Top-10 Fantasy Baseball Shortstops for 2025: Bobby Witt Jr., Mookie Betts, Gunnar Henderson, Francisco Lindor, CJ Abrams and More

It’s time to continue my fantasy baseball series in which I rank the top-10 players at each position.

We’ve covered outfielders, catchers and starting pitchers so far and now will move on to shortstops. If a player has double, or more, eligibility, I’m only going to include them at the position they played most in 2024, or the position they are expected to play in 2025.

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1. Bobby Witt Jr.

Witt is my easy No. 1 choice for top fantasy shortstop in 2025. He was the top fantasy SS in 2024, by over 100 points!

Witt is a young and budding MLB star, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t have another monster season. Even if he were to regress a bit, he’s still likely to finish as the No. 1 fantasy shortstop.

After Shohei Ohtani, Witt is the best fantasy player. I like him with the second overall pick, and he’s likely to be in the battle for the top fantasy hitter spot (excluding Ohtani, who gets points for pitching as well).

2. Mookie Betts

Betts is slated to serve as the shortstop for the Dodgers in 2025. I prefer the guy I have at No. 3 on a day-to-day basis, but because Betts should have some fantasy position versatility, that makes him the better fantasy option.

If Betts hadn’t gotten hurt last year, he might be in the running for an even higher draft slot. As is, Betts is a top-10 pick, and should finish as a top-20 fantasy hitter at worst.

The Dodgers’ lineup is still loaded, and Betts should hit near the top of the order, giving him a chance to not only drive in runs and get on base a ton, but also score a bunch of runs. I think Betts still has a couple more elite seasons in him, and we’re a ways off from a potential dropoff in production.

3. Gunnar Henderson

Henderson was the No. 2 fantasy shortstop last season, and could challenge for the top spot again this season. He started 2024 really well, but faded in the second half of the season.

He’s still a young and emerging player, so some ups and downs should be expected. Henderson is still hitting atop a loaded Orioles’ lineup and that puts him in a great position as a fantasy hitter.

Hopefully Henderson learned from his up-and-down 2024 season and can put together a more balanced showing in 2025. He’s another top-10 fantasy pick, and isn’t likely to drop outside it ever, in any format.

4. Francisco Lindor

I’m a bit higher on Lindor than most. He was the No. 3 fantasy shortstop a season ago, and with the addition of Juan Soto, Lindor could be in for a career season in 2025.

He’ll hit atop the Mets’ lineup, which should be pretty strong throughout the lineup, but especially at the top. Having Soto behind him will give Lindor more pitches to hit, and help him score a bunch of runs.

If the bottom of the order can get on base consistently, Lindor could challenge for the top fantasy spot at the position.

5. Elly De La Cruz

I’m a touch lower on De La Cruz than others, but still have him in my top five. My biggest gripe is that he’s locked into most people's top-10 lists, but wasn’t even a top-25 finisher last season.

I think there’s room for improvement for De La Cruz, but I think he’s more likely to be a top-20 finisher than a top-10 one. Maybe he’ll end up proving me wrong, but if I had to choose a bust inside the top-10 fantasy picks, it’s De La Cruz, and it’s not all that much of a discussion to me.

A part of the reason I’m down on De La Cruz is that the lineup around him isn't nearly as good as some of these other players. Another is that he’s not a high-average guy and strikes out a ton. I just don’t get the massive hype with him this season.

6. Corey Seager

Seager has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons, but he’s been good/great when he’s been on the field. He’s got a .303 average and .371 on-base percentage across those two seasons.

His ceiling is just as high as any other fantasy shortstop if he can stay on the field the whole season. I also like the Rangers’ lineup, which sets up Seager for another monster season.

If you miss out on some of the top fantasy shortstops, or if you just want to take a bit of a gamble on a high-upside, but injury-prone player, getting Seager in round four or five would be worth the risk in my mind. Even getting him at the end of round three is a win in my book.

7. Willy Adames

Adames was the No. 4 fantasy shortstop a season ago, so he looks like a bit of a value pick. I most often see him going between picks 40-65.

Adames bounced back from a down 2023 season with a good showing in 2024. He hit .251, clubbed 32 homers and drove in 112 runs, while also stealing 21 bases. 

Him moving to San Francisco is a bit of a fantasy downgrade in my eyes, but he’ll hit in a favorable spot in the lineup and could outperform preseason expectations if the Giants’ offense is a bit better than expected.

8. Trea Turner

Turner had a better showing in 2024 than he did in the previous season, but he also missed 41 games. He had solid numbers overall, but some durability concerns hold him back from ranking higher on my list.

The Phillies are basically running things back with the same group of hitters, which is a good thing for Turner, who will hit near the top of the lineup. He’ll have the chance to not only drive in runs, but get a bunch of pitches to hit, score a ton of runs and steal a good amount of bases.

Turner is a bit overrated as a fantasy asset to me, going in the third round at the latest usually. I prefer him in the fourth round or later, so unless he falls in my drafts, he’s a player I’m passing on this season.

9. CJ Abrams

A player like Abrams offers a lot more fantasy value than a guy like Turner. He was sent down at the end of last season after spending a night out at a casino before a game - it was deemed an “internal issue.”

If Abrams learned from it and can stay in the major leagues all season, he’s got the chance to post some career-best marks. After three big league seasons, we know he’s going to hit just below .250, steal a bunch of bases and get on base at a .300 or better clip.

If Abrams can add a little more power to his game, or simply improve his numbers from last year, then he’s going to be a big fantasy draft steal. He’s going around pick 70 on most lists I see, and he could easily be a top-50 finisher.

10. Jeremy Pena

Pena is another player who we pretty much know what to expect from at this point. He’s hit between .253 and .266 in his three MLB seasons (but has improved each season) and has a .307 OBP.

His power has dropped from his rookie season, but the extra hits and more stolen bases helps Pena be a good fantasy option. The Houston lineup is going to look a little different this year, and while it looks a touch worse on paper, there’s still enough talent around for Pena to be a good fantasy hitter, even if he’s in the bottom half of the order.

I’m a lot higher on Pena than most, which means he’s a great value pick later in drafts. If you miss out on the shortstop position, getting Pena late in a draft should be considered a win.

Honorable Mentions

There’s a number of other shortstops I considered for my list, especially at No. 10.

Some of the top names were Oneil Cruz, Ezequiel Tovar, Zach Neto, Masyn Winn and Xavier Edwards. 

Some other intriguing names to me are Bo Bichette, Anthony Volpe, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Joey Ortiz and Trevor Story.