2016 Positional Breakdowns - Shortstop

I'm not one to subscribe to positional scarcity, however I will admit that Shortstop is a thin position in 2016. There is arguably only one guy that would even be considered a first round pick, and after a few more options at the position, there is a steep drop off. That said, there are always some values to be had later and we will break them all down here:

1. Carlos Correa (Auction $28): You're not going to come across a set of rankings where Correa isn't the #1 SS option.  My rankings however have him projected a bit lower than many others.  I have him as my #23 overall player while just about everyone else I've seen has him in their top 12. Correa can be excellent, don't get me wrong, and I have him projected to do very well, but I'm hard pressed to take a guy in the first round with less than 100 games of big league experience.  He will likely still have some growing pains. Pitchers will adjust, and he may have some ups and downs.  I'm projecting him to have a great year, just not as great as everyone else.
   
   My projections for Correa: 84 / 24 / 86 / 20 / .280
   
   
2. Troy Tulowitzki (Auction $20): Wouldn't it be nice to project Tulo to play 160 games?  He's a phenomenal talent in a great ballpark and lineup.  Unfortunately, you can only bank on about 120 games out of him.  Still, in those games he's amazing and if you factor in the replacement player that fills the other games, it may be worth the investment in him in a draft.
   
   My projections for Tulowitzki: 82 / 23 / 73 / 1 / .290
   
   
3. Xander Bogaerts (Auction $19): Only 23, Bogarts has some growing to do.  In his first 2 seasons he has shown a tremendous eye at the plate and looks like he will be competing for a batting title for years to come.  What people would like to see from him is some power and/or speed to match.  I'm not sure we will see the full package this year, but a solid contributor in 5 categories is possible.
   
   My projections for Bogarts: 78 / 14 / 78 / 8 / .293
   
   
4. Francisco Lindor (Auction $12): Lindor had a really nice start to his career in 2015.  He went 12/12 in only 100 games and many people project him to blow those numbers out of the water in 2016.  My projections are a bit more reserved and like many younger guys, I expect some adjustments to take place.  He should be good, but not Correa good.
   
   My projections for Lindor: 74 / 12 / 64 / 18 / .270
   
   
5. Corey Seager (Auction $10): There's a trend with a the top SS options in 2016: young, unproven, and tons of potential.  Seager is 21 and very raw.  This isn't the year that he will bust onto the scene in my opinion, but he should get every day playing time at SS batting near the lower 1/2 of the order.  He should be a serviceable SS at a relatively weak position, but I'm not projecting him with high expectations like many others.
   
   My projections for Seager: 67 / 17 / 70 / 7 / .269
   
   
6. Brandon Crawford (Auction $8): Crawford was unexpectedly good for the Giants last year improving stats across the board from previous years.  He doesn't have the power to repeat the 21 HR's he put up last year, but he's a good hitter that should be able to put up 90% of what he did last year.
   
   My projections for Crawford: 66 / 18 / 77 / 5 / .258
   
   
7. Ian Desmond (Auction $8):  I understand he doesn't have a great average and is poor defensively, but let's not forget  he was a 20/20 guy 3 years in a row from 2012 - 2014.  Even last year in a bad year he went 19/13 in one of his worst seasons.  Now he's going to play LF for the Rangers and should be able to have a nice dual eligible season. Additional analysis about the move to Texas can be found here.
   
   My projections for Desmond: 62 / 19 / 70 / 14 / .250
   
   
8. Jose Reyes (Auction $8): This projection is tentative and has potential to change should Reyes face a suspension before opening day.  That said, he should be hitting near the top of the order in Colorado and have a decent chance for runs.  Not sure the speed will be what it used to be, but if he is playing and if he's healthy, he should still put up a good average.
   
   My projections for Reyes: 56 / 8 / 41 / 16 / .296
   
   
9. Jhonny Peralta (Auction $7): Peralta is a popular mid-round pick for SS.  He should be hitting in the middle of the Cards order and has been very consistent for the last 2 years.  He's one of the safer picks at SS.
   
   My projections for Peralta: 61 / 15 / 70 / 1 / .272
   
   
10. Jung-Ho Kang (Auction $7): Kang is dual eligible at 3B and SS. Check out what I wrote about Kang in my second base projections here.
    
    My projections for Kang: 61 / 14 / 56 / 4 / .280
    
    
11. Jean Segura (Auction $6): I didn't love the Segura move to Arizona.  I don't think it improved the team, but he will have a starting role in a good lineup.
    
    My projections for Segura: 67 / 7 / 47 / 24 / .268
    
    
12. Starlin Castro (Auction $6): Castro has been a bit of a disappointment the last 3 years and hasn't run nearly as much as expected.  He has 10-15 HR power and that might uptick a hair in NY, but the average will still be low.  As a late SS, he's fine.
    
    My projections for Castro: 65 / 15 / 62 / 4 / .266
    
    
13. Elvis Andrus (Auction $4): Andrus is consistent if nothing else.  5/25 with a .260 average.  You can lock him in for something close to that every year.  He is a safe option late.
    
    My projections for Andrus: 70 / 5 / 54 / 26 / .257
    
    
14. Alexei Ramirez (Auction $3): Ramirez had a number of good years with the White Sox and up until last season was reliable for a solid average.  Now on the padres likely in the bottom third of the lineup, I'm not sure what to expect.  I'm envisioning less power and likely less SB attempts than his career averages.
    
    My projections for Ramirez: 53 / 10 / 56 / 16 / .262
    
    
15. Addison Russell (Auction $2): Russell is dual eligible at 2B and SS. Check out what I wrote about Russell in my second base projections here.
    
    My projections for Russell: 57 / 15 / 61 / 7 / .255
    
    
16. Jose Iglesias (Auction $2): Iglesias has really been a bust since going to Detroit.  He is elite defensively and an excellent contact hitter.  He's battled through a number of injuries and is seemingly healthy coming into this year.  I think he may be able to put it all together this year and would be a nice late round average boost candidate, but he won't contribute much else.
    
    My projections for Iglesias: 49 / 4 / 42 / 13 / .290
    
    
17. Erick Aybar (Auction $2): Like some of the other lower ranked SS options, Aybar is nothing special but is very consistent.  You know what you're getting and it's decent average with a little added speed.
    
    My projections for Aybar: 68 / 4 / 45 / 14 / .272
    
    
18. Marcus Semien (Auction $1): 61 / 14 / 46 / 9 / .259
19. Asdrubal Cabrera (Auction $1): 69 / 13 / 57 / 5 / .254
20. Eugenio Suarez (Auction $1): 48 / 15 / 52 / 6 / .259
21. Alcides Escobar (Auction $1): 75 / 4 / 48 / 16 / .260
22. Freddy Galvis (Auction $1): 60 / 9 / 49 / 12 / .260
23. Brad Miller (Auction $1): 53 / 12 / 49 / 12 / .251
24. Eduardo Escobar (Auction $1): 50 / 11 / 51 / 2 / .266
25. Andrelton Simmons (Auction $1): 54 / 9 / 54 / 5 / .262
26. Jonathan Villar (Auction $1): 38 / 8 / 32 / 18 / .261
27. Chris Owings  (Auction $1): 60 / 6 / 41 / 18 / .246
28. Ketel Marte (Auction $1): 36 / 6 / 31 / 8 / .283
29. J.J. Hardy (Auction $1): 43 / 11 / 47 / 1 / .245

Looking at the Shortstop landscape, there are options, but not a ton of them are exciting.  Many of the upside guys are ones you would have to invest in early.  I'm happy to wait and take someone steady that would contribute with some speed and a good average.

Check out my other positional breakdowns:

Catcher: here
First Base: here
Second Base: here
Third Base: here
Shortstop: here
Outfield: here
Designated Hitter here
Starting Pitching: here
Relief Pitching: Coming soon