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These are my top 5 SS heading into the 2007 season:

Derek Jeter - He's always been a very good hitter, and 2006 was no different for the captain of the Yankees. He has a great eye at the plate, decent power (14 HR, 39 2B), and is excellent on the basepaths (34 SB, 5 CS). His defense is perpetually overrated, but he's a fine hitter from the SS position.

Carlos Guillen - Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the MLB, Guillen was one of the 2 best SS in the MLB in 2006. He has a good eye at the plate (.400 OBP), but the thing that sticks out is his great power as a SS. He had a SLG percentage of .519 in 2006, with 19 HR and 41 2B. If he can repeat that performance, he will possibly earn the right to be called the best SS in the game.

Miguel Tejada - Tejada's always put up great numbers, and 2006 was no different. His .330/.379/.498 line (AVG/OBP/SLG) is excellent. Also, he's extremely durable, not unlike another Baltimore SS from the past. Tejada has played all 162 games for the last 6 seasons.

Jose Reyes - Last year was really the time for the speedster to break out and show he's one of the best young SS in the MLB. He doesn't have a great eye at the plate, but he has surprisingly good power and of course great speed. He had 66 XBH in 2006 and complemented that with 64 steals. Definitely one of the most exciting players in the MLB.

Hanley Ramirez - Ramirez has been a good prospect for a long time, but I'm not sure anyone thought he would be as good as he was in 2006 as a rookie. His average was a shade under .300, but he had an OBP of .353 and a SLG of .480. Like Reyes, he displayed surprisingly good power, with a whopping 74 XBH (17 HR, 11 3B, 46 2B). If he can progress and continue to get better, the sky is definitely the limit for him.

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