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While the 2nd basemen to target is a necessary evil like changing your underwear. This post, well, have you seen the top 20 shortstops for 2022 fantasy baseball? Dude, why did you not draft one of the glorious top top TOP guys? Did you show up late to your draft because you were delayed by having to wear pants? Unlike previous years, I’m hopeful that everyone owns at least one shortstop prior to getting to the sleepers in this post, and likely two. Top shortstops are the bee’s knees, and bees have knees; I’m a scientist. This is a (legal-in-all-countries-except-Lichtenstein) supplement to the top 20 shortstops for 2022 fantasy baseball. The players listed have a draft rank after 200 on other sites. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2022 projections. Anyway, here’s some shortstops to target for 2022 fantasy baseball:
Psyche! Just dropped this season’s first Buy/Sell to our Patreon. Get it early by signing up there. Anyway II, shortstops to target for 2022 fantasy baseball:
Amed Rosario (ESPN 213, Yahoo 233) Here’s one where I’m actually more in-line with Yahoo’s thinking than the drafters at NFBC, who are taking Amed about 50 spots prior. He went 11/13/.282 last year in 141 games. His ground ball rate is laughably high and his fly balls are, you guessed it, the opposite. His Hard Contact is so weak it’s like he hits everything with a wet noodle. But speed is speed is speed.
Gio Urshela (Yahoo 244, ESPN unranked, NFBC 268) The easy way to go about this post is to point out why no one likes a certain guy, because that’s legion when it comes to Urshela. The first thing you need to think about with all “target” posts is these guys aren’t my first option. This is what happens when shizz goes sideways. The good stuff is, Urshela’s swing was fundamentally flawed last year, but was better in years past, so he just needs to fix that to get to a 20+ homer guy, and he has the contact to hit .300. Again, if he fixes his swing, but it took me 25 seconds to pinpoint his issue, so you’d think the Twins or him would know.
Gavin Lux (Yahoo 247, ESPN unranked, NFBC 225) I’m at the Grand Lux Cafe, ordering a Chinese Chicken Salad and an MI who can go 10/5/.250. Screaming to the people in my party, “Is this not the place where they make a special sauce, which is just soy and spicy, at your table?” And them telling me I’m thinking of P.F. Chang’s. Then me saying, “I wonder if Pretty F***ing Chang’s could outproduce Lux in fantasy.” So, yeah, I’m not a big fan of Lux and he’s squeezed for playing time, but Justin Turner’s on his last leg, Muncy’s on his last elbow and Bellinger’s on everyone’s last nerve.
Jonathan Villar (Yahoo 281, ESPN unranked, NFBC 279) So, I left out guys who I’ve covered before in the 2nd basemen or 1st basemen to target posts. I tell you this to point out, these shortstops, while sad, aren’t quite as sad as they appear. There’s a few more guys — like, say, Josh Rojas — who I would target late who have shortstop eligibility, but they’re just not listed here. Am I telling you this so you react more favorably to this post, or am I just stalling because I have nothing to say on Villar? Who’s to say! So, honestly, I don’t know if Villar has a starting job. I don’t think he should, but that means nothing. With a starting job, it’s hard to picture Villar not doing what he always does, a 15/15/.250-type year.
Didi Gregorius (Yahoo 312, ESPN unranked, NFBC 439) “Find someone more exciting than Jonathan Villar is what you’re tasking me with? Huh?!” That’s me screaming at the heavens. So, here ya go, because you asked for it: 24/5/.250 is Didi’s projections if he stays healthy and fends off Bryson Stott. 17/6/.250 is Gavin Lux’s projections if he stays healthy and actually plays. Sure, Lux has more upside in theory, but I don’t play in any “in theory” leagues.
David Fletcher (Yahoo 315, NFBC 331) Ya know what’s funny, but not in a haha way? Last preseason, everyone was like, “Grey, you are so freakin’ handsome, and what do you think of David Fletcher? He seems like a lock for .300.” Those people have disappeared. The people who are fetch for Fletcher are nil. He still kinda seems like a .300 hitter to me, he has 15 steal speed, and…well, he never had anything else ever. Runs maybe if he were leading off, but Ohtani will be. By the by, ESPN has David Fletcher ranked 189 overall, in front of Javier Baez, Luis Urias, and countless others. I’d roll my eyes, but who would hear me?
Paul DeJong (Yahoo 323, ESPN unranked, NFBC 450) As I went over in my NL DH series that I titled: The NL DH Series, the “the” for clarification purposes, Colonel Mustard might see the Cards’ DH at-bats, or, as is more likely, the Cards won’t hit their head, get amnesia and decide to let DeJong DH for 500 at-bats. If they do though, the Colonel might hit 25+ homers (and .210). (The Cards added Corey Dickerson since, but the Cards may still decide Col. Mustard is better than Dickerson’s mayo.)
Oneil Cruz (Yahoo unranked, ESPN unranked, NFBC 222) If you’ve played around with the Fantasy Baseball War Room, you see Rudy is very high on Cruz, but no higher than Cruz is on himself. He’s like seven-feet tall. One Kudos chocolatey bar to Rudy, because I like Cruz too. Maybe not quite as high as him — have I mentioned his height? — but Cruz hits the ball very hard, has speed and should sit somewhere in the top three in the Pirates’ order. Way more so than Tsutsugo, as I’ve seen listed some places. Plus, Cruz was already called up, so hopefully the Pirates only manipulate his service time for a week or two. Also, here’s my Oneil Cruz fantasy.
Bryson Stott (NFBC 508, ESPN unranked, Yahoo unranked) A few weeks ago, I started targeting Bryson Stott in deep leagues. How do you know if you’re in a deep enough league? The easiest way to understand if your league’s deep enough is if you don’t know if your league is deep, it’s not deep. People in deep leagues know they’re in deep leagues. Phils went out and got Schwarber, Castellanos, and Knebel. A team that is going for it won’t send a better bat to the minors for long, if Didi is shitty.
