Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back to the NL East, Trea Turner.

The shortstop position in the NL East went through some major changes during the 2022-2023 offseason. The Phillies signed Turner to a massive 11-year, $300 million contract after winning the pennant. Meanwhile, the Braves lost Dansby Swanson to the Cubs after the Atlanta native won the 2022 Gold Glove at shortstop. With familiar faces returning and young guys trying to establish themselves, MMO has ranked the shortstops in the NL East division.

No. 5 – CJ Abrams, WSH

CJ Abrams was one of the many pieces traded over to the Nationals last summer in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. While he played in 44 games with the Padres before the trade, going to Washington allowed Abrams to play full-time at shortstop. However, in the 90 games he played in, Abrams struggled in 2022. The rookie shortstop slashed a meager .246/.280/.324/.604 and recorded a 76 OPS+. He barely made hard contact as well, recording an 85.2 average exit velocity and .077 ISO. While these numbers aren’t impressive, Abrams showcased his game-changing speed. Abrams was in the 91st percentile for sprint speed in MLB and has the potential to be a threat on the base paths in the upcoming future. The only issue is Abrams has a hard time getting on base. In 2022, Abrams had an abysmal 1.7% walk rate and hit the ball on the ground 50% of the time.

Another knock on Abrams’ game is his defense. He was horrible in every way, committing 11 errors and recording a .941 fielding percentage. The advanced metrics were ugly too, as Abrams had a -9 OAA, which landed him in the 4th percentile for OAA.

While nothing worked out for Abrams in 2022, there is still hope for the young shortstop. He slashed .310/.360/.480/.840 in Triple-A during 2022 and will be 23 for the entire upcoming season.

No. 4 – Joey Wendle, MIA

The Marlins made an interesting move when they traded away clubhouse leader Miguel Rojas to the Dodgers. While many expected former shortstop prospect Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move to shortstop, the Marlins announced that he would move to centerfield, creating more questions surrounding the position for 2023.

As of now, the Marlin’s depth chart has Joey Wendle as their starting shortstop. While Wendle has primarily played second and third base in his career, he has played 89 games at shortstop and held his ground. He played 34 games at the position in 2022 for the Marlins, recording two OAA and six defensive runs saved.

Offensively, Wendle is an upgrade over the departed Rojas. In 2021, his last full season, Wendle recorded a 108 OPS+ and was an All-Star. Wendle also demonstrates discipline at the plate and holds a career .322 OBP. Unfortunately for the Marlins, Wendle dealt with hamstring injuries throughout the 2022 season and slashed .259/.297/.360/.658 in 101 games.

No. 3 – Vaughn Grissom, ATL

Vaughn Grissom was one of the many Braves rookies that were called up in 2022 and impressed. In 41 games, Grissom slashed .295/.353/.440/.792 and recorded a 121 OPS+, demonstrating his ability to get on base and hit for a high average, though his numbers got worse as the season went on. The one concerning part of Grissom’s bat was the inability to hit the ball hard, as he recorded an 84.6 average exit velocity.

While Grissom has proved that his bat is major-league caliber, his defense is still in question. He started 39 of 40 games at second base last season and was not particularly good, recording -3 defensive runs saved at the position. The move over to shortstop doesn’t look quite as promising either, though Braves coach Ron Washington has spent time this offseason with Grissom working on his defense.

Grissom has the potential to be an impact bat in the line-up for the Braves this upcoming season, but his job isn’t secure. On Intentional Talk earlier this offseason, Alex Anthopulous stated that Orlando Arcia will compete with Grissom for the starting spot. While his bat isn’t in the same tier as Grissom’s, Arcia has proven he can hold down shortstop defensively, which the Braves will need after losing Swanson’s Gold Glove to the Cubs.

No. 2 – Trea Turner, PHI

The Phillies filled the only hole in their lineup this offseason after locking down Turner for the next eleven years. Not only is Turner phenomenal, but he’s been debatably the best shortstop in MLB. In 2022, he slashed .298/.343/.466/.809, recorded a 121 OPS+ and 6.3 fWAR. Turner also demonstrated he’s more than a leadoff hitter last season after he hit 21 home runs and drove in 100 runs.

A true five-tool player, Turner separates himself from other shortstops by showing off his speed. The former National was in the 99th percentile of sprint speed, leading him to 27 stolen bags in 2022 and 230 for his career.

While Turner’s bat is exceptional, his defense is pedestrian. He ranked in the 48th percentile for OAA and committed 16 errors at shortstop last season. Turner’s arm wasn’t great either and he ranked in the 39th percentile for arm strength.

No. 1 – Francisco Lindor, NYM

Francisco Lindor had a desperately needed bounce-back season for the Mets in 2022. He slashed .270/.339/.449/.788, clubbed 26 home runs, drove in 107 runs, and recorded a 125 OPS+. Lindor looked more comfortable at the plate as well, and as a result, his slugging percentage raised by 30 points in 2022, resulting in nine more doubles, three more triples, and six more home runs.

Lindor also had another outstanding defensive season. He recorded 13 OAA, landing him 98th percentile of OAA, and had a 4.2 UZR. The only knock on Lindor’s defense was his arm, which was listed in the 37th percentile in baseball, but his .985 fielding percentage and nine errors proved it didn’t hurt the Mets throughout the season.

Putting Lindor over Turner wasn’t an easy decision, the two shortstops had similar numbers in 2022 and Turner is coming off four years of averaging a 131 OPS+. However, the outlier last season was defense, and at shortstop, defense holds a lot of value. Turner’s 16 errors, zero OAA, and -0.7 UZR demonstrated that he played average defense with no range. Meanwhile, Lindor’s 13 OAA, 4.3 UZR, and nine errors showed that he was a top defender at shortstop in 2022. Defense matters, and as a result, Lindor recorded a 6.8 fWAR compared to Turner’s 6.3 fWAR.