Some followers, significantly those that comply with the New York Yankees, will contend that Alex Rodriguez was a 3rd baseman, not a shortstop.
A wider group of individuals, particularly those that stay bitter about Rodriguez’s admitted use of performance-enhancing medication, will insist that he was a cheater, not a celebrity.
Truthful sufficient on each counts.
Rodriguez was primarily a 3rd baseman throughout his 12 seasons in New York (2004-2013, 2015-2016). He performed solely 5 video games at quick for the Yanks.
And his PED abuse was well-documented, triggering his suspension for your complete 2014 season. “It price me my repute, and it could have price me the Corridor of Fame,” he later mentioned of his involvement with steroids.
The above caveats are necessary, but they don’t change the truth that Alex Rodriguez is the top-rated shortstop of the Fashionable Period, the span from 1961 to the current.
Rodriguez performed extra video games at quick (1,272) than at third base (1,194) or every other place throughout his 22-year profession with the Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners. And his statistical accomplishments are nonetheless in baseball’s document e book, no matter any help from PEDs. He stays fifth on the all-time listing with 696 residence runs.
No different shortstop within the period posted a better slugging proportion than Rodriguez’s .550 or a greater ratio of bases per out (BPO) than his .983 or a better complete of wins above substitute (WAR) than his 117.5.
Cal Ripken Jr., who spent 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, is second on the listing of the period’s prime shortstops. Rounding out the highest 5 are Derek Jeter of the Yankees, Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Barry Larkin of the Cincinnati Reds. All 4 of them, not like Rodriguez, have been inducted into the Corridor of Fame.
In the present day’s scores embrace all 176 gamers who made greater than 2,500 plate appearances and performed at the very least 40 % of their video games at shortstop through the Fashionable Period. A ten-part method analyzed every participant’s full physique of labor, together with any stats he may need collected at different positions. (Click on right here to be taught extra in regards to the method.)
Rodriguez was assigned a rating of 1,000 factors, the entire robotically granted to the highest participant at a given place. The underside-rated candidate was assigned zero factors, and all different scores have been decided by relative performances.
Needless to say the rankings are restricted to the interval from 1961 by means of 2022, eliminating any seasons previous to the Fashionable Period.
That is the fourth story in my weekly assessment of the period’s best gamers. Observe these hyperlinks to learn earlier installments in regards to the prime catchers, first basemen, and second basemen.
Statistical breakdowns for the Fashionable Period’s prime 5 shortstops could be discovered beneath, adopted by a listing of the following 15.
A brand new installment will arrive in your electronic mail every weekday morning
-
Rating: 1,000 factors
-
WAR: 117.5 complete, 4.8 per 500 PA, 10.4 defensive
-
Averages: .295 BA, .550 SLG, .983 BPO
-
Scoring: 3,411 R generated, 140 per 500 PA
-
Totals: 2,784 G, 3,115 H
-
Notes: Rodriguez received three American League Most Invaluable Participant Awards: 2002 with the Rangers and 2005 and 2007 with the Yankees. He grabbed the AL’s batting title with a .358 common in 1996 as a 21-year-old with the Mariners, and he later led the league in residence runs 5 instances. He additionally received a pair of Gold Gloves at shortstop earlier than making the change to 3rd base.
-
Rating: 843 factors
-
WAR: 95.9 complete, 3.7 per 500 PA, 35.7 defensive
-
Averages: .276 BA, .447 SLG, .735 BPO
-
Scoring: 2,911 R generated, 113 per 500 PA
-
Totals: 3,001 G, 3,184 H
-
Notes: Baseball followers primarily bear in mind Ripken for his streak of two,632 consecutive video games, which eclipsed Lou Gehrig’s supposedly unbreakable document of two,130. His different accomplishments are sometimes forgotten, together with his two MVP trophies (1983 and 1991), his 3,184 profession hits, his 5 seasons with batting averages above .300, and his two Gold Gloves.
-
Rating: 741 factors
-
WAR: 71.3 complete, 2.8 per 500 PA, -9.4 defensive
-
Averages: .310 BA, .440 SLG, .809 BPO
-
Scoring: 2,974 R generated, 118 per 500 PA
-
Totals: 2,747 G, 3,465 H
-
Notes: Jeter was firmly established because the Yankees’ shortstop when Rodriguez arrived in 2004, which is why the latter moved to 3rd base. Jeter topped .300 in 12 totally different seasons, and he twice led the AL in hits. He picked up 5 Gold Gloves, however surprisingly by no means received a Most Invaluable Participant Award. He did end among the many prime 10 MVP vote-getters eight instances.
-
Rating: 727 factors
-
WAR: 77.4 complete, 3.2 per 500 PA, 6.8 defensive
-
Averages: .285 BA, .430 SLG, .742 BPO
-
Scoring: 2,787 R generated, 114 per 500 PA
-
Totals: 2,856 G, 3,142 H
-
Notes: Yount performed shortstop for the Brewers for 11 years, then spent his remaining 9 seasons in heart discipline. He received an MVP Award at every place: 1982 as an infielder and 1989 as an outfielder. Yount’s best season was 1982, when he led the league in hits (210), doubles (46), and slugging proportion (.578), and received his solely Gold Glove at shortstop.
-
Rating: 708 factors
-
WAR: 70.5 complete, 3.9 per 500 PA, 14.4 defensive
-
Averages: .295 BA, .444 SLG, .841 BPO
-
Scoring: 2,091 R generated, 115 per 500 PA
-
Totals: 2,180 G, 2,340 H
-
Notes: Larkin spent his complete 19-year profession along with his hometown Reds. His batting common exceeded .300 in 9 of these seasons. He was sleek within the discipline, successful three Gold Gloves. And he was speedy, as evidenced by his peak of 51 stolen bases in 1995. He was introduced the Nationwide League’s Most Invaluable Participant Award that 12 months.
