Red Sox vs the AL East: shortstops
Sep 22, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Didi Gregorius (1) hits a RBI double in the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
5. Didi Gregorius, Yankees
The Yankees acquired Gregorius from Arizona to serve as the replacement to Bronx icon Derek Jeter and fans that expect Gregorius to continue to tradition of excellent Yankee shortstops might be disappointed. That’s not to say that Gregorius is a terrible player; he’s a solid defensive shortstop who has shown flashes at the plate. On the whole, though, his offensive career has been unspectacular and his 2014 showing was his worst yet, as he slashed a meager .226/.290/.363 in 80 games for the Diamondbacks. That miserable slash line can be partially attributed to a .257 BABIP, but even with a slightly higher average, Gregorius just doesn’t have the power or discipline to be an asset at the plate. He’s still young, just 24 years old, but the Yankees probably won’t get too much out of the shortstop position in 2015.
Sep 16, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (3) bats against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
4. Asdrubal Cabrera, Rays
Cabrera’s career has been trending downwards since a breakout 2011 season which saw him slash .273/.332/.460 with 25 home runs and 17 stolen bases for the Indians, and he didn’t show many signs of improvement last season. In 146 games between the Indians and Nationals, Cabrera hit only .241/.307/.387 and, at 29 years old, probably won’t show any signs of drastic improvement. Now that’s not a terrible slash line in today’s pitching-centric game, particularly for a shortstop, but it’s also not enough to make him an especially valuable player. The Rays brought him to Tampa Bay with a 1 year/$7.5M contract, where he’ll likely serve as a roughly league-average starting shortstop.
Sep 24, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) tosses his bat as he watches his two-run double against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
3. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox
There’s no doubt about it; Bogaerts’ first full season with the Red Sox was a disappointment. Touted as the second best prospect in all of baseball before the season, Bogaerts slashed only .240/.297/.362 with 12 home runs in 144 games. But still just 22 years old, last season is far from a death sentence on Bogaerts’ career. He still has a huge ceiling and, with the starting shortstop job seemingly all locked up, Bogaerts will be able to focus fully on his hitting rather than switching between shortstop and third base. It’s highly likely that Bogaerts will improve in 2015 and perhaps this could be the start of a lengthy career of excellent performance as Boston’s shortstop.
Oct 14, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy hits a RBI double against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning in game three of the 2014 ALCS playoff baseball game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
2. J.J. Hardy, Orioles
Hardy had a mysterious down year in 2014 as, while most facets of his game were right on target, his power seemingly disappeared. His isolated power last season was only .104, far from his career mark of .161, and he hit only 9 home runs after having eclipsed the 20-homer mark in each of the previous three seasons. Meanwhile, his strikeout rate spiked to 18.3%, the highest such mark of his career and well above his career rate of 14.6%. Those two red flags could signal the beginning of a decline for Hardy, but even if he is slowing down with age, Hardy is still a valuable player for the Orioles. Despite last season’s offensive shortcomings, Hardy had another excellent defensive season, taking home his third consecutive Gold Glove. He may no longer be the power threat he once was, but Hardy is still a useful player for the O’s and should continue to be in the foreseeable future.
Sep 19, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes (7) hits a grounds-rule double against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
1. Jose Reyes, Blue Jays
Reyes is no longer the bona fide star that he once was, but he’s still a well above-average player both at the plate and on the base paths. Though he was hampered by injuries in his first season with the Blue Jays, he played in 143 games last season and slashed .287/.328/.398 with 9 home runs and 30 steals as Toronto’s primary leadoff man. There’s no doubt that Reyes is slowing down a bit, as he posted the lowest isolated power of his career (.111) and his lowest walk rate (5.8%) since 2005. However, he still has shown the ability to reach base at a high rate and his speed, even at age 31, is a huge asset as he still ranks among the better leadoff men in baseball. Gone are the days in which Reyes was a perennial All-Star, but he’s still one of the better shortstops in baseball.