Pesky was a beloved player for the Red Sox who would have been just as valued in today's game because he always figured out a way to get on base. Teams: Boston Red Sox (1942, 1946-52), Detroit Tigers (1952-54), Washington Senators (1954)Ĭareer highlights: MLB All-Star (1946) Bottom Line: Johnny Peskyĭavid 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. 13, 2012 (age 93, Danvers, Massachusetts) He already has three 30-homer seasons in his career, and we'd bet dollars to donuts that he's got more 30-homer seasons in him and ends up with an MVP trophy on his mantle one day. After making four All-Star teams and winning two Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards in his first seven seasons, he might be worth it.ĭon't use the last two seasons from Lindor as an example of the direction his career is going. 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. We are truly getting to experience an era of great shortstops in MLB, led by young stars like Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. Teams: Cleveland Indians (2015-20), New York Mets (2021-present)Ĭareer highlights: Four-time MLB All-Star (2016-19), two-time Gold Glove Award (2016, 2019), two-time Silver Slugger Award (2017, 2018) Bottom Line: Francisco Lindor After Evers left his teammates at the hotel and took a taxi to the stadium himself in 1905, Tinker reportedly beat him up bad enough that they didn't actually speak for almost 20 years. 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.
#Shortstop in baseball series#
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 19. Teams: Chicago Orphans/Cubs (1902-12, 1916), Cincinnati Reds (1913), Chicago Chi-Feds/Whales (1914-15)Ĭareer highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1907, 1908), Federal League champion (1915) Bottom Line: Joe Tinkerīaseball purists know "Tinkers to Evers to Chance" as the line from a famous baseball poem, " Baseball's Sad Lexicon," presented from the point of view of a New York Giants fan lamenting the great double-play combination of the Chicago Cubs - shortstop Joe Tinker to second baseman Johnny Evers to first baseman Frank Chance. Tulowitzki only played over 140 games in a season once in his career, but finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in the National League three consecutive seasons, from 2009 to 2011. But injuries decimated the latter half of Tulowitzki's career. for his size, fielding skills and ability to hit for power. The first five years of Tulowitzki's career were a revelation, and he was hailed with comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and Cal Ripken Jr. 7 overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft and within one year was the everyday shortstop for the Colorado Rockies. Teams: Colorado Rockies (2006-15), Toronto Blue Jays (2015-17), New York Yankees (2019)Ĭareer highlights: Five-time MLB All-Star (2010, 2011, 2013-15), two-time Gold Glove Award (2010, 2011), two-time Silver Slugger Award (2010, 2011) Bottom Line: Troy Tulowitzki
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228 career batting average and just 389 RBI in 18 seasons.īelanger died of lung cancer in 1998, at 54 years old. His struggles at the plate held him back from being one of the all-time greats, with a. 977 career fielding percentage, which was the American League career record. Eight-time Gold Glove Award winner Mark Belanger was followed immediately by two-time American League Most Valuable Player Cal Ripken Jr.īelanger's brilliance on the diamond was largely lost to the ages because of Ripken's greatness, but Belanger retired with a. If you were a Baltimore Orioles fan from the 1960s through the 1990s, you got to see some pretty amazing shortstop play. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1965-81), Los Angeles Dodgers (1982)Ĭareer highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1966, 1970), MLB All-Star (1976), eight-time Gold Glove Award (1969, 1971, 1973-78) Bottom Line: Mark Belanger Honorable Mention: Mark Belangerĭied: Oct. These are the best shortstops of all time. And this position has captured our imagination with that thing they do - a mix of athleticism and acrobatics unmatched in sports.
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Franchises have risen and fallen because of this position. And most of them don't hit a lot of home runs.īut dynasties and decades have turned on this position. They don't lead the league in many offensive categories. Shortstop is one of the most important positions in baseball, so why are shortstops undervalued in Major League Baseball? They don't get lots of MVP awards.
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Best Shortstops of All Time in Baseball History The best shortstops of all time changed the way the game is played.