The New Breed of Shortstops
Posted by Zach Sanders on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Remember back in the nineties, when everyone was slobbering over the young shortstop core of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra? The three young guns were fighting over All-Star births for years, and competing against each other with their awesome hitting displays and solid defense.
Now, there is a new trio of rising young shortstops that America will soon come to know. A new breed that focuses not on power, but on speed.
1. Elvis Andrus, Rangers
Andrus is one of the top ROY candidates in the AL, and deserves it. Andrus has shown why he stole 54 bases in Double-A last year, swiping 28 in 32 attempts for Texas this year. His hitting still has a ways to go, as a .271/.331/.381 line isn’t spectacular. However, he has shown the ability to produce line drives (21.9%) and has shown above average patience at the dish. His defense, though, is what really sets him apart. His 8.2 UZR ranks him 2nd among shortstops this year, and his range is also second best in the bigs. Andrus’ hitting is bound to improve, and he will be a household name sooner rather than later.
2. Everth Cabrera, Padres
If you thought Andrus was fast, wait until you see Cabrera run the bases. It’s awesome. Like Andrus, his hitting line of .267/.352/.377 leaves much to be desired, but his OBP and AVG differential is promising. Unlike Andrus Cabrera’s LD% is not good and his UZR is below average. With that speed though, I expect some improvement in his defense next year (also because of a larger sample size).
3. Alcides Escobar, Brewers
The Brewers seem to favor the speedy Escobar over hacker J.J. Hardy at shortstop, and for good reason. He’s only played in 28 games, and has less than 100 PA, but he has been hitting OK so far. A .286 average looks good on the surface, but a .315 shows his inability to take a walk. He only has 1 stolen base, but his speed will provide him with plenty of opportunities next year when he plays full time with the Brewers. His sample size for UZR is much to small, so I won’t even mention the number here.
Remember these three names, America. You’ll be hearing them often.
