Mitch asks…
Once the Mets finally promote Amed Rosario, how do you think all the NL East shortstops will rank let’s say in 2019? There seems to be a lot of great ones in the division.
Jacob replies…
You’re 100% right, the NL East is stacked with potential All-Stars at the shortstop position. Let’s look at them all.
I will try to not let personal beliefs get in the way here, because as a Mets fan who has seen him play many times (in Brooklyn, Binghamton, and minor league Spring Training) it is difficult to not get ahead of yourself when talking about Amed Rosario.
The 21-year-old has already put together an impressive resume, which includes a 2016 Futures Game selection, two mid-season All-Star nods, and being named the 11th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com. The organization is absolutely enamored with Rosario, so much so that he has leapfrogged Gavin Cecchini as the shortstop of the future, even though Cecchini has already made his major league debut.
In Washington, Nationals fans were given a strong sample size of Trea Turner in 2016, as the 23-year-old racked up a .342/.370/.567 line, while hitting 13 home runs and stealing 33 bases in 73 games. Turner finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting to Corey Seager.
Turner primarily spent the 2016 season manning center field for the Nationals, but the team’s recent acquisition of Adam Eaton will send Turner back to his natural position, with Bryce Harper and the contract of Jayson Werth occupying the other outfield spots. Turner is positioned to be a very good player for a very long time, making GM Mike Rizzo’s trade for him in December of 2014 look better by the day.
Dansby Swanson is at the center of Atlanta’s attempt to rebuild their ball club as they move into SunTrust Park in 2017. Swanson, 23 by Opening Day, is currently known as they player who was selected with the first pick of the 2015 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, then subsequently traded to the Braves in the infamous Shelby Miller deal. Swanson, however, has the potential to be known for much more.
The former Vanderbilt Commodore showcases a stellar bat and above-average glove, which will likely force fellow Braves prospect Ozzie Albies to slide over to second base, not the other way around. Swanson hit .302 in 145 at bats after he was promoted to the major leagues in August last season.
The jury is still out on Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford, who is ranked as the number two prospect in baseball by MLB.com, but struggled after his promotion to Triple-A Lehigh. He is known more for his glove than his bat, but Crawford has yet to put together one – full – standout season at the plate. However, the Phillies have to love his career rate stats of 13% for strikeouts and walks. The Phillies can’t commit to Freddy Galvis and his .241 career batting average forever, so it’s only a matter of time before Crawford makes his debut.
This leads us to the Miami Marlins, who don’t house any fancy names in their minor league system. Their top prospect at the position is J.T. Riddle, who spent most of 2016 in Double-A, and was added to the 40-man roster in November. The 25-year-old from the University of Kentucky has a .274 batting average through four minor league seasons.The Marlins don’t appear to be moving on from Adeiny Hechavarria anytime soon, although his statistics should suggest otherwise. This makes it unlikely for a Marlin to make any noise from the position in the foreseeable future.
So there you have it. If I had to put those players into a ranking for the 2019 season, I’d likely go Turner, Rosario, Swanson, Crawford, and whoever the Marlins decide to trot out there, which I will fittingly label as MIA.
