GLENDALE, Ariz. — Recently, I noticed the fantasy shortstop rankings for 2015 running on the TV screen and was struck by how uninspiring the group was.
Really, the White Sox’s Alexei Ramirez is projected to be the sixth-most productive shortstop (at least when it comes to fantasy stats)? The Rangers’ Elvis Andrus seventh? Jimmy Rollins has had a superb career and probably a better 2014 than most realized. But eighth? At age 36?
It made me wonder: If Didi Gregorius could hit a little and Wilmer Flores could field a bit, could one or both break into the top 15 or even top dozen most productive shortstops via the tallest-jockey principle?
But this just might be the final season in which being the best of the worst will have value. For there is a class of shortstops on the brink of the majors who promise to change the overall quality of the position as they form the best group of shortstops to come at essentially one time since the mid-1990s, when Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra and Miguel Tejada arrived to the AL.
In this year’s prospect rankings, ESPN, MLB.com, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus all had among their overall top nine: the Astros’ Carlos Correa, the Cubs’ Addison Russell, the Dodgers’ Corey Seager and the Indians’ Francisco Lindor — ESPN actually had them in that order from Nos. 3 to 6.
“I have an All-Star grade or better on each of them,” one personnel head said. An assistant general manager said, “Across the board, they are special.” An NL assistant GM wrote one word in an email response to how good the quartet is: “Special.”
They also are all on the brink of graduation. Correa probably has the weakest chance to reach the majors this year, but mainly because his progression was slowed by missing the second half of last year with a fractured fibula. Still, it would not be a shock to see him make it to Houston this year, too.
This might be a moment in which Met fans cover their eyes. In the 2012 draft, four shortstops were taken in the top 18 picks: Correa first to the Astros, Russell 11th to the A’s, Gavin Cecchini 12th to the Mets and Seager 18th to the Dodgers. One of those things is not like the others.
Lindor was taken eighth in the 2011 draft by the Indians, one pick before the Cubs took Javier Baez. Chicago will probably move Baez off shortstop to accommodate Russell. Heck, the expectation is the Cubs will at some point trade Starlin Castro (fifth in the 2015 fantasy rankings) to make room for Russell, who was the key piece received from Oakland last July when the A’s obtained Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.
“I can’t believe he is 21,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Russell. “Not when you see the maturity and the ability and the strength. As a shortstop, on defense, there is no wasted motion in his game.”
Russell started at short Wednesday against Rollins, who was acquired by the Dodgers from the Phillies as a placeholder for Seager. The Dodgers actually think Seager might be ready now, but were hesitant to break in two kids in the middle of the diamond and are planning to go with rookie Joc Pedersen in center. One scout who has seen a lot of Seager (1.004 OPS combined at High-A and Double-A last year) said, “He is so much ahead of where his brother was at the same point.” Seattle gave third baseman Kyle Seager a seven-year, $100 million contract in the offseason.
There is some belief the 6-foot-4 Seager will ultimately move to third base also, and has the bat to justify that, but Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, “His hands work incredibly well on both sides of the ball.” Which, for now, on defense, is shortstop.
Of the quartet, Lindor was the only one I heard complaints about, with one assistant to a GM criticizing the shortstop for being more flash than substance. But even that executive said, “I still see him as a good everyday player.” For now, Cleveland is sticking with defensive ace Jose Ramirez at short, but Lindor is close.
In fact, Ramirez is part of a group of shortstops 25 and under that includes Gregorius, Flores, Seattle’s Brad Miller, Boston’s Xander Bogaerts and Arizona’s Chris Owings who still might expand the group. Remember there was a time when that A-Rod, Jeter, etc. assemblage also had Rey Ordonez, Alex Gonzalez, Edgar Renteria and Pokey Reese.
But, for now, Correa, Seager, Lindor and Russell have separated themselves with the combination of projection of their ability and how close they are to The Show.
“We are splitting hairs asking me to rank them, but I would go Russell, Seager, Correa, Lindor,” an AL GM said. “And I would love to have any of the four.”