Ranking The NL East: Shortstops
Jul 10, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) reacts after being hit by a pitch in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Nationals 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
With Spring Training for the Washington Nationals less than a month away, we at District On Deck wanted to take a look inside the NL East. As of right now, it seems as though most prognosticators are going to pick Matt Williams’ squad to win the National League East for the second consecutive season.
That being said, we want to take a look at this division position-by-position to see who has the edge at certain positions. For this slideshow, we are going to look at the shortstops in the NL East.
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When you look at the candidates for this countdown in Adeiny Hechavarria, Wilmer Flores, Freddy Galvis, Andrelton Simmons, and of course Ian Desmond, the average age of these shortstops is a little over 25 years old. Desmond is the oldest shortstop out of this group and he doesn’t turn 30 years old until September.
Shortstop is a position that has seen some turnover from a year ago, with the main guy, Jimmy Rollins, being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Winter Meeetings. Other teams like the New York Mets are trying to find alternatives for that position, as evident by the trade rumors for Desmond from a few weeks ago.
Here are my top five shortstops in the NL East:
Next: Number Five
Sep 26, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman
Freddy Galvis(13) hits an RBI single during the sixth inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Braves 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
5. Freddy Galvis (Philadelphia Phillies)
As of today, the 25-year-old from Venezuela seems to be the favorite to be starting at short for the Phillies now that Jimmy Rollins is a Dodger. The problem for Galvis is he has not played in more than 70 games in any of his three seasons in Philly. Last season, he played in 43 games, hitting a dismal .176 with four home runs and 12 RBI’s. Galvis did have a rough start to his career, as he was suspended 50 games for using PEDs back in his first full season (2012).
As far as his fielding goes, Galvis is not one who is going to make many mistakes. In three seasons at the position, he has only made one error. He is one of those players that manager Ryne Sanderg would feel comfortable leaving at the bottom of the order, solely playing him for his defensive strengths while hoping the bat follows suit. Galvis did spend some time playing winter ball this year down in Venezuela. In 51 games, he hit .250 with one home run and 18 RBI’s for Aguilas Del Zulia.
For the 2015 season, Galvis is projected to hit .226, according to Fangraphs. Now, the Phillies could use other players such as Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera at the position, but Galvis, the switch-hitting shortstop is the one with the most veteran experience out of the three options. It’s a downgrade for the Phillies at the position considering what they had in Rollins, but this is where the rebuilding continues for the Fightin’ Phills.
Next: Number Four
Sep 17, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets shortstop
Wilmer Flores(4) is forced out at second base by Miami Marlins shortstop
Adeiny Hechavarria(3) on a ball hit to the outfield by New York Mets right fielder
Curtis Granderson(not pictured) during the second at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
4. Wilmer Flores (New York Mets)
Depending on what general manager Sandy Alderson does the rest of the offseason, the Mets could see a different player manning the shortstop position, but for now, it’s the 23-year-old Flores from Venezuela. He got the bulk of his workload last season the final months of the season. While he hit just .247 with six home runs and 29 RBI’s last season, most of the shortstop’s numbers came in the month of September.
In 23 games, he hit .267 with four home runs and 13 RBI’s. Flores has shown signs of a power bat that got him called up from AAA Las Vegas, where he has hit 28 combined home runs in the last two seasons. He hit over .300 in each of his last three seasons in the minors, but can that hitting success translate on the Major League level?
While New York’s attempted trade at Ian Desmond did not happen, New York has shown confidence in Flores based on the fact that they haven’t been seriously linked to any other shortstops this winter.
He is one of those players that can play multiple positions, but at shortstop, he had four errors in 51 games last season. That being said, he still is a strong defender at his position that can improve as he gets more playing time. Clearly, the experiment of playing Ruben Tejada is gone after a substandard 2014 (.237, 5 home runs, 34 RBI’s). While Flores is number four on my list for 2015, he does have a chance, if he puts up good offensive numbers, to move up this list in 2015 at only age 23.
Next: Number Three
Sep 26, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (3) throws to first base during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals in game one of a baseball doubleheader at Nationals Park. Washington Nationals defeated Miami Marlins 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
3. Adeiny Hechavarria (Miami Marlins)
Last season, the 25-year-old third baseman from Cuba took great strides in his offensive game from what it was the season prior. After hitting .227 in 2013, Hechavarria raised his batting average to .276. The problem with his game is there isn’t much power to talk about.
In two seasons with the Marlins, Hechavarria has a combined four home runs and had only one homer this past season. While he does lack the power, he can get those extra-base hits. He has been in the top five in each of the last two seasons in triples, including being second in the NL last year with ten (his new teammate, Dee Gordon, was first). He is a player that also is very durable when you consider he has played in over 145 games in each of the two years in South Beach.
That being said, Hechavarria has shown signs of being a great defender. He has good range for the position but he has made a high amount of errors with the Marlins (29). As of right now, there are good flashes, but are they good enough to have a long term deal with the Marlins?
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the team and Hechavarria can’t agree on a new deal, including the shortstop declining a multi-year offer from the team. The problem is when you have a projected WAR of zero, which is the worst projection of any shortstop in baseball (Fangraphs), there isn’t much room for negotiation. Time to see if Hechavarria can continue the progression with his batting average and become more of a hitter in 2015.
Next: Number Two
Sep 17, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop
Andrelton Simmons(19) starts a double play against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
2. Andrelton Simmons (Atlanta Braves)
For the Braves’ second round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, defense has been his main claim to fame. There are plenty of highlight reels that show the fantastic plays the two-time Gold Glove winner makes on a nightly basis. The 25-year-old turned the most double plays in the National League last season (99) and has shown great range despite having 14 errors each of the past two seasons.
There is only one thing that is holding Simmons from reaching his potential and maybe making him the best shortstop in the division. That is his offense. In the last two seasons, Simmons has hit below .250, including a career low .244 last season. In the second half of last season, the man from the Netherlands Antilles hit .209 with two home runs and 16 RBI’s. Keep in mind that in 2013, Simmons did hit 17 home runs, so it isn’t as if the power numbers can’t happen for him.
If you want to look at Simmons from a sabermetric perspective, his WAR of 3.5 last season was second among NL East shortstops behind Ian Desmond’s 3.8. The Braves need Simmons to find his offensive rhythm from 2013, or at leasr get on base. His on-base percentage of .286 was the second lowest among shortstops in the NL (Zack Cozart of the Reds was the worst).
With Atlanta looking to become a contender again when they open their new ballpark in 2016, they will need Simmons to continue his progression as one of the core members of that franchise. For now, his great defensive work puts him at number two on this list.
Next: Number One
Jun 17, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) fields a ground ball during the game against the Houston Astros at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
1. Ian Desmond (Washington Nationals)
The oldest shortstop amongst this group is number on this list because of the rare power that he has at the plate for the shortstop position. In the last three seasons, Desmond has hit 20+ home runs, including 24 in 2014 with 91 RBI’s. The three-time Silver Slugger Award winner also brings a speed element to the game. His 24 stolen bases last seasons were third among shortstops in the NL behind Jimmy Rollins and Jean Segura of the Brewers. He has stolen 20 or more bases in each of the last four years, including 25 in 2011.
While the strikeout totals are by far the most at his position (183), Desmond’s game as a power hitter reflects this generation of the game that can be mainly home run or strikeout. The one-time All-Star in 2012 has declined extension offers from the Nationals and has been one of the players heavily talked about in trade rumors this winter.
If Desmond were to reach the free agent market next offseason, he is by far the best player on the market at his position for his power. His defense still is an issue in terms of errors (24 last season), but he does provide a mainstay in the Nats’ infield. He has played in less than 154 games only once in the last five years. It has to be a good feeling for manager Matt Williams to know that Desmond is always on the lineup card for his squad.
So, when looking at these shortstops, while they all have great aspects to their game, Desmond is the more complete shortstop out of the five. This is why the third round pick of the then Expos in 2004 ranks number one on this list.