Washington Nationals: Ranking the Shortstops of the NL East

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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!

Sep 6, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (3) is unable to field a ball during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

5) Adeiny Hechavarria – Miami Marlins

We begin our ranking with Miami Marlins Adeiny Hechavarria.

Hechavarria is a player with great potential, but never seems to truly reach expectations. This was especially true in 2016 with an across the board drop in offensive performance from previous seasons. Hechavarria had a .236/.283/.311 slash line for the season which was a drop off from .281/.315/.374. in 2015.

In 155 games the Marlins shortstop had three home runs, 17 doubles, 38 RBI, 52 runs, and 120 hits. It’s safe to say that Hechavarria doesn’t fit the mold of an offensively-strong middle-infielder.

With that being said, Hechavarria’s upside continues to be his strong defense. Despite having the second highest number of errors among starting shortstops in the NL East (13), Hechavarria had a +9 defensive runs saved – well-above average on defense and actually placing him first among the other NL East starting shortstops in this category.

If based on defensive ability and fielding alone, Hechavarria would be much higher in this ranking, however batting and offensive performance have to be taken into account – particularly in a division now ripe with young talent who are more than capable of putting up solid numbers across the board year over year.

Sep 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis (13) hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

4) Freddy Galvis – Philadelphia Phillies

Freddy Galvis of the Philadelphia Phillies comes in at four on the list of NL East short stops – moving up from his fifth place ranking in 2016. However, contrary to past seasons, this ranking is more of a reflection of the quality competition at shortstop than a statement on his performance last season.

Galvis’s 2016 campaign was somewhat of a head-scratcher (but in a good way for the Phillies), particularly at the plate. His slash line for last year was .241/.274/.399, which is pretty much in line with his typical career performance. However, Galvis put up a surprising 20 home runs, which matches his career total for home runs through the 2015 season. He also put up career high 17 stolen bases, 26 doubles, and 67 RBI on 141 hits.

Fielding-wise, Galvis was a Gold Glove finalist and came in at +5 defensive runs saved for 2016. This is an amazing turnaround from the previous season when he had a -6 defensive runs saved.

In 156 games at shortstop for the Phillies, Galvis had eight errors–one more than New York’s Asdrubal Cabrera–but a better average in this category overall considering that Galvis played in 21 more games at the position than Cabrera. This is yet another surprising shift from 2015 when Galvis had 17 errors at shortstop.

The big question for Galvis heading into 2017 (and for these rankings for that matter) is if 2016 was an anomaly, or an across the board improvement that is the new norm for the Phillies shortstop. With baseball being a game of averages, odds are that we can expect Galvis to perform more to his norms on offense and defense in 2017.

Sep 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (2) runs to the dugout against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

3) Dansby Swanson – Atlanta Braves

All eyes are on the rising star in Atlanta. Despite having a little over one quarter of season in the major league under his belt, Atlanta’s Dansby Swanson comes in at number three in the NL East shortstop rankings.

A former number one draft pick out of Vanderbilt, Swanson was acquired by the Braves last season via a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of their ongoing rebuilding effort. The Marietta, Georgia native is unquestionably one of the most highly touted prospects to come through Atlanta in recent years.

In his limited time with the Braves, Swanson has flashes of his potential, giving Atlanta fans reason to be exciting about the years ahead. His offense early on has shown promise. In 38 games at the plate for the Braves last season, Swanson had a .302/.361/.442 slash line with 39 hits, 17 RBI, seven doubles, and three home runs.

Defensively, Swanson still has some rookie jitters to shake out of his fielding. In 37 games at shortstop for the Braves last season, Swanson had six errors. Statistically his numbers were better in his time with Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate where he had a total of eight errors in 83 games.

As with Trea Turner of the Nationals, Swanson has room to improve in this area – and history suggests he will do just that. It would be no surprise if Swanson was challenging for a higher ranking among NL East shortstops by midseason.

Add Swanson in with the rest of a revitalized Braves infield and lineup and it’s only a matter of time before meaningful baseball is being played in Atlanta after the All-Star break.

Sep 25, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (13) heads out on his grand slam to right during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

2) Asdrubal Cabrera – New York Mets

The former Washington National found a home with the New York Mets and ranks second on our list, but how long yet until another rising star in the NL East (or from within New York’s own farm system) pushes Asdrubal Cabrera out of this spot?

It was an up and down year for Cabrera in 2016. The Mets short stop dealt with some injuries in spring training and then again down the stretch after the All-Star break. He also had a streaky bat, dealing with a summer slumps, before turning it around late in the season to become one of New York’s best hitters through September.

Overall at the plate, Cabrera amassed a .280/.336/.474 slash line with 146 hits, 62 RBI, 30 doubles, and 23 home runs. Across the board, these are some of his best offensive stats in many years.

Defensively Cabrera came in below average for shortstops with a -7 defensive runs saved (DRS) in 2016. In 135 games at shortstop for the Mets, Cabrera had seven errors, which game in at the lower half of NL shortstops and was in fact the lowest number among the other starting shortstops in the NL East (Danny Espinosa (WAS) 18; Erick Aybar (ATL) 13; Adeiny Hechavarria (MIA) 13; and Freddy Galvis (PHI) 8).

While Cabrera will begin the 2017 season as the everyday shortstop in New York, he certainly shouldn’t rest on his laurels. There is much hype coming from the Mets franchise about their shortstop prospect Amed Rosario. Rosario has put up impressive numbers in the minor leagues and could make his major league debut sometime this season.

Will Cabrera be able to fend off Rosario for one more year?

Sep 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Trea Turner (7) runs the bases while scoring during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: /

1) Trea Turner – Washington Nationals

Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals tops the list in the NL East after an incredible rookie campaign that began in the second half of the 2016 season.

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The National League Rookie of the Year Award finalist put up incredible numbers at the plate with a .342/.370/.567 slash line and putting up 13 home runs, 14 doubles, 33 stolen bases, 40 RBI, 53 runs, and 105 hits in just 73 games. And these stats only partially encapsulate his lightning speed around the bases.

To really bring that home, remember that that Turner also had eight triples in his brief time after the All-Star break.

Simply put, that is amazing for any big league player, much less a rookie. Turner played the bulk of his first campaign with the Nationals at center field so it is difficult to project any type of defensive prediction for him during his first season as the everyday shortstop for Washington. That being said, Turner showed impressive fielding, range, and speed in the outfield.

While it is a risk to project too much from a rookie campaign, Turner’s eye raising stats at the plate, only reinforces the optimism around his future in the big leagues. That being said, if this were a ranking purely based on his fielding, Turner would be a notch or two farther down the list.

In 71 games as shortstop in Triple-A Syracuse last season, Turner at nine errors , however that is a marked improvement over 2015 when he had 11 errors in just 44 games at shortstop for the Chiefs. All of that being said, Turner will likely continue to improve in this area over the coming years as he gets more comfortable in his new role stalking the middle infield.

Next: Ronnie Belliard: Ten Years Later

Turner will be an exciting player to watch in 2017 – especially now that he will operate in a batting lineup that will place him somewhere in the mix with recently acquired Adam Eaton, Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper. That combination of batters at the top of the lineup should put impressive numbers and runs.

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