He played half of a season as a rookie, but he hit .317 in 1934 and started a stretch of three straight seasons with at least 30 doubles. but he is in his rightful hof because he was an a+ defensively and an a offensively. Peralta belted a career-high 24 home runs that season (then an Indians record for a shortstop) and added a .292 average, 35 doubles, and a solid .970 fielding percentage. Yep, you read that right, the master of the acrobatic play that we have all come to attach his name to ended his career negative 155 defensive runs saved. 6. mark belanger (1970s) offensive score: d +. Smith was also a heck of an offensive player. Jhonny Peralta was the first Indians shortstop to hit for power since the 1960s. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. There were many other greats during that time, including Herman Long, Bill Dahlen, Hughie Jennings, Honus Wagner, Art Fletcher, Mickey Doolan, Roger Peckinpaugh, Terry Turner, Dave Bancroft, Rabbit Maranville, and Everett Scott. All-Pro Reels on Flickr (Original version) (Crop), CC BY-SA 2.0. 1. Pesky batted .307 for his career, had a .394 on-base percentage and is probably the greatest bunter in MLB history. Major League Baseball as we know it, that is two leagues American and National, playing by the same rules with the champion from each squaring off against the other for baseball supremacy was born in 1901. There were many other greats during that time, including Herman Long, Bill Dahlen, Hughie Jennings, Honus Wagner, Art Fletcher, Mickey Doolan, Roger Peckinpaugh, Terry Turner, Dave Bancroft, Rabbit Maranville, and Everett Scott. The St. Louis Cardinals have possibly one of the best All Time Lineups in this entire series. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. MamaGeek at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wi. Had he played in another era, he might have hit more than 170 home runs. Eight-time Gold Glove Award winner Mark Belanger was followed immediately by two-time American League Most Valuable Player Cal Ripken Jr. Belanger's brilliance on the diamond was largely lost to the ages because of Ripken's greatness, but Belanger retired with a .977 career fielding percentage, which was the American League career record. He would probably have a few more Gold Gloves if not for injuries throughout his career, but he still managed three straight from 2007-2000. Top 3 seasons, based on Wins There were other great defensive shortstops of the 1990s like Tony Fernandez and Rey Sanchez, but Benjamin gets the nod, defensively. Career highlights: World Series champion (1990), NL Most Valuable Player (1995), 12-time MLB All-Star (1988-91, 1993-97, 1999, 2000, 2004), three-time Gold Glove Award (1994-96), nine-time Silver Slugger Award (1988-92, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999), Roberto Clemente Award (1993). Jimmy Rollins was the everyday shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies for all of the 2000s, winning National League Most Valuable Player honors in 2007 and leading the Phillies to a World Series championship in 2008. I dont know what else to say about rogell, not enough is said about his game in general. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Born: Feb. 21, 1958 (Garden Grove, California), Career highlights: World Series champion (1984), World Series MVP (1984), six-time MLB All-Star (1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990), four-time Gold Glove Award (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1987, 1988, 1990). Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. This is a list for the men who played the position the best, who sat in there and took countless bad hops to the chest just to record an out. Francisco Lindor puts the tag on Oaklands Adam Rosales in 2017. It's tough to look at Alex Rodriguez's legacy and separate the baseball player he was from his use of performance-enhancing drugs, for which he served a one-year suspension in 2014. 10 points. He's entrenched himself as a second baseman and wasn't able to adapt into a full-time shortstop role. The shortstop position is the most important defensive position on the field, aside from the pitcher and catcher. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. All rights reserved. His 44 home runs in his second full season established a new record for shortstops, and his 277 career homers as a shortstop stood as the positional record until the 1990s. Besides being a really good dude, Reese could also really play the game. Jeter and Bruce Sherman purchased controlling shares of the Miami Marlins in 2017, and Jeter was put in charge of day-to-day operations as the franchise's CEO. As the run takes place on the weekend closest to St David's Day it always attracts some fantastic costumes and takes in some spectacular views of the capital whilst running around Bute Park. The Mets showed exactly how special they thought Lindor was when they signed him to a 10-year, $340 million contract before the 2021 season. Find out more. Dal Maxvill (1960s) offensive rating: F. Maxvill was the best defensive Shortstop from the 1960s. They called him the Wizard because of his defense. These are the best shortstops of all time. Watching the video of Vizquel made me say "wow" several times. David Halberstam's "The Teammates" chronicles the relationship between Boston Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky, Ted Williams and Dom DiMaggio close friends who played baseball, then went off to war together. We hesitated to include someone from the 2017 Houston Astros team after they won the World Series championship by cheating. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, April 7, 3:58AM. WebWe list Shortstops by WAR in their best five consecutive seasons. One of the best hitting shortstops to play the game, Nomar Garciaparra's career became a big "what if" after he won consecutive batting titles in 1999 and 2000 before a significant wrist injury in 2001 seemed to kick off a series of injuries that would dog him the rest of his career. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. We can't say the same about defense. There you have it. The best shortstops of all time changed the way the game is played. Born: June 30, 1962 (San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic), Died: Feb. 16, 2020 (age 57, Weston, Florida), Teams: Toronto Blue Jays (1983-90, 1993, 1998-99, 2001), San Diego Padres (1991-92), New York Mets (1993), Cincinnati Reds (1994), New York Yankees (1995), Cleveland Indians (1997), Milwaukee Brewers (2001), Career highlights: World Series champion (1993), five-time MLB All-Star (1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1999), four-time Gold Glove Award (1986-89). Honorable Mention: Mark Belanger. He retired after 21 seasons with 3,184 hits, 431 home runs (the most homers ever by a shortstop) and 1,695 RBI. 4. Wills, who was also a football star at Washington D.C.'s Cardozo High, is largely credited with bringing the stolen base back into the majors as a viable way to win games. Died: Aug. 10, 2001 (age 84, Olympia Fields, Illinois), Teams: Cleveland Indians (1938-50), Boston Red Sox (1951-52), Career highlights: World Series champion (1948), AL Most Valuable Player (1948), eight-time MLB All-Star (1940-45, 1947, 1948), AL batting champion (1944). Chapman had indicated before the 1920 season that it would be his last, and even without the tragic circumstances of his death, he would have been remembered as one of the top players in early Cleveland history. (LogOut/ What can I say about Wagner that hasnt already been said? One of the best decision makers in the history of MLB for a Shortstop. I know this probably takes a long time to make these lists but I like to think of Ripken as a lot better than Rodriguez but Im a Mets fan so thats my opinion, You have left out great Negro League players. Ripken pushed the streak to 2,632 games before it ended, although his career was much more than the streak. Larkin, who was also a 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. WebTony Fernandez was one of the most consistent shortstops to ever play. The Indians have two shortstops inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame while another remains on the ballot. In third was Roy McMillan with just 38 homers. He was only a .233 hitter, but he was steady defensively with a .964 fielding percentage for teams that reached the .500 mark just three times during his tenure. By career WAR, the top ten shortstops of all-time are Honus Wagner, lex Rodrguez, Cal Ripken Jr., George Davis, Arky Vaughan, Luke Appling, Robin Yount, Ozzie Smith, Bill Dahlen and Derek Jeter. Harris has already won a Minor League Gold Glove and at times showed the potential to be the best defensive center the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0 . But he's in the HOF where he belongs because he was an "A +" defensively and an "A" offensively. Needs more Simmons. Ozzie Smith (1980s) . Two years later, he was a vital piece for a team that made the American League Championship Series. Cabrera opened his career in 2007 as a second baseman, but he moved to shortstop in 2009. Vizquel is first all time among shortstops for games played at the position and double plays turned. His play up the middle, combined with solid production from near the top of the lineup, helped the Indians make two World Series appearances during his 11-year stay in Cleveland. The first sluggers for the Cleveland Guardians were prominent in the 1930s, and the franchise had another rush of power in the 1950s. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Don't use the last two seasons from Lindor as an example of the direction his career is going. Outside of catcher, shortstop is probably the most important defensive position on the diamond. In 2011, he became a star after hitting .273 and slamming 25 home runs (then a team record for a shortstop) on the way to his first of two straight All-Star appearances. WebJeter is the worst defensive player of all time by advanced defensive metrics, with a career Defensive Runs Saved total of -155. we can assume that they are all an a+ defensively, as they are in the top 10 of all time defensively for a shortstop. Banks was a power-hitting shortstop and racked up a whopping 512 career home runs. Omar Visquel was playing shortstop at 45 years old. Here are some crazy records Vizquel holds: - Highest career field percentage for a shortstop in MLB history at .985, - All-time leader in games played at shortstop, - All-time leader in double-plays turned at shortstop, - AL record for most consecutive games played at shortstop without an error, Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. the same cannot be said about defense. There were other great defensive Shortstop's from the 1990s, like Tony Fernandez and Rey Sanchez, but Benjamin gets the nod, defensively. The trio, which was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, helped lead the Cubs to back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908. Major League Baseball as we know it, that is two leagues American and National, playing by the same rules with the champion from each squaring off against the other for baseball supremacy was born in 1901. His struggles at the plate held him back from being one of the all-time greats, with a .228 career batting average and just 389 RBI in 18 seasons. He's not higher on this list for that reason the same reason we left Miguel Tejada off altogether. Born: Nov. 27, 1978 (Oakland, California), Teams: Philadelphia Phillies (2000-14), Los Angeles Dodgers (2015), Chicago White Sox (2016), Career highlights: World Series champion (2008), NL Most Valuable Player (2007), three-time MLB All-Star (2001, 2002, 2005), four-time Gold Glove Award (2007-09, 2012), Silver Slugger Award (2007), NL stolen base leader (2001). Truly a lost art. He won 13 Gold Glove Awards, made 15 All-Star teams and helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series three times, winning once in 1982. For all of his accomplishments, Reyes never got a chance to play in the World Series in 16 seasons. 5. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. but fletcher takes the cake and there were hardly any flaws in his defensive play. Going all the way back to the 1910s, lopsided trades can be found falling into Cleveland's favor. This is the guy that almost "every" historian has in the top three. A truly great defensive Shortstop. Notably, Mickey Doolan, Roger Peckinpaugh and Terry Turner. Ernie Banks isn't the greatest MLB player to never win a World Series, but he's probably the most famous for not winning one. Brown was never a superstar, but he was a dependable middle infielder who played 680 of his 941 games with the Indians as a shortstop. This list is embarrassing without inclusion of Barry Larkin? With a rich history at the position, here are some additional tidbits and trivia about Cleveland Guardians shortstops. Pretty much got the job done offensively, but he was slightly below average. Correa turned down a five-year, $160 million contract offer from the Astros in order to become a free agent after the 2021 season. In order to help bridge those differences, I've compared the shortstops below to the peers of their era while also considering their impact on Indians history. best defensive shortstop of all time. Concepcion wasn't the best hitter ever, but he was darn good defensively. In 1965, Campaneris became the first player in MLB history to play all nine positions in a single game. Davis, who died of syphilis at 70 years old, spent the first few seasons of his career as an outfielder before he moved to shortstop and was one of baseball's highest-paid players in its early days making a whopping $4,000 per year at one point. Dave Franks says: April 11, 2020 at 10:05 pm. In his seasons as a shortstop, Franco hit .293 with 25 triples and posted a fielding percentage of .959 (704 of 746 games came at shortstop). Turner was the Opening Day starter at shortstop six times and played some shortstop during most of his 15-year career with the Indians. Career Wins Above Replacement. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 2023 All-Star Game, 2022 All-Star Game, All-Time All-Star Batters, All-Time All-Star Pitchers, Frivolities and More Oracle of Baseball , Uniform Number Tracker , He would undoubtedly be No. Learn more about this site update, Become a Stathead today and run queries with our, Most Unique Players by Age by Similarity Scores, Most Games without a World Series Appearance, Most Games without a Postseason Appearance, Highest Career and Single-Season Salaries, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Billy Rogell (1930s) offensive rating: B +. That was when Tinkers established himself as one of the best fielding shortstops in MLB and a terror on the basepaths, averaging 28 stolen bases per season for his career. WebWe list Shortstops by WAR in their best five consecutive seasons. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Not only did he combine with Joe Morgan for one of the greatest middle infields of all time, but Concepcion also helped groom his successor, Barry Larkin, who ended up being one of the all-time greats at shortstop alongside his mentor. Web100 Greatest Shortstops of All-Time ALL-TIME TOP 100 LISTS CATCHER FIRST BASE SECOND BASE SHORTSTOP THIRD BASE LEFT FIELD CENTER FIELD RIGHT FIELD PITCHER Baseball's All-Time Greatest Shortstops Ranked From 1 to 100 CAREER = career war Long Peak = WAR in Best 7 Seasons SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Whos your top 5? Vizquel won 11 Gold Glove Awards, including nine consecutive, and was no slouch at the plate. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Do you have a sports website? 6. Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, MantleCostanza? See also: College Football Playoff: Alabama could test two-loss rule, and you won&039t like the final answer | Sporting News, 8. honus wagner (1900s) offensive rating: a +. Joe Sewell is the most durable player ever to play for the Indians, and he added in some of the best plate discipline in baseball history. His arm seemed average, but he always seemed to pick off fast baserunners on close plays. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. When Jhonny Peralta rose to prominence with the Indians in 2003 as an injury replacement for the legendary Omar Vizquel (more on him later), there was more fascination with his unusual name than his play on the field. Like Like. John Henry Pop Lloyd, active in the early part of the 20th century, is not only considered to be the black Wagner, but one of the greatest ball players ever. Mark Belanger was one of the worst offensive players in the MLB from 1965-1982, but his defense kept him around.