Shortstop is one of fantasy baseball’s glamour positions. The demands of the position result in many of the most athletic players ending up at the position, and as a result, some of the most dynamic and exciting players in baseball sit at the very top of the shortstop rankings. If you miss out on those big names or if you are looking for some additional roster depth, some very strong fantasy baseball sleepers are also available much later in drafts that bring good potential upside. In this post, I’ll run down three of my top fantasy baseball sleepers at shortstop who I think are set up well to out-produce their current ADP (average draft position).
Whether you prefer season-long leagues, DFS contests or DraftKings Best Ball, DK Network will have you covered throughout the upcoming season. I began this series with fantasy baseball sleepers at catcher, first base and second base. In this post, we’ll look at my top three SS sleepers coming into spring training.
Jacob Wilson, Athletics
The Athletics will play in Sacramento again this year, giving their lineup the boost of a hitter-friendly Park Factor at Sutter Health Park. Especially in the summer, the park played very offense-friendly last season, and Wilson took advantage and put together a breakout campaign. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year race, behind only his teammate Nick Kurtz.
The 23-year-old righty is currently going off the board after about 15 other shortstops, but he could be one of the best bats at the position if he can continue his momentum from last season.
Wilson arrived in the majors in 2024, but he really found his groove in 125 games last season, hitting .311 with 13 homers, five stolen bases and a .348 wOBA. If he played a different position, he’d be a slam-dunk top-10 option, but since his homers and steals weren’t elite, he isn’t a top option at shortstop.
He can still bring very solid value, though, since he plays for a team with a developing lineup and should hit high in the order. He has some of the best contact skills in all of baseball and can boost your batting average and chip in good counting stats with the occasional power surge. Early in the season, Wilson showed an even higher ceiling and more potential power before a fractured arm cost him some time, and he didn’t have as much pop when he returned.
After signing a seven-year, $70 million contract extension in January, Wilson is locked in as a key part of the Athletics core. He can be a great late pickup to boost your aveage and brings some breakout potential as one of my top fantasy baseball sleepers this season at shortstop.
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Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
Montgomery is another shortstop who had a strong rookie year and is part of a young lineup full of intriguing potential fantasy baseball sleepers. The lefty will turn 24 before Opening Day, and he showed plenty of potential in his 71 MLB games last season.
Montgomery is currently around the 20th shortstop off the board, but if your team needs power production, he’s a great value at his ADP. He smashed 21 homers in just 71 games last season, posting an elite .290 ISO with a .355 wOBA. His batting average was lower at only .239, but his power production compensated for that, as long as you have other players on your team to carry that category (depending on scoring format).
Montgomery hit .267 with a .374 wOBA over the last month of the season, and he seemed to settle in and hit for more average after an initial adjustment. Even over that last month, though, he had a 31.4% strikeout rate, so there is definitely some growth needed in that category in his second season in the majors.
The White Sox have a fun young lineup and added Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami this offseason. He’ll probably hit cleanup right behind Montgomery in the third spot in the order, and the offense looks like it could take a big step forward this year, allowing Montgomery to be a nice source of run production stats to go with his prodigious power.
Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers
Shortstop as a whole has some elite prospects waiting in the wings. MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin of the Pirates, Jesus Made of the Brewers, JJ Wetherholt of the Cardinals and Leo De Vries of the Athletics could all make a significant impact this season and have shortstop eligibility in some formats. The Tigers have an elite prospect coming at shortstop as well in McGonigle, who will probably push his way to the majors at some point this season. He’s the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and his arrival will come with plenty of hype, causing a dash to the waiver wire if he’s not already on a roster.
McGonigle hasn’t played any games yet at Triple-A, but the 21-year-old hit .305 across Single-A, High-A and Double-A last year with 19 homers, 10 stolen bases and a .447 wOBA. He went to the Arizona Fall League to make up for time lost to injury and earned MVP honors by hitting .362 with 12 extra-base hits, five homers and a 1.210 OPS.
He’s an elite and well-rounded prospect who has a great plate approach and hits for power and average. The only real question about McGonigle’s production is when he’ll get a chance to bring it to the majors. He will get a long look this spring and could earn a roster spot right out of camp. He could also start in Triple-A and be a midseason call-up. That also assumes he can stay healthy, which has been an issue in his career so far.
McGonigle could be a breakout performer and has the sixth-shortest odds for AL Rookie of the Year on DraftKings Sportsbook. He’s currently going off draft boards after 27 other shortstops, so he can be a late-round grab and stash in most formats, and he definitely has the potential to be one of the top fantasy baseball sleepers of the season if he earns a spot on the roster and starts the season strong.
