Izturis went from one of the least productive major league hitters to a serviceable hitter in 2004. He finished with career highs across the board hitting .288/.330/.381 with 32 doubles, 4 homers, 62 RBI and 25 steals. His walk total has improved each of the last two years which is a positive sign. While Izturis won't give you any power, he should hit around .280 with 20+ steals which will be good production in NL-only leagues.
Ryan Freel is without a position and if the Reds were smart they would deal him for some pitching that they still desperately need. Last season he came out of nowhere to pick up 505 at-bats hitting .277/.375/.368 with 37 steals. Being without a position is a big problem and he'll need an injury to an infielder to get at-bats as Wily Mo Pena will get first shot in the outfield if and when Griffey or Kearns go down. His .375 OBP deserves a spot in any lineup but it may have been a bit of a fluke as his OBP hovered around .335 in the minors. Don't expect a repeat of Freel's 2004.
Prior to 2004, Carlos Guillen was a mediocre shortstop but in 2005, he was one of the best in the league setting career highs in virtually every offensive category hitting .318/.379/.542 with 37 doubles, 10 triples, 20 homers, 97 RBI and 12 steals - and this despite missing the final three weeks with a torn ACL. So which Guillen is the real one? If I were Phil Helmuth I'd bet on a return to his career averages of .277/.346/.421 and then throw a hissy fit if it proves otherwise.
Up and Comers
BJ Upton is on the verge of stardom but he probably won't break camp with the Devil Rays as he needs to prove he can handle shortstop defensively (he committed 7 errors in 16 games last year with the Rays). His talent with the bat is unquestionable and Lou Pinella compared him to a young Alex Rodriguez. At Triple-A, Upton hit .311/.411/.519 with 12 homers, 36 RBI and 17 steals in 69 games. Making his major league debut at 19-years-old, Upton hit .258/.324/.409 with 4 homers and 12 RBI in 159 at-bats. Stash him on your bench as he should get a quick call-up in 2005.
Clint Barmes is no where near Upton in terms of talent but the thin air of Colorado brings him immediate attention amongst fantasy owners. Last season at Triple-A Colorado Springs, Barmes hit .323/.372/.500 with 42 doubles, 16 homers, 50 RBI and 19 steals. Barmes, 26, handled major league pitching in his September stint (.282-2-10). Expect mid-teens power with double-digit steals.
Cleveland Spring Battle
Cleveland fans enter 2004 without Omar Vizquel at short for the first time since 1993. The successor for Vizquel appears to be Jhonny Peralta and no that isn't a misspelling - you can ask his parents for an explanation. Peralta was the MVP of the International League last season as he hit .329/.386/.496 with 44 doubles, 15 homers, 88 RBI and 8 steals. He's struggled in his limit major league at-bats hitting just .228/.297/.280 and he hasn't shown much yet this spring (.231, 3-13). His glove (27 errors) will have to improve period. Brandon Phillips re-established himself as a legitimate prospect after a disastrous 2003 season (.208/.242/.311 with the Tribe) - at Triple-A, he hit .308/.367/.438 with 36 doubles, 8 homers, 50 RBI and 15 steals. Phillips has looked like a 4-A player in the majors and he is off to a slow start this spring. He's still only 23 so there's still hope. Keep an eye on this battle if you're in an AL-only league.
If you want more info on a specific player that I didn't go into or if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this column, please use the comments section below or feel free to e-mail me at cwang@fantasyinfocentral.com.
Fantasy Baseball 
Vizquel should put up good numbers in SF as he'll bat leadoff in the Giants lineup so if Barry stays healthy, Vizquel should easily score 100+ runs. His RBI total will likely drop as he'll have weak 8-9 hitters rarely on base to drive in. Don't expect his stolen base total to top 18-19 as the Giants don't like to run themselves out of chances for Barry. At the end of last year Vizquel finished 15th on the FIC shortstop rankings - I think he'll finish somewhere in the high teens in 05 which probably means he goes undrafted in most mixed leagues.
Yeah he's definitely playable in a 20-team league - he'll be 38 in a month so he's a bit of an injury risk but otherwise he should put up decent numbers for a deep league.