We’re just a few weeks into the 2024 campaign, but we’ve already seen significant changes in the dynasty shortstop rankings. Without any further delay, let’s dive right into the updated rankings. As always, also make sure to check out our Top 500 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings for a look at the big picture.
Top 75 Dynasty Shortstops for 2024
Tier 1
(1) Bobby Witt Jr., Royals, Age: 23
(2) Mookie Betts, Dodgers, Age: 31
(3) Gunnar Henderson, Orioles, Age: 22
(4) Elly De La Cruz, Reds, Age: 22
(5) Corey Seager, Rangers, Age: 30
(6) Jackson Holliday, Orioles, Age: 20
The Dodgers’ late-spring decision to make Mookie Betts their full-time shortstop adds an unexpected wrinkle to these rankings as the 31-year-old five-category fantasy superstar slots in directly behind Royals franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr. atop the Fantrax Dynasty Shortstop rankings until further notice. Gunnar Henderson’s astronomical five-category floor cements his status as a top-three long-term option at the position. Despite some durability concerns and a frosty start at the dish, Corey Seager remains a certifiable top-25 overall dynasty contributor barring something dramatic.
Perhaps the most significant development among the upper-echelon at the position group centers around Elly De La Cruz’s unexpected plate skills growth this year as he’s cut back slightly on the strikeouts and has improved his walk rate from 8.2 percent last year to a near-elite 12.3 percent this season through 36 contests. The 22-year-old’s game-changing power/speed combination, which has already resulted in eight homers and 21 steals this season, has him squarely on the precipice of evolving into one of the premier fantasy contributors in the sport. We just need to see him do this over a larger sample before we can safely vault him over someone like Henderson, who possesses a much more narrow range of potential outcomes. We were extremely bullish on De La Cruz in our offseason Top 500 rankings on the belief that even marginal growth in the plate skills department would make him an elite fantasy contributor and so far that’s been true.
Universally regarded as the top long-term real-life prospect in baseball, Jackson Holliday flopped in his first taste of the big leagues, batting .059 (2-for-34) with 18 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances over 10 contests last month, as Baltimore continued to challenge him from a development standpoint by pushing him aggressively. However, that shouldn’t diminish fantasy managers’ long-term optimism. The 20-year-old might ultimately wind up at second base long-term due to Henderson’s presence, but he’s resumed mashing since being demoted to the minors back on April 27, hitting .297 (11-for-37) with five extra-base hits and a 9/12 K/BB ratio in 10 games for Triple-A Norfolk. His time is coming.
Tier 2
(7) CJ Abrams, Nationals, Age: 23
(8) Oneil Cruz, Pirates, Age: 25
(9) Trea Turner, Phillies, Age: 30
CJ Abrams is one of the biggest risers at the position through the first few weeks of the 2024 campaign as he’s experienced a significant uptick in over-the-fence pop, launching seven round-trippers, while also chipping in eight thefts, in 152 plate appearances over 33 contests. It’s a significant development since he put together an 18-homer, 47-steal performance last year in his full-season Nationals debut. The 23-year-old former top prospect, who was the centerpiece of the much-ballyhooed Juan Soto trade back in 2022, appears to be putting it all together and could easily find himself in the upper-echelon group at the position if his noticeable uptick in barrel percentage sticks.
Oneil Cruz has shown some flashes of immense potential in his return from last year’s gruesome leg injury, but it might take him some time to finally put everything together. He’s still just 25 years old and will get plenty of time to make the leap in Pittsburgh. It’s not a talent question. Meanwhile, Turner is expected to be sidelined until mid-June recovering from a left hamstring strain that he suffered in early May.
Tier 3
(10) Bo Bichette, Blue Jays, Age: 26
(11) Anthony Volpe, Yankees, Age: 23
(12) Francisco Lindor, Mets, Age: 30
(13) Nico Hoerner, Cubs, Age: 26
We’re not totally sure what to make of Bo Bichette as his early-season struggles continue. However, given his previous track record, it’s too early to consider dropping him significantly in these long-term rankings. The 26-year-old boasts a calamitous .514 OPS with one homer and three steals through 34 contests. It’s not what you want. Yet, we’re willing to give him some additional time to get back on track.
Anthony Volpe’s offseason efforts to flatten his swing and implement an all-fields offensive approach has resulted in a nearly 50-point jump in batting average from last year’s dismal .209 mark. The 23-year-old former top prospect will need to strike a balance somewhere in the middle of the two approaches if he’s going to make the leap into an upper-echelon fantasy superstar, but he’s clearly established a solid baseline as an impactful five-category contributor as New York’s primary leadoff hitter.
Tier 4
(14) Matt McLain, Reds, Age: 24
(15) Jordan Lawlar, Diamondbacks, Age: 21
(16) Jackson Merrill, Padres, Age: 21
(17) Ha-Seong Kim, Padres, Age: 28
(18) Xander Bogaerts, Padres, Age: 31
It’s entirely possible that Matt McLain and Jordan Lawlar make significant leaps in these rankings once they return from injury later this season, but it’s nearly impossible to push the pair of former top prospects any higher until we get to see them back in action. There are far more questions from a long-term standpoint with Lawlar, who underwhelmed last year in his first taste of the majors, but he’s the type of high-upside talent that can take off quickly. Shoulder injuries are complex matters, which is why we’re not totally banking on McLain making an impact for fantasy managers later this year, even if he manages to make it back to Cincinnati.
Tier 5
(19) Colt Emerson, Mariners, Age: 18
(20) Leodalis De Vries, Padres, Age: 17
(21) Carson Williams, Rays, Age: 20
(22) Matt Shaw, Cubs, Age: 22
If you’re looking for the next fantasy superstar, these are some of the strongest bets out there. Colt Emerson has rapidly evolved into one of the top prospects in baseball, tearing the cover off the ball since last year when he made his professional debut. The 18-year-old shortstop boasts an OPS north of .900 this season through 14 games for Single-A Modesto and figures to continue moving quickly through Seattle’s system.
Meanwhile, it can’t be understated how impressive it is that Leodalis De Vries is even managing to hold his own at Single-A Lake Elsinore at just 17 years old. The top-ranked international prospect from this offseason’s signing class is being pushed extremely aggressively with a full-season assignment right out of the gate, and could easily find himself near the top of these dynasty shortstop rankings in a few years, if not sooner. He’s still a hyperspace jump or two away from the majors and there’s an extremely wide range of potential outcomes, but San Diego’s willingness to push him at such a young age has to inspire confidence in his long-term future.
Carson Williams has managed to cut back on the strikeouts this season back at Double-A Montgomery and is batting .330/.373/.524 with four homers and eight steals through 24 contests, which has led to a significant rise in the Fantrax Top 500 Overall Dynasty list. The 20-year-old’s ability to control the strike zone will determine whether he blossoms into an impact fantasy contributor down the road and it’s hard not to be encouraged by what he’s doing at the moment.
Tier 6
(23) Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox, Age: 21
(24) Adael Amador, Rockies, Age: 21
(25) Jett Williams, Mets, Age: 20
(26) Ezequiel Tovar, Rockies, Age: 22
(27) Colson Montgomery, White Sox, Age: 22
(28) Aidan Miller, Phillies, Age: 19
(29) Cole Young, Mariners, Age: 20
Marcello Mayer was among the consensus top prospects in baseball before attempting to play through a lingering shoulder issue last year, which seriously impacted his on-field performance. The 21-year-old has gotten off to an excellent start this season in his second chance at the Double-A level, posting a .763 OPS with 12 extra-base hits and six steals through 25 contests. There’s a possibility he reaches the majors for the Red Sox by the end of the season if he stays healthy and continues hitting in the upper minors.
Colson Montgomery has finally turned it on for Triple-A Charlotte after a relatively slow start to the season. There’s zero incentive for the rebuilding White Sox to push him to the majors this summer, but he figures to get the call when he’s ready.
Aidan Miller has gotten off to a phenomenal start this year at Single-A Clearwater in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, posting a .966 OPS with three homers and eight steals through 20 contests. The 19-year-old could wind up rising even further in our rankings if he continues mashing in the lower minors. It’s difficult to jump him past some of the top prospects in the game and established veterans, but he’s squarely in the top-30 range at the position group right now from a dynasty standpoint.
Tier 7
(30) Dansby Swanson, Cubs, Age: 30
(31) Willy Adames, Brewers, Age: 28
(32) Zach Neto, Angels, Age: 23
(33) Masyn Winn, Cardinals, Age: 22
(34) Brice Turang, Brewers, Age: 24
Dansby Swanson and Willy Adames have settled in as reliable, yet unspectacular, fantasy contributors squarely in the middle of their respective physical primes. Brice Turang was the dark horse steals candidate we should’ve seen coming this past offseason, but somehow didn’t. The 24-year-old speedster has made the most of his opportunity this season, emerging as Milwaukee’s everyday second baseman, posting an .826 OPS with two homers and 14 steals through 34 contests.
Tier 8
(35) Sebastian Walcott, Rangers, Age: 18
(36) Vaughn Grissom, Red Sox, Age: 23
(37) Jeremy Peña, Astros, Age: 26
(38) Carlos Correa, Twins, Age: 29
(39) Tommy Edman, Cardinals, Age: 29
(40) Orelvis Martinez, Blue Jays, Age: 22
(41) Thomas Saggese, Cardinals, Age: 22
(42) Brooks Lee, Twins, Age: 23
(43) J.P. Crawford, Mariners, Age: 29
Throw out the raw numbers. The fact that Sebastian Walcott is even keeping his head above water as an 18-year-old this season at High-A Hickory, at nearly a presidential term younger than some of his competition, is an indication of his immense raw talent and bright future. There’s some work to be done from a development standpoint, but virtually every scout and evaluator with eyes on Walcott has been extremely impressed with his performance this year.
It feels like only a matter of time before Orelvis Martinez finally gets his shot with the Blue Jays. The 22-year-old top prospect is knocking on the door to the majors with a robust .941 OPS with nine round-trippers through 32 games for Triple-A Buffalo. There’s virtually no speed to speak of at this point, but we’re fairly confident Martinez is going to hit for power when he gets a shot.
Tier 9
(44) Jacob Wilson, Athletics, Age: 22
(45) Roderick Arias, Yankees, Age: 19
(46) José Caballero, Rays, Age: 27
(47) Ronny Mauricio, Mets, Age: 23
(48) Trevor Story, Red Sox, Age: 31
(49) James Triantos, Cubs, Age: 21
(50) Cristofer Torin, Diamondbacks, Age: 18
(51) Jefferson Rojas, Cubs, Age: 19
(52) Blaze Alexander, Diamondbacks, Age: 24
Jacob Wilson finds himself on the doorstep to the big leagues following an early-May promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas after batting .455/.473/.705 with 16 extra-base hits and two steals across 93 plate appearances in 22 contests for Double-A Midland. The 22-year-old, who was selected sixth overall in last year’s MLB Draft, certainly looks like the shortstop of the future for Oakland. He doesn’t possess the power/speed ceiling of some of the other prospects on this list, but he figures to hit for average, while also chipping in the occasional round-tripper or stolen base.
Roderick Arias’ stock has taken a tumble considering he was the top-ranked international prospect from the 2022 signing class. The 19-year-old has scuffled this season with Single-A Tampa and has simply been passed by several prospects on this list that are right around the same age but have shown more offensive promise so far. We’re not writing Arias off completely, but he’s more of a lottery ticket than a surefire future fantasy stalwart at this stage of his development.
James Triantos, Cristofer Torin and Jefferson Rojas are the big movers from the preseason as the trio have all gotten off to hot starts. Triantos was a borderline top-100 prospect entering the year and is going to jump significantly on midseason lists after a really encouraging start so far at Double-A Tennessee with an .872 OPS with three homers and seven steals through 27 games. Torin boasts a stellar .927 OPS through 24 games at Single-A Visalia at just 19 years old, which is nearly two years younger than most of his competition. Rojas finds himself a step behind Triantos in Chicago’s system, but has drawn some strong reviews at High-A South Bend at just 19 years old.
Tier 10
(53) Luisangel Acuña, Mets, Age: 22
(54) Marco Luciano, Giants, Age: 22
(55) Luis Rengifo, Angels, Age: 27
(56) Brayan Rocchio, Guardians, Age: 23
(57) Tommy Troy, Diamondbacks, Age: 22
(58) Addison Barger, Blue Jays, Age: 24
(59) George Lombard Jr., Yankees, Age: 18
(60) Arjun Nimmala, Blue Jays, Age: 18
(61) Orlando Arcia, Braves, Age: 29
Luisangel Acuña has gotten off to a sluggish start this season at Triple-A Syracuse and continues to slide in these rankings with other intriguing prospects showing much more offensive promise. There’s definitely some stolen base upside lurking here, but he’s not hitting for a ton of power and the plate skills aren’t there for him to be an asset in the batting average department. He’s still a work in progress, but he needs to start hitting for more power if he’s going to make an impact for fantasy managers down the road.
Tier 11
(62) Jose Perdomo, Braves, Age: 17
(63) Joendry Vargas, Dodgers, Age: 18
(64) Darell Hernaiz, Athletics, Age: 22
(65) Geraldo Perdomo, Diamondbacks, Age: 24
(66) Ezequiel Duran, Rangers, Age: 24
(67) Liver Peguero, Pirates, Age: 23
(68) Amed Rosario, Rays, Age: 28
(69) Edwin Arroyo, Reds, Age: 20
(70) Trey Sweeney, Dodgers, Age: 24
(71) Colin Houck, Mets, Age: 19
(72) Echedry Vargas, Rangers, Age: 19
(73) Kevin McGonigle, Tigers, Age: 19
(74) Tyler Freeman, Guardians, Age: 24
(75) Osleivis Basabe, Rays, Age: 23
If you’re drawing a name from the hat out of this group, it’s probably Kevin McGonigle that is the most interesting name. It’s been only a handful of games this season at Single-A Lakeland, but he’s displayed elite plate skills and figures to move quickly through Detroit’s system after being selected 37th overall in last year’s MLB Draft.
Full Dynasty Shortstop Rankings
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team | Age | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Witt Jr. | SS | KC | 23 | |
| 2 | Mookie Betts | 2B, SS, OF | LAD | 31 | |
| 3 | Gunnar Henderson | 3B, SS | BAL | 22 | |
| 4 | Elly De La Cruz | 3B, SS | CIN | 22 | UP |
| 5 | Corey Seager | SS | TEX | 30 | |
| 6 | Jackson Holliday | 2B, SS | BAL | 20 | |
| 7 | CJ Abrams | SS | WSH | 23 | UP |
| 8 | Oneil Cruz | SS | PIT | 25 | |
| 9 | Trea Turner | SS | PHI | 30 | |
| 10 | Bo Bichette | SS | TOR | 26 | DOWN |
| 11 | Anthony Volpe | SS | NYY | 23 | |
| 12 | Francisco Lindor | SS | NYM | 30 | |
| 13 | Nico Hoerner | 2B, SS | CHC | 26 | |
| 14 | Matt McLain | 2B, SS | CIN | 24 | DOWN |
| 15 | Jordan Lawlar | SS | AZ | 21 | |
| 16 | Jackson Merrill | SS, OF | SD | 21 | |
| 17 | Ha-Seong Kim | 2B, 3B, SS | SD | 28 | |
| 18 | Xander Bogaerts | 2B, SS | SD | 31 | DOWN |
| 19 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | 18 | |
| 20 | Leodalis De Vries | SS | SD | 17 | UP |
| 21 | Carson Williams | SS | TB | 20 | |
| 22 | Matt Shaw | SS | CHC | 22 | |
| 23 | Marcelo Mayer | SS | BOS | 21 | UP |
| 24 | Adael Amador | SS | COL | 21 | |
| 25 | Jett Williams | SS | NYM | 20 | |
| 26 | Ezequiel Tovar | SS | COL | 22 | |
| 27 | Colson Montgomery | SS | CWS | 22 | |
| 28 | Aidan Miller | SS | PHI | 19 | UP |
| 29 | Cole Young | SS | SEA | 20 | |
| 30 | Dansby Swanson | SS | CHC | 30 | |
| 31 | Willy Adames | SS | MIL | 28 | |
| 32 | Zach Neto | SS | LAA | 23 | |
| 33 | Masyn Winn | SS | STL | 22 | |
| 34 | Brice Turang | 2B, SS | MIL | 24 | |
| 35 | Sebastian Walcott | SS | TEX | 18 | |
| 36 | Vaughn Grissom | 2B, SS | BOS | 23 | |
| 37 | Jeremy Peña | SS | HOU | 26 | |
| 38 | Carlos Correa | SS | MIN | 29 | |
| 39 | Tommy Edman | 2B, SS, OF | STL | 29 | |
| 40 | Orelvis Martinez | SS | TOR | 22 | UP |
| 41 | Thomas Saggese | 2B, SS | STL | 22 | |
| 42 | Brooks Lee | SS | MIN | 23 | |
| 43 | J.P. Crawford | SS | SEA | 29 | |
| 44 | Jacob Wilson | SS | OAK | 22 | UP |
| 45 | Roderick Arias | SS | NYY | 19 | DOWN |
| 46 | José Caballero | 2B, SS | TB | 27 | |
| 47 | Ronny Mauricio | 2B | NYM | 23 | |
| 48 | Trevor Story | SS | BOS | 31 | |
| 49 | James Triantos | SS | CHC | 21 | UP |
| 50 | Cristofer Torin | SS | AZ | 18 | UP |
| 51 | Jefferson Rojas | SS | CHC | 19 | |
| 52 | Blaze Alexander | SS | AZ | 24 | |
| 53 | Luisangel Acuña | 2B, SS | NYM | 22 | DOWN |
| 54 | Marco Luciano | SS | SF | 22 | |
| 55 | Luis Rengifo | 2B, 3B, SS, OF | LAA | 27 | |
| 56 | Brayan Rocchio | SS | CLE | 23 | |
| 57 | Tommy Troy | SS | AZ | 22 | |
| 58 | Addison Barger | SS | TOR | 24 | |
| 59 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | NYY | 18 | |
| 60 | Arjun Nimmala | SS | TOR | 18 | |
| 61 | Orlando Arcia | SS | ATL | 29 | |
| 62 | Jose Perdomo | SS | ATL | 17 | |
| 63 | Joendry Vargas | SS | LAD | 18 | |
| 64 | Darell Hernaiz | SS | OAK | 22 | |
| 65 | Geraldo Perdomo | SS | AZ | 24 | |
| 66 | Ezequiel Duran | 3B, SS, OF | TEX | 24 | |
| 67 | Liover Peguero | SS | PIT | 23 | |
| 68 | Amed Rosario | SS, 2B, OF | TB | 28 | |
| 69 | Edwin Arroyo | SS | CIN | 20 | |
| 70 | Trey Sweeney | SS | LAD | 24 | |
| 71 | Colin Houck | SS | NYM | 19 | |
| 72 | Echedry Vargas | SS | TEX | 19 | |
| 73 | Kevin McGonigle | SS | DET | 19 | UP |
| 74 | Tyler Freeman | SS, 3B, OF | CLE | 24 | |
| 75 | Osleivis Basabe | SS | TB | 23 |