Fantasy talk: Elvis Andrus status report

Elvis Andrus has been a key factor in the Rangers' success in the past few seasons. Texas has been spoiled because Andrus has stayed healthy all year long, and has been producing. He has been one of the most consistent players over the last 2-3 years and his fantasy value is only getting higher and higher.

Andrus was signed by the Braves as an amateur free agent back in 2005 out of Maracay, Aragua, Venezuela. He put up good numbers in his first season in the minors, and moved to Single-A ball the following year. There he put up decent numbers, but didn't really seem to have a future in Atlanta with shortstop Yunel Escobar blocking him on the depth chart. Texas shipped Andrus, along with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz, and a player named Beau Jones to the Rangers in the Mark Teixeira deal. Once Andrus was dealt, he had a lot of success in Texas' farm system. In 2008, he played everyday at the Double-A level, hitting .295 in 535 plate appearances. In 2009, Rangers shortstop Michael Young agreed to move to third base. That allowed Texas to bring up Andrus and slide him into the shortstop position. In 2009 and 2010, he was the Rangers' starting shortstop, and didn't put up spectacular numbers in the batting average department but stole a lot of bases.

2011 was kind of a similar year for Andrus. However, his average increased, and he stole more bases. He started to become the Rangers shortstop of the future, and Texas was pleased with his performance. He also quickly became a fan favorite. Enter 2012. Andrus became a lock at the shortstop position. Everyone expected him to repeat his fine performance, and he certainly has so far. He has hit .292 in 397 plate appearances this season. He has also swiped 18 bases. At 23 years old, Andrus' potential in the MLB is unbelievable.

I feel like Andrus can still develop and become an even better player. He has managed to keep his batting average over .260 every year he has been in the MLB. While .260 isn't an overly impressive batting average for a shortstop, I'm sure he will develop into a player who will be able to maintain a .310+ batting average.

Andrus is a rising star in the MLB, and seeing him mature as a player has been exciting. He will be with Texas for a long time, and he will also be an above average fantasy player for a very long time. If you own Andrus right now, I'm sure you are pleased with his performance so far this year. I wouldn't give him up if you are in a dynasty league, or any league for that matter. Andrus could be a top shortstop in the game within the next few years so I would definitely keep an eye on him.