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Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Season Wrap Up – Shortstop

Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Season Wrap Up – Shortstop
Carlos Correa's low injury risk may help him become 2016's consensus-top shortstop in fantasy drafts

Carlos Correa’s low injury risk may help him become 2016’s consensus-best shortstop in fantasy drafts

Shortstop has been a thin position, and a changing of the guard has begun. Here is a review of the position from 2015 and a preview of what’s in store for 2016.

MVP: Carlos Correa

It doesn’t matter that Correa played only part of the season at the major league level because his impact was so large once he got there. Correa led all shortstop eligible fantasy players in home runs and was a positive contributor in every 5X5 fantasy category. We have only started to see the potential of Correa and given the depth, or lack thereof, at the position, Correa should be valued very highly entering next season. Unlike Troy Tulowitzki, who was the previous unanimous top pick at the position, there is no obvious injury risk with Correa, meaning he should be a lock to be a pick in the top two rounds in 2016 drafts.

Best Surprise: Jung-Ho Kang

Kang was the ultimate wild card entering the season, as he had great potential based on his success in the Korean Baseball Organization, but with little idea how that would translate to Major League Baseball. After a slow start, Kang became comfortable at the major league level and forced his way into an everyday role for the Pirates with his play. A season-ending injury put a damper on things, but depending on the progress of his rehab, Kang could be a tremendous source of power at a position that lacks many options in that regard for 2016.

Biggest Bust: Hanley Ramirez

This was supposed to be the season Ramirez was a steal because he had shortstop eligibility while playing the outfield. Things didn’t go according to plan in that regard, and his cost of either a second or third-round pick surely didn’t return profit. Ability still isn’t the issue for Ramirez, but gambling on his health is always a risk, and that won’t change heading into 2016. On top of that, he will be eligible only in the outfield, deflating his value further.

Player to Watch: Xander Bogaerts

Bogaerts took a large step forward in 2015, and at the age of 23 he has plenty more room to improve. His average may be in for a bit of a dip, but his BABIP will remain very high due to his ability to hit the ball well to any part of the field. His power took a disappointing step back from last season, as he hit ground balls at an excessive rate. Bogaerts is already an asset at the shortstop position, but to take another step forward in value he must improve his power production. He is a good target at the shortstop position in early-mid rounds of 2016 drafts, given his already solid production and potential for even more.

Daniel Marcus is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Daniel, check out his archive or follow him @danmarcus3

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