External Publication

2026 Dynasty MLB Shortstop Preview

Prospects Live February 11, 2026

There are few positions around the diamond that offer as much excitement as the shortstop position. It’s no secret that the best athletes coming through the high school and college ranks typically play short, and while many shortstop prospects end up moving off of the position as they enter the big leagues, those who stick tend to be five-category contributors for fantasy purposes, and can often be the face of their franchise. It’s no surprise that Bobby Witt Jr. leads our MLB shortstop list, and he is joined in our top four by Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, and Zach Neto to create a Mt. Rushmore of 30/30 offensive talents who are all 25 or younger.

While it’s tempting to salivate over the prospect of locking in an early-mid 20s shortstop for the long haul into your dynasty roster, it’s important to keep in mind that the top 10 of our rankings includes four players, Francisco Lindor (5), Trea Turner (6), Corey Seager (8), and Mookie Betts (9), who will all be 32 years old or older by the end of April. Each of them obviously has their fair share of mileage at this stage of their careers, but they are highly reliable options at the position, and serve as a reminder that there are good veteran options available who will continue to contribute for the next several years. If you are looking to get top-tier shortstop production without paying the astronomical sum it would take to get one of our top four, this may be a good place to find one, particularly from a team that’s looking to reboot their roster in 2026.

If paying up for a 5-category veteran isn’t your style, there are players with safe playing time floors and varying degrees of upside throughout the 30s of our list. What you’re paying for at the top is is 20-30 home run power, whereas players like Otto Lopez (31), J.P. Crawford (32), and Ernie Clement (36) represent more modest options from a counting stats perspective, likely producing somewhere in the ballpark of low double-digit homers and steals, while being a net positive in batting average. While it’s not a great sign for your team’s prospects if these players are in your starting lineup at SS, they represent great middle infield options if your league has those additional lineup spots, and they can be great bench options to fill in over the course of the long season.

It’s also worth noting that, while in fantasy baseball the focus is understandably on each athlete's offensive ceiling, one underrated quality to consider at the shortstop position is defensive prowess. Shortstop is one of the most demanding and highly valued defensive positions on the field, and players who can expertly field the position have shown time and again that they will be given ample opportunities to grow into the role offensively. Look no further than Geraldo Perdomo’s 2025 breakout as an example, as the previously unheralded shortstop inked a long-term extension just before the season, convincingly kept top prospect Jordan Lawlar at bay, and made the offensive adjustments at the age of 25 to put together a remarkable 7.1 WAR season.

While every position on the diamond is important, the particular importance of the shortstop position makes it one of the deepest in our rankings, and there are several different ways to cover the position for 2026 and beyond. The best path depends heavily on each individual manager's team needs and aspirations.

2026 Dynasty Position Preview - Prospects LiveProspects LiveProspects Live Staff

1. Bobby Witt Jr. KCR, SS (MLB)

193 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 28 HR, 30 SB, 8.0% BB, 17.1% K, .295/.355/.532, 146 wRC+

Photo Credit: semissourian.com

Following a season in which he won a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, and finished second in American League MVP voting, Witt Jr. came into 2025 with the loftiest of expectations. Witt Jr.’s .295/.351/.501 slash line did not quite live up to the expectations set by his sensational 2024 campaign (and its .977 OPS), but the Royals’ shortstop still performed like an absolute superstar. While his power dipped compared to last season (32 HR → 23 HR), the 25-year-old put his speed to greater use on the base paths (31 SB → 38 SB), and had a career-best year in terms of average exit velocity (93.3 mph). Witt Jr. retained both his Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in this most elite of “down” seasons, and he will reprise his role as one of baseball’s best all-around players in 2026. He remains a top-three talent for dynasty purposes and seems set to hover in that rarefied air for years to come. - Lucas Morel

2. Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS (MLB)

186 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 24 HR, 38 SB, 9.8% BB, 25.8% K, .277/.349/.498, 136 wRC+

Photo Credit: Sam Greene

By most measurements, Elly took a slight step backwards in 2025. He still demonstrated the incredible tools he possesses, including elite exit velocities (11.4 mph max EV), top-of-the-league sprint speed (29.1 feet per second), and a cannon for an arm (92.2 mph). Elly remained steady with his contact rates (78.5% zone, 68.3% overall) and plate discipline metrics (28.5% chase) and hit the ball as hard as he ever has (91.0 mph, 44.2% hard hit), but saw his ground ball rate increase (51.2%) and AIRPULL rate decrease (9.8%) leading to a reduced slugging percentage. EDLC also attempted significantly fewer stolen base attempts (45 compared to 83 in 2024), which raises the question of whether an injury might have been involved, or if it was simply Tito Francona playing a less risky style of baseball. Elly is still just 23 years old and has his entire prime ahead of him, so you should expect some more 20/50 seasons in the near future. - Greg Hoogkamp

3. Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS (MLB)

187 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 25 HR, 21 SB, 11.2% BB, 20.5% K, .286/.370/.512, 146 wRC+

Photo Credit: Gail Burton

The season started a little late for Gunnar Henderson, who suffered a right intercostal strain during Spring Training. He wound up slashing .274/.349/.438, which was a slight tick down across the board from his massive 2024 season. The biggest difference came in the power department, hitting just 17 home runs in 2025. That's way off his mark of 37 the year prior. While he did steal more bases, 30 for the season, his barrel rate dropped nearly three percentage points. His EVs and launch angle were still relatively even, and there's little to suggest this isn't more than a blip, with reason to believe the power will return. Even if he doesn't consistently hit 35+ homers, the 24-year-old is still going to provide both power and speed that should keep him in the conversation for top fantasy shortstops. - Trevor Hooth

4. Zach Neto LAA, SS (MLB)

164 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 24 HR, 28 SB, 7.4% BB, 22.9% K, .259/.332/.457, 120 wRC+

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