1 of 12

Write now Article Tools

At the conclusion of the 2007 baseball season, Jimmy Rollins, shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies became the first shortstop top win the MVP in the National League since Barry Larkin did back in 1995. Rollins, along the other who will be discussed later, have brought attention back to a position usually regarded as the most dynamic position in baseball. Before the 1990's many who played the position were selected for their defensive prowess. Baseball saw an influx of players, like Barry Larkin and Alex Rodriguez, prior to his switch to third base; bring an extra dimension to the position, one of being an offensive threat. With that being said, we are going to examine the top five shortstops currently active in the MLB.

1)Hanley Rameriz (Florida Marlins) - The centerpiece of the trade that sent Josh Beckett to the Boston Red Sox has become a focal point for the offense of the Florida Marlins. During his first full season in 2006, Rameriz won the Rookie of the Year award and showed the Marlins fans why the trade was more balanced than most though. There are some who are skeptical about Hanley's ability to improve on his power production, but through the first two full seasons, he has belted out 46 home runs. To go along with the home runs, Rameriz has managed to collect 111 extra base hits, second most over the past two years among shortstops. The one area of concern with Rameriz has been on the defensive side where he committed 50 errors, leading to a .963 fielding average. With his ability to drive the ball, ability to steal bases, and above-average on-base skills, Rameriz has shown he will be at the top of the list when it comes to are enough to sustain his performance as one of the National League's top shortstops during the next few years. If the young man can improve his fielding abilities and remain on a team than can provide several clutch hitters, Rameriz can continue to remain a fixture at the top spot for shortstops.

2)Jose Reyes (New York Mets) - Reyes is similar to Hanley Ramirez in many respects. Both are athletic players who lead off and run with a reckless abandonment on the base paths. One major difference between their hitting styles is Reyes is able to hit to all areas of the park while Rameriz tends to drive the ball each time with the intent for it to leave the park. Already a two-time All-Star in his young career, Reyes led the major leagues with 78 steals this past season and a total of 142 bases in the last two seasons, tops among shortstops.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Who are the best shortstops in baseball??
We want to hear your view. Write now!