The 2017 Player Shirt Power Rankings: Preseason Edition

One of the mainstays in my baseball fan life is the player shirsey. Far cheaper than an actual jersey, not to mention more reasonable to wear on a day-to-day basis, the shirsey or player shirt is the most classic merchandise purchase for a fan outside of the cap. I have collected shirseys for more than a decade and have had my fair share of smart moves (David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia) and short-sighted ones (Carl Everett, Mark Loretta). When you are investing your hard earned green in a shirt, you want it to be one that will be relevant for more than a few years, but you also want it to be exciting. Nobody was stoked about a Doug Mirabelli player shirt. (No offense, Doug). So I’m here to give you the ranking of player shirts available as the Red Sox begin the 2017 season. I’ll be back throughout the year to update these rankings as the year progresses.

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The Rolando Arrojo Diehard Collector Division

These are players who you’ll probably have to special order and are for the folks who want to have everyone on the 40-man roster.

32. Robby Scott

31. Roenis Elias

30. Josh Rutledge

29. Bryce Brentz

28. Deven Marrero

27. Brandon Workman

26. Fernando Abad

25. Heath Hembree

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Bret Saberhagen Lottery Ticket Division

If you’re into buying a shirt that you won’t see on many other people but could be popular if things break correctly, this is the collection you should choose from.

24. Marco Hernandez

23. Matt Barnes

22. Pablo Sandoval

21. Mitch Moreland

20. Robbie Ross

19. Joe Kelly

18. Drew Pomeranz

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Brian Daubach Fan Favorite Division

Here’s where you’ll find the folk heroes, the guys who hit .280 out of nowhere, who smack a walkoff home run in October, who go from roster filler to a player you stay in your seat to watch just because you love him so damn much.

17. Brock Holt

16. Steven Wright

15. Sandy Leon

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The Brian Rose Upside Division

Some players are young, new to the roster or poised for a breakout/bounce back and they seem like they’re going to be great. However, whether due to injury or reality sinking in, they don’t make it there. Until that reality hits, though, it’s fun to have them on your back. We start the year with a few semi-hurt players, who have been good to great, but it’s tough to invest in anybody who’s new, unproven and/or injury prone.

14. Carson Smith

13. Tyler Thornburg

12. Christian Vazquez

11. Eduardo Rodriguez

10. David Price

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Troy O’Leary Regular Division

We know what these players are and most of them are pretty good if not excellent. You’ll take one of these guys because you have a fun story about them, an unexplainable affinity for them or just want to be different but not too different.

9. Craig Kimbrel

8. Hanley Ramirez

7. Jackie Bradley Jr.

6. Rick Porcello

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacoby Ellsbury Youngster Division

You’re betting on the future here. This could be the face of the franchise in a year or two. They had a big end of the previous season and are highly touted as a prospect and you are all in.

5. Andrew Benintendi

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The David Ortiz You Should Already Have This Division

If you haven’t already gotten this shirt then it should be your No. 1 because this guy is a Red Sox through and through.

4. Dustin Pedroia

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The Nomar Garciaparra Stars Division

These are the ones you can get at MLB.com. The ones that will sell the most. The ones that move units. They are also the ones that you’ll be able to wear with pride for years to come.

3. Xander Bogaerts

2. Chris Sale

1. Mookie Betts