CJ Abrams is a phenomenal player. He slugs. He steals bases. He provides energy at the top of the Nationals lineup. Abrams, though, should not be the Nationals’ shortstop of the future.
Abrams is a well-below-average defender, and the Nationals are doing their pitchers a disservice by having him start at the position every day. By shifting the infielder to a less crucial position, the team can dramatically improve their run prevention and improve the development of players across their roster.
Throughout Abrams' career, defensive metrics have graded him poorly. Outs Above Average, a Statcast-based statistic that accounts for the cumulative value a player is credited or debited for, has graded Abrams poorly for every season of his career. This past season, Abrams’ OAA at shortstop was in the second percentile. During his four years in the big leagues, he has never posted an OAA mark above the third percentile.
Traditional defensive evaluations also value Abrams poorly. Abrams had 22 errors at shortstop this past year, the second most in Major League Baseball. Even as a prospect, scouting reports acknowledged that Abrams’ defensive outlook had “question marks” and advised that he may have to move to second base or center field.
Shortstop is a premium position, and the Nationals should not play a below-average defender there. According to baseball’s defensive spectrum, an evaluation of which positions are the most difficult to play and most important to a team, shortstop is the second most important position, only behind catcher. Shortstops need extraordinary range to get both balls hit up the middle and to their backhand. Moreover, they need strong arms to make throws from the left side of the infield.
For a rebuilding Nationals team that is developing young pitchers, the front office should value having a solid defense. Pitchers need confidence and success to grow and improve in the major leagues. Playing above average defenders at important positions like shortstop will put pitchers in a position for success and best improve their ability to develop.
Moreover, Abrams could improve and develop more at a less-demanding position. At a less difficult position like second base, Abrams’ defense would surely improve, and he could focus more on developing his swing and approach when he does not have to devote as much time to improving his defense.
The good news for the Nationals is that they do have a long-term solution at shortstop. This year’s first-round pick, Eli Willits, should hopefully be ready by 2028 or 2029 to take over at the position.
The bad news is that there is no clear short-term solution for the Nationals at the position. Bo Bichette and Trevor Story, the two top free agent shortstops, are not great defenders, and it would not make sense for the Nationals to sign a big-name shortstop at this point in their rebuild. Alternatively, Paul Toboni should get creative to address the situation and find a player who can help the Nationals run preventions. Trade candidates like Ha-seong Kim, Taylor Walls and J.P. Crawford all have been plus defenders at the position during their careers and would make sense as stop-gaps.
CJ Abrams is an integral part of the Nationals’ future, but in order to get the most out of him and their pitching, Washington should move him off of shortstop.