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Washington Nationals: Ranking the Shortstops of the NL East

By Rob Shrum

Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Trea Turner (7) follows through on a swing for a single during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Trea Turner (7) follows through on a swing for a single during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder
Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder /

Shortstop will be one of the most interesting positions to watch in the NL East this season. How does Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner stack up with the competition?

A combination of talented young stars-in-the-making playing their first full seasons, (hello, Washington Nationals), at the position, combined with seasoned veterans coming off of strong 2016 seasons (and in some cases hitting career-high performances), makes this year’s shortstop rankings quite difficult.

Atlanta’s Dansby Swanson is expected to be an extremely talented shortstop for years to come, but how much can we anticipate based on his small sample size with the Braves last year? Similarly Washington’s Trea Turner put up jaw-dropping numbers offensively and showed off his electrifying speed, but he has only played two games in the major league at shortstop.

Asdrubal Cabrera’s offensive stats were higher than they’ve been in six years and Freddy Galvis hit numbers at the plate that are off the charts compared to his career averages. Defensively Galvis was also a Gold Glove finalist.

And while Adeiny Hechavarria’s offensive performance took a slide last season, his overall defense was up there with the best in the division.

With all of those considerations in mind, here are the NL East shortstop rankings for 2017!

 

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