These are the marquee names you've been waiting for. Your franchise cornerstones. It's another installment of our MLB positional rankings and today, we're dealing with perhaps the most important position of them all: shortstop.
Not only are these the players that tend to steal the headlines, but in 2024, shortstops are an eclectic, multifaceted, hard-to-rank bunch. Plus, a certain six-time Gold Glove right fielder is making his way to the position and threatening to overturn everything we thought we knew about shortstop, but life as a whole. So let us now sift through the bounty of talents in front of us and attempt to separate the best from all the rest!
Just Missed: Willy Adames, Oneil Cruz, Elly De La Cruz
Right off the bat, almost the entire NL Central is boiling mad. Adames has been as dynamic as the cream of the crop during his hot streaks, while the other two both possess raw tools no other shortstops have ever displayed. At the end of the day, though, it's about track records, and for various reasons, none of the three lived up to their full potential in 2023.
10. J.P. Crawford, Mariners
The former Phillies top prospect is living proof that sometimes, all a player needs is a change of scenery and a little time to mature. It was once believed J.P. Crawford would never produce enough at the plate to make a list like this one, but in 2023, he fully blossomed into an on-base machine with sneaky pop. The Mariners made a shrewd investment by locking Crawford in on a team-friendly deal through 2026 and this year, he's looking to be the catalyst for a team hungry to get back to October.
9. Carlos Correa, Twins
Let's get this out of the way: Correa didn't earn this spot in the MLB positional rankings based solely on his play in 2023. Reports of nagging injuries may provide some explanation for the drop-off, but the Twins' first $200 million man was brutal in the first year of his extension, setting career lows in… basically everything. He's earned the benefit of the doubt by compiling over 40 WAR by age 29, however. If he rebounds to his career norm, he'll make this ranking look like an embarrassment.
8. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays
It doesn't feel right having Bo Bichette this far down the list. All he's done through his age-25 season is rake and garner down-ballot MVP votes. If he cleaned up some of the lapses in his defensive game, he'd be a slam dunk for the top five. It wouldn't hurt if he got back to stealing 25 bases a season, either.
7. Dansby Swanson, Cubs
Swanson is a true joy to watch play because in the era of Statcast-shattering tools, he's proving you don't need a cannon for an arm to play Gold Glove shortstop defense. He'll need to hit more like his 2022 self to climb back over the young studs on this list, but even if he doesn't, you'll never be upset about having his glove up the middle. There's a reason he's got World Series rings from both college and MLB–Swanson is a consummate professional and winner.
6. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
So now, we're just naming possible MVPs. From May 13 onward (117 games), Henderson slashed .274/.321/.528 with 25 homers and eight triples. He won't even turn 23 until the end of June. The only slight concern is whether his glove, which has been perfectly average thus far (0 OAA) will hold up should he assume primary shortstop duties for the duration of the season. But even that won't matter in the slightest if he continues his meteoric rise as a hitter.
5. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
The ceiling for Bobby Witt Jr. may be “top five player in all of baseball,” so it's more than fair to slot him into the top five at his own position for now. Some metrics love his defense already, some don't, but it's obvious he's improving in that regard as he learns to utilize his ridiculous athleticism. And on offense, forget about it. Outside of Ronald Acuña Jr., Witt has the clearest 40-40 potential in all of baseball this year.
4. Trea Turner, Phillies
The year-end stats still looked like a drop-off by Trea Turner's lofty standards, but after the standing ovation heard 'round the world, Turner had a 1.057 OPS the remainder of the regular season and a 1.033 in the playoffs. He also went a perfect 30-for-30 on stolen base attempts, which means he should definitely be trying to steal a lot more frequently in 2024. Turner at his peak can absolutely make a case for the best at shortstop in the MLB positional rankings.
3. Francisco Lindor, Mets
All Francisco Lindor did last season, already his ninth in the big leagues, was put up 30-30 numbers for the first time and bulldoze his way to 42.7 career WAR before his 30th birthday last November. And of all the upper-echelon names on this list, Lindor is the best defender by a landslide. There may be others with higher offensive ceilings, but there's no one out there as consistent or well-rounded as Mr. Smile.
2. Mookie Betts, Dodgers
We've always marveled at the way Betts has proven there's seemingly nothing he can't do. Well, this year is his chance to prove that for good. Keeping up his MVP-level offensive output while anchoring the troublesome shortstop spot for the superteam Dodgers would elevate his legend to heights unknown. And somehow this guy, Mookie freakin' Betts, isn't number one? Well…
1. Corey Seager, Rangers
What Corey Seager did last season is the ultimate trump card in any shortstop debate. He finished second in MVP voting despite missing 43 games, ranked in the top five of virtually every offensive category in existence and took home his second World Series MVP in four years. In the biggest moments, there's no one better to have in the batter's box. Seager rules the roost in this star-studded shortstop class in the MLB positional rankings.
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