Midseason Position Rankings: Shortstop

Well, I figured I'd post a position ranking now, though they should all be up by the end of next week (since "The Day in Review" won't exist during the All Star Break, which is the greatest advent of all time).. I've had very little luck considering these players, since there are far too many question marks, but I did the best I could and expect an angry poster or two to explain just how wrong I was. In these criticisms, please be as articulate as possible, as to better apprehend my failure and the correct arrangement of the fielding-sixers.

Tier One:

• Hanley Ramirez
• Jose Reyes

I'm not a huge fan of one-player tiers, but these two could just as easily be the entire tier one and the entire tier two. Ramirez boasts fourteen more homers and better stats in every category but steals, where Reyes beats him out 32-22. My issue with Ramirez is that he's shown himself to be streaky, and already sported two such streaks (one recently, one to start the season). I have him pegged for another, though the fish should come back to earth (less runs and RBIs) and I expect his SBs totals to taper off if Florida acquires the quick leadoff batter they've been eyeing (possibly Taveras). Reyes on the other hand should steal bases at a higher rates, and acquiring him now gives you a good shot of moving up several rankings in both the runs and SB categories.

Tier Two:

• Jimmy Rollins

Okay, I broke my word, but do we really expect Rollins to approach the youngsters brilliance? I didn't think so, nor do I personally expect anyone to approach the Phillies shortstop. With twenty fewer games than either, Rollins ties Ramirez in steals. Also, Howard heating up and time since the last injury should lead to better run totals, more hits, and more dingers. He's just not going to catch either in average, Reyes in speed, or Ramirez in power.

Tier Three:

• Michael Young
• Carlos Guillen
• Derek Jeter
• Miguel Tejada

None of these guys are young, and I ranked them in accordance with how I see their offenses performing heading forward. The Rangers will see improvements from Chris Davis (one of my favorite sleepers), and Saltalamacchia, while also sporting a sickening outfield of Hamilton, Bradley, and Murphy. The Tigers have been disappointments, but Guillen could go 20-20, which no one else here will. Jeter and Tejada are not doing great, but their track record helps them escape a lower tier, while the length of that track record places them at the bottom of this list.

Tier Four:

• Ryan Theriot
• J.J. Hardy
• Johnny Peralta
• Orlando Cabrera
• Steven Drew
• Edgar Renteria

Theriot will give you speed, no power, and an average around .275 through the rest of the season (as a Cubs fan, I won't be unrealistic: his .314 average isn't for real (but he will finish the year with 30+ SBs). Hardy is hot, but was once liquid nitrogen cold, and will be closer to the latter at some point. Peralta has the upside to launch 30 homers, while Cabrera could provide a solid balance, but none of these guys will give provide much else.

Tier Five:

• Rafael Furcal
• Khalil Greene
• Ramon Vazquez
• Maicer Izturis
• Julio Lugo
• Yunel Escobar
• Matt Aviles

Furcal will probably miss most of the season, but as a pending FA he might try to prove his health. Greene hasn't really had a hot stretch as should find one, while the rest are options in deep leagues but have little value anywhere else. Christian Guzman should be traded.