Baseball is a beloved sport all over the world, and the shortstop position is one of the most important on the field. It’s a position that requires tremendous athleticism, intelligence, and the ability to make split-second decisions. Over the years, there have been a number of great shortstops to grace the diamond, from Hall of Famers like Cal Ripken Jr. to modern-day stars like Francisco Lindor. But who is the best shortstop in baseball right now?
The Candidates
There are a number of candidates for the title of best shortstop in baseball right now. Some of the most prominent contenders include:
- Francisco Lindor: The 27-year-old Cleveland Indians star is one of the most dynamic players in the game. He’s a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger award winner. He also has a career batting average of .285 and an OPS+ of 125.
- Trevor Story: The Colorado Rockies shortstop is one of the most exciting players in the game. He’s a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger award winner. He has a career batting average of .276 and an OPS+ of 126.
- Xander Bogaerts: The Boston Red Sox shortstop is a two-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger award winner. He has a career batting average of .286 and an OPS+ of 128.
- Javier Báez: The 27-year-old Chicago Cubs star is a two-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger award winner. He has a career batting average of .277 and an OPS+ of 121.
- Manny Machado: The 28-year-old San Diego Padres star is a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and one-time Silver Slugger award winner. He has a career batting average of .284 and an OPS+ of 125.
Offensive Production
When it comes to evaluating the best shortstop in baseball right now, one of the most important factors to consider is offensive production. All five of the players mentioned above have put up solid numbers at the plate, but some have been more consistent than others.
Francisco Lindor
Lindor has been one of the most consistent offensive producers among the group. He has put up an OPS+ of 125 or higher in four of the last five seasons, and he has topped the 20-homer mark in four of those seasons as well. He has also been a threat on the base paths, swiping at least 20 bases in four of the last five seasons.
Trevor Story
Story has also been an incredibly consistent offensive producer over the last five seasons. He has posted an OPS+ of 126 or higher in four of those seasons, and he has topped the 25-homer mark in three of them. He has been a threat on the base paths as well, swiping at least 20 bases in four of the last five seasons.
Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts has been the most consistent offensive producer among the group. He has posted an OPS+ of 128 or higher in four of the last five seasons, and he has topped the 20-homer mark in three of them. He has been a threat on the base paths as well, swiping at least 20 bases in four of the last five seasons.
Javier Báez
Báez has been a solid offensive producer over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has posted an OPS+ of 121 or higher in three of those seasons, and he has topped the 25-homer mark in two of them. He has also been a threat on the base paths, swiping at least 20 bases in four of the last five seasons.
Manny Machado
Machado has been a solid offensive producer over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has posted an OPS+ of 125 or higher in three of those seasons, and he has topped the 30-homer mark in three of them. He has also been a threat on the base paths, swiping at least 20 bases in four of the last five seasons.
Defensive Ability
In addition to offensive production, a shortstop’s defensive ability is also an important factor to consider when evaluating the best shortstop in baseball right now. All five of the players mentioned above have made some spectacular plays on the field, but some have been more consistent than others.
Francisco Lindor
Lindor has been one of the most consistent defensive players among the group. He has won two Gold Glove awards and has been a finalist in two other seasons. He has also been in the top 10 in defensive runs saved three times, and he has posted a defensive WAR of at least 1.0 in four of the last five seasons.
Trevor Story
Story has also been an incredibly consistent defensive player over the last five seasons. He has posted a defensive WAR of at least 1.0 in four of those seasons, and he has been in the top 10 in defensive runs saved in three of them.
Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts has been a solid defensive player over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has posted a defensive WAR of at least 1.0 in three of those seasons, and he has been in the top 10 in defensive runs saved in two of them.
Javier Báez
Báez has been a solid defensive player over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has won one Gold Glove award and has been a finalist in two other seasons. He has also posted a defensive WAR of at least 1.0 in four of the last five seasons, and he has been in the top 10 in defensive runs saved in three of them.
Manny Machado
Machado has been a solid defensive player over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has won two Gold Glove awards and has been a finalist in two other seasons. He has also posted a defensive WAR of at least 1.0 in four of the last five seasons, and he has been in the top 10 in defensive runs saved in two of them.
Leadership
In addition to offensive and defensive ability, a shortstop’s leadership skills are also an important factor to consider when evaluating the best shortstop in baseball right now. All five of the players mentioned above have been team leaders on and off the field, but some have been more consistent than others.
Francisco Lindor
Lindor has been one of the most consistent leaders among the group. He has been an All-Star in four of the last five seasons, and he has been a vocal leader for the Cleveland Indians. He has also been an active member of his community, hosting a variety of charitable events throughout the year.
Trevor Story
Story has also been an incredibly consistent leader over the last five seasons. He has been an All-Star in three of those seasons, and he has been a vocal leader for the Colorado Rockies. He has also been an active member of his community, hosting a variety of charitable events throughout the year.
Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts has been a solid leader over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has been an All-Star in two of those seasons, and he has been a vocal leader for the Boston Red Sox. He has also been an active member of his community, hosting a variety of charitable events throughout the year.
Javier Báez
Báez has been a solid leader over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has been an All-Star in two of those seasons, and he has been a vocal leader for the Chicago Cubs. He has also been an active member of his community, hosting a variety of charitable events throughout the year.
Manny Machado
Machado has been a solid leader over the last five seasons, but he has not been as consistent as some of the other players. He has been an All-Star in four of those seasons, and he has been a vocal leader for the San Diego Padres. He has also been an active member of his community, hosting a variety of charitable events throughout the year.
Conclusion
When it comes to evaluating the best shortstop in baseball right now, there are a number of factors to consider, from offensive production to defensive ability to leadership. After taking all of these factors into account, it’s clear that Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians is the best shortstop in baseball right now. He has been an incredibly consistent offensive producer, a Gold Glove-caliber defender, and a vocal leader on and off the field. He is truly the complete package, and he is well deserving of the title of best shortstop in baseball right now.