Ranking Bobby Witt Jr, Elly De La Cruz and Every MLB Team's Shortstop
The shortstop position is home to some of the most exciting players in baseball, with Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Elly De La Cruz, Zach Neto and others breaking through in recent seasons.
That rising group joins longtime standouts such as Francisco Lindor, Trea Turner and Corey Seager to give the position no shortage of star power. But not every team can boast a star-caliber starter at shortstop.
This article kicks off a series ranking every MLB team's primary shortstop for the 2025 season. Players are evaluated solely on their offensive and defensive contributions this year—past accomplishments and future projections are not considered.
How does your team's favorite shortstop stack up against his counterparts across baseball?
Nos. 30-26
1 of 10
30. Trey Sweeney, Detroit Tigers
Offense: 298 PA, 61 wRC+, .207/.268/.311, 14 XBH (6 HR), 3 SB
Defense: 690.1 INN, -4 DRS, -3 OAA
WAR: -0.4
Since Javier Baez has played more innings in center field (383.0) than he has at shortstop (356.1), Sweeney gets the nod as Detroit's primary shortstop and lands at the bottom of this list. The 25-year-old has yet to prove he can hit enough to be an everyday player, and his defensive metrics have also taken a step backward.
29. Gabriel Arias, Cleveland Guardians
Offense: 386 PA, 79 wRC+, .222/.281/.362, 30 XBH (9 HR), 6 SB
Defense: 673.0 INN, 4 DRS, 5 OAA
WAR: 1.1
Arias has been Cleveland's primary shortstop since Brayan Rocchio was shifted to second base at the end of July, and he has provided steady defense at a premium position. The 25-year-old is a glove-first player who will occasionally run into a mistake, but his value is in his defense.
28. Taylor Walls, Tampa Bay Rays
Offense: 317 PA, 65 wRC+, .220/.280/.319, 19 XBH (4 HR), 14 SB
Defense: 720.2 INN, 17 DRS, 1 OAA
WAR: 0.2
With a lackluster 65 wRC+ on the year, Walls ranks 240th among 245 players with at least 300 plate appearances, but he continues to provide positive value overall thanks to his defense. Top prospect Carson Williams made his MLB debut on Aug. 22, and he could be the everyday guy at shortstop in 2026.
27. Jared Triolo, Pittsburgh Pirates
Offense: 269 PA, 87 wRC+, .221/.320/.346, 18 XBH (5 HR), 9 SB
Defense: 301.2 INN, -1 DRS, 0 OAA
WAR: 1.0
Triolo won a Gold Glove in 2024 as a utility player while seeing the bulk of his action at second base and third base, but he took over as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop in place of Isiah Kiner-Falefa when he shifted to third base following the Ke'Bryan Hayes trade. He doesn't provide much offensive impact, but he is a reliable glove across the infield.
26. Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins
Offense: 443 PA, 87 wRC+, .244/.293/.384, 28 XBH (14 HR), 2 SB
Defense: 408.1 INN, -6 DRS, -4 OAA
WAR: 0.3
With Carlos Correa traded back to the Astros, the shortstop position now belongs to Lee, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 draft and a top prospect throughout his time in the minors. He hit .348/.375/.533 over 96 plate appearances in June and has the potential to be an impact player if he can find more consistency.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Nick Allen, Atlanta Braves
Offense: 405 PA, 52 wRC+, .222/.285/.249, 10 XBH (0 HR), 8 SB
Defense: 1,037.2 INN, 13 DRS, 16 OAA
WAR: 0.7
Only 21 times since the beginning of the Live Ball Era in 1920 has a player recorded at least 400 plate appearances and a slugging percentage below .250, and Allen is on track to join that group. He might be the worst offensive player in baseball, but his strong defense at shortstop has made him a positive-WAR contributor and may earn him consideration as an NL Gold Glove finalist.
24. Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers
Offense: 439 PA, 72 wRC+, .232/.283/.326, 24 XBH (7 HR), 11 SB
Defense: 1,050.1 INN, -2 DRS, 10 OAA
WAR: 1.4
Ortiz has made a smooth transition from third base to shortstop after Willy Adames departed in free agency, but his offensive game has taken a step back from his rookie numbers. The 27-year-old had a 105 wRC+ with 25 doubles, 11 home runs and 60 RBI in 142 games last year.
23. Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees
Offense: 535 PA, 86 wRC+, .210/.274/.404, 51 XBH (19 HR), 16 SB
Defense: 1,156.2 INN, 1 DRS, -8 OAA
WAR: 1.0
Volpe has struggled this season, leading the AL with 18 errors and posting a .274 OBP. Yankees fans have grown frustrated after his 3.5-WAR campaign in 2024. Still, at just 24 years old, he could redeem himself with a strong postseason. Last October, he posted an .815 OPS with three doubles, a home run, and six RBI in 14 playoff games.
22. Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies
Offense: 296 PA, 90 wRC+, .264/.305/.435, 28 XBH (8 HR), 4 SB
Defense: 601.2 INN, 1 DRS, 4 OAA
WAR: 1.2
Tovar missed 63 games during the first half of the season with a hip injury and an oblique strain, but he is back patrolling shortstop for a Rockies team running out the clock on a dreadful season. The 24-year-old is in the second season of a seven-year, $63.5 million extension and stands as one of the few long-term building blocks on the Colorado roster.
21. Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
Offense: 184 PA, .229/.284/.553, 22 XBH (16 HR), 0 SB
Defense: 302.0 INN, 6 DRS, 3 OAA
WAR: 1.6
Montgomery saw his prospect stock take a hit last season when he hit .214 with 164 strikeouts in 130 games at Triple-A, and he got off to a similar start this year before catching fire in June and earning his first MLB call-up. He homered eight times in 12 games during a red-hot stretch in late July and early August.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins
Offense: 498 PA, 87 wRC+, .242/.311/.362, 30 XBH (12 HR), 12 SB
Defense: 751.2 INN, 4 DRS, 5 OAA
WAR: 2.1
López moved from second base to shortstop at the end of May, swapping positions with Xavier Edwards, and he has been a rock-solid defender while also providing some power and speed. The 26-year-old joins Hanley Ramírez (x6) and José Reyes as the only shortstops in Marlins history with double-digit home runs and steals in the same season.
19. J.P. Crawford, Seattle Mariners
Offense: 572 PA, 109 wRC+, .262/.352/.357, 29 XBH (9 HR), 7 SB
Defense: 1,192.2 INN, 0 DRS, -8 OAA
WAR: 2.3
Crawford had a terrific first half, but he has cooled off considerably since the All-Star break, hitting .199/.253/.278 with eight extra-base hits in 163 plate appearances. On a positive note, his on-base percentage (.352, eighth) and walk rate (11.5%, third) both rank in the top 10 among qualified shortstops.
18. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Offense: 555 PA, 96 wRC+, .250/.323/.376, 33 XBH (14 HR), 8 SB
Defense: 1,069.2 INN, 16 DRS, 4 OAA
WAR: 2.3
It has been a season to forget offensively for Betts, who has never posted a sub-100 wRC+ in any season and has a 136 wRC+ for his career. However, he has provided Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop in his first full season at the position after getting his feet wet a year ago.
17. Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox
Offense: 558 PA, 100 wRC+, .260/.307/.437, 46 XBH (23 HR), 24 SB
Defense: 1,181.0 INN, -2 DRS, -2 OAA
WAR: 2.9
Story played in 163 total games over the first three seasons of his six-year, $140 million deal with the Red Sox, but he is finally healthy and has already recorded the fourth 20/20 season of his career. His .307 on-base percentage leaves a lot to be desired, but it looks like Boston will at least be able to squeeze some value out of the back end of his contract.
16. Jacob Wilson, Athletics
Offense: 435 PA, 124 wRC+, .318/.358/.456, 32 XBH (12 HR), 5 SB
Defense: 877.1 INN, -11 DRS, -4 OAA
WAR: 2.8
Wilson spent most of July and August navigating a hand contusion and a fractured forearm that took a bite out of his production and eventually required a stint on the injured list. Since returning to action on Aug. 22, he is hitting .378/.395/.622 in 39 plate appearances, so there is still time for him to climb back toward the top 10 if he keeps swinging it well.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres
Offense: 534 PA, 103 wRC+, .262/.330/.387, 39 XBH (10 HR), 20 SB
Defense: 1,048.1 INN, -3 DRS, 7 OAA
WAR: 3.0
Bogaerts has rebounded from his poor 2024 season, and he has handled a return to shortstop well after he was shifted to second base last year in favor of Ha-Seong Kim. The 32-year-old might not age well over the back end of his contract, but for now, he is still an above-average player.
14. Willy Adames, San Francisco Giants
Offense: 586 PA, 109 wRC+, .230/.318/.427, 46 XBH (26 HR), 8 SB
Defense: 1,189.2 INN, -7 DRS, 4 OAA
WAR: 3.4
After an ugly start to the season, Adames caught fire in July, hitting .337/.422/.674 with seven home runs and 21 RBI, and he launched another nine long balls in August. With that, he is on track for his third 30-homer season in the last four years, and his defensive metrics have also ticked back up after he tallied minus-16 DRS in 2024.
13. CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
Offense: 540 PA, 115 wRC+, .265/.328/.447, 50 XBH (17 HR), 28 SB
Defense: 1,042.1 INN, -7 DRS, -8 OAA
WAR: 3.3
Abrams is having a better season than his 2024 All-Star campaign, with a healthy spike in wRC+ (106 to 115), an improved walk rate (21.3% to 18.0%) and better defensive metrics, though he remains a below-average defender. He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, which could open the door for extension talks.
12. Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs
Offense: 553 PA, 101 wRC+, .250/.299/.424, 44 XBH (21 HR), 11 SB
Defense: 1,180.0 INN, 8 DRS, 1 OAA
WAR: 2.8
Swanson slumped badly in July or he would likely be comfortably inside the top 10 as he continues to provide a valuable mix of defense, power and veteran leadership for the Cubs. With a 1.017 OPS, three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in his last 10 games, he looks poised to finish strong as he chases his fifth straight 3-WAR season.
11. Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals
Offense: 516 PA, 93 wRC+, .256/.311/.370, 36 XBH (9 HR), 9 SB
Defense: 1,055.2 INN, 3 DRS, 21 OAA
WAR: 3.5
From a pure tools standpoint, Winn might be the best defensive shortstop in baseball, and he has provided enough offensively to look like a clear long-term building block for the Cardinals. Aside from showing a bit less pop after tallying 52 extra-base hits and 15 home runs a year ago, he has more or less backed up his terrific rookie campaign.
Nos. 10-6
5 of 10
10. Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays
Offense: 608 PA, 130 wRC+, .310/.354/.478, 60 XBH (17 HR), 4 SB
Defense: 1,104.0 INN, -13 DRS, -13 OAA
WAR: 3.5
An elite offensive player once again this year, Bichette might also be the worst defensive shortstop in baseball, and that made him the most difficult player to slot in these rankings. It will be interesting to see whether teams push for him to move off shortstop in free agency, or if he gets a nine-figure deal to keep playing the position.
9. Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
Offense: 599 PA, 112 wRC+, .272/.341/.455, 54 XBH (19 HR), 32 SB
Defense: 1,168.2 INN, -7 DRS, -4 OAA
WAR: 3.9
De La Cruz has again been one of the most dynamic players in baseball, and slashing his strikeout rate from 31.3 to 25.9 percent is a good sign of his continued growth as a hitter. On the other hand, he leads the majors with 22 errors and has taken a step backward in DRS (-2 to -7) and OAA (14 to -4), so his glove work is still a question mark.
8. Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
Offense: 512 PA, 120 wRC+, .264/.320/.490, 55 XBH (25 HR), 24 SB
Defense: 994.0 INN, 12 DRS, -4 OAA
WAR: 3.4
Neto missed the first 18 games of the season while he continued his recovery from shoulder surgery, but he has again looked like the best player on the Angels roster since returning to action. A massive uptick in his hard-hit rate (38.8 to 46.6 percent) and average exit velocity (88.5 to 91.0 mph) has taken his power game to another level.
7. Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Offense: 553 PA, 123 wRC+, .279/.349/.457, 51 XBH (16 HR), 20 SB
Defense: 1,045.0 INN, -4 DRS, -2 OAA
WAR: 4.3
Since a brutal first month of the season, Henderson is hitting .291/.366/.468 with 41 extra-base hits in 456 plate appearances, and he already has a third straight 4-WAR season under his belt. The 24-year-old is a Scott Boras client, otherwise he would be an obvious extension candidate as the Orioles' best player.
6. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers
Offense: 445 PA, 137 wRC+, .271/.373/.487, 40 XBH (21 HR), 3 SB
Defense: 828.0 INN, 15 DRS, 4 OAA
WAR: 4.0
Seager has only played in 102 of 139 games for the Rangers this season, after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury during the first half and undergoing an appendectomy at the end of August, but the production has again been elite when he has taken the field. He has 117 home runs and 19.3 WAR over the first four seasons of his 10-year, $325 million contract.
5. Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros
6 of 10
Offense: 468 PA, 135 wRC+, .307/.366/.476, 42 XBH (14 HR), 20 SB
Defense: 918.1 INN, 4 DRS, 6 OAA
WAR: 4.9
Jeremy Peña burst onto the scene with a 22-homer, 3.3-WAR rookie season in 2022 that was punctuated by ALCS and World Series MVP honors, seemingly putting him on the doorstep of stardom.
While he was a solid player in 2023 and 2024, he did not quite take the next step forward many were expecting, but he has done that this season with career-high marks across the board and his first All-Star selection.
4. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
7 of 10
Offense: 622 PA, 123 wRC+, .267/.336/.458, 54 XBH (26 HR), 27 SB
Defense: 1,169.0 INN, -5 DRS, 6 OAA
WAR: 4.9
After finishing runner-up in NL MVP voting a year ago, Francisco Lindor earned his first All-Star selection as a member of the New York Mets this season in his fifth year with the team.
With four more long balls, he will reach 30 home runs for the sixth time of his career, moving him one away from Alex Rodriguez for the most 30-homer seasons while serving primarily as a shortstop.
3. Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks
8 of 10
Offense: 613 PA, 133 wRC+, .285/.385/.448, 47 XBH (16 HR), 24 SB
Defense: 1,218.2 INN, 3 DRS, 2 OAA
WAR: 5.5
An elite 13.4 percent walk rate and a .385 on-base percentage that ranks seventh among all qualified hitters has helped take Geraldo Perdomo's game to another level in 2025.
He has career highs in virtually every offensive category, and he has recorded far more walks (82) than strikeouts (68) while also providing quality defense at shortstop. The 25-year-old is putting together the best season by a shortstop in D-backs history here in 2025.
2. Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
9 of 10
Offense: 618 PA, 123 wRC+, .301/.353/.453, 52 XBH (14 HR), 36 SB
Defense: 1,182.1 INN, 2 DRS, 16 OAA
WAR: 6.3
Trea Turner entered play on Tuesday leading the NL in batting average (.301), hits (171) and stolen bases (36), and this is shaping up to be his best season to date as a member of the Phillies after signing an 11-year, $300 million deal prior to the 2023 campaign.
Even more impressive has been his significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball, as he went from poor defensive metrics in 2024 (-14 DRS, -3 OAA) to standout metrics in 2025 (2 DRS, 16 OAA) to help give his overall value a significant boost.
1. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
10 of 10
Offense: 590 PA, 129 wRC+, .296/.353/.501, 65 XBH (20 HR), 34 SB
Defense: 1,155.1 INN, 0 DRS, 21 OAA
WAR: 6.8
He might not match his 2024 production, but Bobby Witt Jr. has firmly established himself as the best all-around shortstop in baseball. He has already clinched a second straight 40-double, 20-homer, 30-steal campaign.
Defensively, his 21 Outs Above Average are tied with Masyn Winn for the most in baseball across all positions, and he has come a long way in a short time since putting up ugly defensive marks at shortstop as a rookie in 2022.
Witt is the face of the franchise for the Kansas City Royals and the face of the shortstop position for the foreseeable future.
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