For years, the shortstop position was focused on defense. Then, the focus shifted to offense after the rise of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Nomar Garciaparra (among others) in the late-90s. Now, defense appears to be back in vogue, but there are a few defenders in the league that aren’t just a glove – they have ridiculous bats too. Thus, our top shortstop heading int the 2015 season is a fantastic defender, and also a fantastic hitter.
1. Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki is a wizard at shortstop, and the best hitter at the position in baseball. So while placing him at the top of the list didn’t seem like a difficult decision, a sliver of doubt began to creep into my mind for one major reason – health. Tulowitzki is a perennial MVP candidate when he’s on the field, but actually staying on the field is a problem for him. Over the last three seasons, he’s totaled just 1,090 plate appearances, qualifying for just one batting title in those three years. Of course, he was brilliant offensively over those three years, hitting .316/.399/.551 with 54 homers and amassing a ridiculous 11.8 fWAR. But as long as he’s having problems staying in the Rockies lineup, there will be questions about whether he’s actually worth the $118 million that Colorado still owes him.
2. Ian Desmond. I don’t think it’s unfair to call Desmond a poor man’s Tulowitzki. He’s a worse overall hitter and a worse fielder, but has been a 20/20 player in each of the last three seasons and his UZR and DRS both tell different stories about Desmond’s defense. There’s plenty of value with Desmond, and even though he’ll turn 30 in September, just weeks before hitting free agency for the first time, I’m sure he’ll get a ridiculous contract in the free agent market. It won’t approach Tulowitzki’s heights, though.
3. J.J. Hardy. You could probably make a case for any of the next four players on the list checking in at the third spot. Hardy has had four very diverse seasons in Baltimore, all valuable in their own special way. In 2011, he was a great all around hitter and defender, blasting 30 homers for the O’s. In 2012, Hardy’s overall offensive numbers cratered, but he still homered 22 times and won the first of three straight AL Gold Gloves. In 2013, he was a perfectly league average hitter, smashing 25 homers. And then in 2014, his batting average and OBP stayed consistent, but his power fell off a cliff. So what in the hell do we have here? An erratic offensive player with good pop that could be fading, and a great defensive player as well. Even with all of those issues, Hardy has still been worth 13.8 fWAR over his four seasons with the Orioles – I’d be happy with that kind of inconsistency.
ATLANTA, GA – MAY 26: Andrelton Simmons #19 of the Atlanta Braves is unable to reach a 7th inning run scoring single by A.J. Pierzynski of the Boston Red Sox (not pictured) at Turner Field on May 26, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
4. Andrelton Simmons. You want to talk about inconsistent offense? Look no further than Andrelton Simmons, the best defensive shortstop in baseball who just happens to be a confusing offensive player. He doesn’t walk or strike out all that much, so much of Simmons’ value with the bat will be tied up in his BABIP and power. In 2012, his BABIP was .310, and he hit .289 with three homers. In 2013, his BABIP fell to .247, but he hit 17 homers. 2014 was probably the worst case scenario for Simmons. His BABIP was a still poor .263, and he hit just .244 with only seven homers. At .244/.286/.331, he’s essentially a better Brendan Ryan – a guy that can’t hit that much at all, but is an elite defender. At .289/.335/.416 (his 2012 stat line), he’s an MVP candidate with that glove. If he settles in at something like his .248/.296/.396 line from 2013, he’s still an All-Star because of his defense. So here we are – 352 games into Simmons’ career, and all we know is that he can field quite well.
5. Jhonny Peralta. In his first year with the Cardinals, Peralta was ridiculous. His defensive numbers went off the charts. He smashed 21 homers, his highest total in a season since 2011. He had his highest walk rate since 2007. His 5.4 fWAR was a career-high. I still don’t know what to make of him going forward, even though Peralta is 32 and has played over 1,500 games in the majors. He’s been a very erratic player throughout his career, and was below average offensively in three of four seasons from 2009 to 2012. He was suspended for his role in the Biogenesis mess in 2013. His defensive numbers have been all over the map throughout his career. That’s not to say he’s a bad player at all – I’m just not sure if he’ll have another year like he did in 2014 this season.
6. Starlin Castro. This could be a little high for Castro, but his disastrous 2013 looks like an outlier rather than the start of a new trend. In 2014, Castro improved across the board, walking more, striking out less, hitting for more power, and simply hitting much better. He won’t be 25 until March (six months younger than Simmons, for what it’s worth), and while there are still issues with Castro’s defense and his consistency, the improvements he made in 2014 were encouraging. But because of the Cubs’ loaded infield situation, is Castro even going to be a long-term part of their future? It’ll be interesting to see what happens there.
7. Erick Aybar. Aybar is an overlooked player, simply because he doesn’t do much great. He’s a good, but not great, defender. He’s a good, but not great, hitter. He steals bases, but aside from 2011 and 2012, really hasn’t succeeded at a good enough clip. He barely walks, but doesn’t strike out much. He’s got solid doubles power, but can’t many balls over the fence. So what do we have when we combine all of that? Well, we have Erick Aybar – a fine shortstop, but not one that you’ll confuse with a top tier guy.
ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 28: Elvis Andrus #1 of the Texas Rangers throws to first base in the first inning for the out on Josh Donaldson of the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 28, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images)
8. Elvis Andus. Remember how earlier, I said that Andrelton Simmons could be Brendan Ryan if he couldn’t hit well? That’s Elvis Andrus right now – Brendan Ryan with speed. The best triple slash of Andrus’s career is .286/.349/.378 – that’s a .727 OPS. He’s stolen 192 bases over his career, but his success rate of 74.4% is right around the break-even mark. His much-lauded defense took a major step back in 2014. Could Andrus have already peaked in his career? It’s possible. He’s put together back to back miserable offensive seasons in a hitter-friendly park, and he’s never really come close to taking that leap anyone expected. This isn’t good.
9. Jose Reyes. Reyes hasn’t really fallen apart with the Blue Jays like many expected, but he *has* missed 88 games over two years. His wheels are still there, stealing 45 bases with Toronto and only being caught eight times (though he’s only tripled four times). His plate discipline is fine. His defense is as disappointing as its ever been. He’s not the Jose Reyes he was from 2006-08, but he hasn’t been that player in years. He’s actually pretty similar to the 2010 Jose Reyes right now, and while that still makes him a good player, it doesn’t make him an elite guy anymore. And even though he’ll likely be a bit overpaid at $55 million over the next three seasons, it’s not *that* absurd. He’s Jose Reyes, the newly middle of the road shortstop getting paid a lot of money. It is what it is.
10. Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez has had an odd career with the White Sox, because while he’s never really blossomed into a superstar, he’s still been a largely effective starter at shortstop for the club. After a couple of down years in 2012 and 2013, Ramirez bounced back with a better 2014, mostly thanks to his power re-emerging. After hitting at least 15 homers from 2008-11, Ramirez didn’t crack double digits in 2012 and 2013, but bounced back with another 15 last season. He also stole 20 bases for the third straight year, a feat he didn’t achieve once over his first four seasons in the league. He’s still a largely good defender, and still doesn’t walk at all, and is already 33, but there’s plenty of value in what he brings to the table for the White Sox.
Honorable mentions: Xander Bogaerts, Brandon Crawford, Jimmy Rollins
