30 Days of MLB Rankings: Shortstops 30-21

Check out my previous rankings from this series:

Catchers 30-21 | Catchers 20-11  | Catchers 10-1  | First Base 30-21 | First Basemen 20-11 | First Basemen 10-1 | Second Basemen 30-21 | Second Basemen 20-11 | Second Basemen 10-1 | Third Basemen 30-21 | Third Basemen 20-11 | Third Basemen 10-1 

30. JP Crawford, Seattle Mariners

2019: 93 games, .226/.313/.371 splits, .684 OPS, 7 Home Runs, 46 RBIs

A former top prospect with the Phillies, JP Crawford has yet to find his place at the MLB level. After getting traded for Jean Segura, Crawford struggled in 2019, hitting just seven home runs while batting under .230. In the field, Crawford has made some spectacular plays but isn’t consistent yet. At age 25, he is hoping to turn it around in 2020.  

29. Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants

2019: 147 games, .228/.304/.350 splits, .654 OPS, 11 Home Runs, 59 RBIs

During his prime, Brandon Crawford was considered one of the best defensive shortstops in MLB. However, his defense has fallen off at this point in his career, making him a poor option for the Giants. Crawford has never provided much at the plate, and his average dropped to a career-low in 2019 (for a full year).  

28. Miguel Rojas, Miami Marlins

2019: 132 games, .284/.331/.379 splits, .710 OPS, 5 Home Runs, 46 RBIs

The Marlins’ everyday shortstop, Miguel Rojas, doesn’t bring a lot of power to the plate. While he hits for a solid average, he has just 20 home runs in six MLB seasons. He gets the occasional steal, swiping nine bases on 14 attempts last season. Defensively, he isn’t anything special, either, as he recorded a .977 fielding percentage in 2019.  

27. Orlando Arcia, Milwaukee Brewers

2019: 152 games, .223/.283/.350 splits, .633 OPS, 15 Home Runs, 59 RBIs

At age 22 in 2017, Orlando Arcia had a breakout year, giving Brewers’ fans a lot of hope for the future. However, Arcia has struggled the past two years, making his role for the future unclear. He doesn’t do a great job at getting on base and doesn’t hit a lot of home runs, either. In the field, Arcia is right around league-average as he recorded an Rdrs of 2 in 2019.  

26. Niko Goodrum, Detroit Tigers

2019: 112 games, .248/.322/.421 splits, .743 OPS, 12 Home Runs, 45 RBIs

Niko Goodrum can play around the diamond as a utilityman but is projected to be the Tigers’ everyday shortstop in 2020. Goodrum has some pop in his bat, but likely won’t hit more than 20 homers in a full year. At shortstop, Goodrum struggled in 2019, recording a .952 OPS. At age 28, 2020 may be a make-or-break year for Goodrum.  

25. Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves

2019: 127 games, .251/.325/.422 splits, .748 OPS, 17 Home Runs, 65 RBIs

Through the first four years of his career, Dansby Swanson has yet to live up to expectations as the former number one overall pick. Swanson does have some power in his bat but struggles at getting on base. With the glove, he is right around league-average, but far from anything special. It’s not to say Swanson is bad; he’s just painfully league-average.  

24. Freddy Galvis, Cincinnati Reds

2019: 147 games, .260/.296/.438 splits, .734 OPS, 23 Home Runs, 70 RBIs

Freddy Galvis’ 2019 season was very much a tale of two halves. He began the year with Toronto, playing very well, and hit 18 homers in 115 games while playing solid defense. After getting traded to Cincinnati, he struggled as his OPS dropped to .696, following the trade. Galvis does a good job staying on the field, but he isn’t a great option at shortstop.  

23. Kevin Newman, Pittsburgh Pirates

2019: 130 games, .308/.353/.446 splits, .800 OPS, 12 Home Runs, 64 RBIs

At age 25, Kevin Newman took advantage of his opportunity to play every day in 2019. While he doesn’t hit for power, he’s a solid contact hitter. He likely won’t project to be able to hit over .300 every year, but he could still be a solid everyday guy for the Pirates. It will be interesting to watch how he performs in 2020 in his second full season.  

22. Jose Iglesias, Baltimore Orioles

2019: 146 games, .288/.318/.407 splits, .724 OPS, 11 Home Runs, 59 RBIs

After a decent season with the Cincinnati Reds, Jose Iglesias signed a deal to be the Orioles shortstop in 2020. Iglesias hits for a decently high average but struggles at drawing walks. Iglesias’ best quality is his defense, which is near an elite level. He committed only nine errors in 2019. It will be interesting to see how he performs with his new team next season.  

21. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers

2019: 147 games, .275/.313/.393 splits, .707 OPS, 12 Home Runs, 72 RBIs

Long-time MLB veteran Elvis Andrus has fallen off a bit in recent years. Throughout his career, Andrus’ best ability as a player is as a base-runner. That still hasn’t changed as he stole 31 bases on 39 attempts in 2019. In the field, Andrus is below league-average as he posted a -4 Rdrs in 2019. At age 31, Andrus likely only has a few years left given how his career has been trending. 

Come back tomorrow for the second part of my shortstop ranking!

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