It is no secret that there is an abundance of great young talent in baseball such as players like Machado, Bryant, Trout, Harper, and so on. One position that is loaded with young stars is Shortstop. With that being said, this is my list of the top 10 shortstops right now.
10. Dansby Swanson
Although we haven't seen much of the 2015 top draft pick this year, the 22 year old shortstop has been impressive. Although he is not fully developed, he has hit .300 in 23 games. His defense and power should improve the older he gets.
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9. Troy Tulowitzki
There is no question that Tulo's biggest problem is staying healthy. If he could stay on the field, he would be much higher on the list. But that's not the case. Tulo is hitting just .256 this season, although he does have 23 home runs. The former superstar's defense has also declined over the years.
8. Didi Gregorius
Didi has come a long way. At one point in time, it looked as he couldn't be an everyday shortstop due to his inability to hit lefties. In his second full season as the Yankee shortstop, Didi has clubbed 18 home runs while hitting .274.
7. Trevor Story
There are two reasons why I chose to put Story as low as number 7 on the list. Story suffered a season-ending injury in early August. The other reason; Coors Field advantage. Story is hitting nearly 80 points higher at Coors than on the road. He has only hit 11 home runs on the road, and just 8 doubles. Despite his home/road splits, the rookie has had a fantastic season in which he hit 27 home runs while hitting .272. He's been fun to watch when on the field.
6. Brandon Crawford
One of the more underrated players in the game, Crawford is one of the best fielding shortstops we have seen. To add to his great defense, Crawford has driven in 79 runs while hitting .266. He has been a big part of the Giants success the last few years. Just one season ago he was the winner of the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for NL Shortstops.
5. Addison Russell
Russell has been huge for the Cubs this year. The 22-year-old shortstop has hit 20 home runs and driven in 91. He is 4th in WAR for all shortstops this season. He's made the Cubs look great for trading Starlin Castro last offseason.
4. Carlos Correa
Correa hasn't had a good of a season as many thought, although the numbers aren't bad. The 21-year-old shortstop, who has been compared to a young A-Rod, has hit 19 home runs, 32 doubles, and driven in 90 runs. His 5.5 WAR is second among shortstops.
3. Xander Bogaerts
It is hard do believe Bogaerts is still just 23. He really broke out last season, and has been a huge part of the Red Sox success this year. The Shortstop has hit .295 this season with 19 home runs and 85 Rbi's.
2. Fransico Lindor
This guy is fun to watch. The Cleveland Shorts can do it all. On top of his amazing defense, he has really turned the corner this year offensively. Lindor is hitting .313, and has even shown some power with 14 home runs. He has a 5.4 WAR, which is third among shortstops.
1. Corey Seager
The best shortstop in baseball is without question Corey Seager. He has been about as valuable as one can be to the Dodgers this season and has put himself in the MVP race, although it seems as Bryant will win it. Seager is hitting .316 with 25 home runs, 39 doubles, and leads all shortstops with a 5.8 WAR. He has been better than anyone imagined in his age 22 season.
Overview:
As I noted at the beginning of the article, young talent in baseball is as good as it has ever been. There are a couple of selections on this list that could be moved, but this is where I thought they fit best.
