Let’s Watch Some Shortstop Prospects Play Protection

With Instructional League underway in Arizona (casts look of disappointment towards Florida) and Fall League rosters probably about two weeks out, the time has come to line the coffers with information and re-worked scouting stories in preparation for one more spherical of farm system audits. Especially on the up-the-middle positions, protection is each essential and in addition a little bit of a black field for readers, as there aren’t many publicly out there minor league defensive stats and a lot of evaluating protection is visible. I’ve lately been engaged on a video deep dive on the place gamers at present graded as 50 FV prospects or higher, particularly to guage their protection intimately. Here I’ve taken a move on the shortstops, offering video dietary supplements for the prospects who I’ve evaluated within the 55 FV tier and above. I’ve made adjustments to their protection and arm software grades over on The Board on account of this train, and spotlight the situations the place this has prompted a change to the participant’s total FV grade within the evaluation under.

I’ve reduce the movies in such a method that you would be able to see every shortstop making comparable performs one proper after one other. The movies characteristic performs to their left the place I wish to see them flip their hips and throw, performs that present the intense finish of their vary, backhand performs within the gap to their proper, performs coming in on the grass, and double play makes an attempt. The fewest balls in play I watched for a person participant was 36 (Colson Montgomery and Dyan Jorge) and probably the most was nearer to 70 (Jackson Holliday, Carson Williams and Marcelo Mayer).

Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
Holliday isn’t at present an enormous league-quality shortstop defender, however he’s gifted sufficient to venture as an appropriate one inside the subsequent couple of years. He’s most snug throwing on the transfer from proper to left, and he typically goes out of his method to take action even when it isn’t referred to as for. His capacity to make correct throws from odd platforms is spectacular, as are Holliday’s poise and inner clock. But his arms usually are not at all times sound, and Holliday lets numerous choppers take an unnecessarily excessive hop, with the course of that hop generally stunning him. He must do a greater job of staying low and attacking such a groundball nearer to the bottom, particularly when he’s shifting towards the opening to his proper. He additionally tends to take an additional step or two to assemble himself earlier than throwing, which the pace of main league play won’t enable for. Again, I believe Holliday will ultimately be positive, however proper now his bat is fairly comfortably forward of his protection.

Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
The key element right here is that Merrill has begun to play positions apart from shortstop over the previous few weeks. He’s performed a recreation or two every at first and second base, and a pair in left discipline after having solely performed shortstop for his whole profession. While his efficiency at quick can present an inexpensive facsimile for what Merrill ought to be capable of do at second base, it’s not but attainable to guage him as an outfielder (he has solely had one remotely catchable fly ball hit to him up to now) and it’s nonetheless too early to have a coherent opinion about his protection at first base (although his footwork there up to now has been predictably tough).

In a vacuum, Merrill will probably be a shortstop match regardless of below-average arms due to his really feel and instincts for the place, in addition to his max-effort arm power. His feeds to second base when beginning double performs and his trade across the bag when he’s the pivot man have to be sooner. Xander Bogaerts and Ha-Seong Kim are each higher defenders than Merrill, which might be why you’re beginning to see him transfer across the diamond. If the Padres suppose he can outhit Jake Cronenworth, he could usurp him in the same function.

Marcelo Mayer, Boston Red Sox
Mayer has been out since August 2 with soreness in his non-throwing shoulder. Portland supervisor Chad Epperson instructed The Athletic two weeks in the past that Mayer was seven to 10 days from a return, however that has confirmed to be optimistic. The tape he put down previous to the damage is encouraging, although. I had Mayer evaluated as much less more likely to stick at shortstop than most of the others analyzed right here, however whereas he nonetheless has some points, his actions ought to allow him to take action. His arms are fantastically fast and skillful, and that is most evident on double play makes an attempt when he’s both beginning issues or performing because the pivot man. Mayer can also be a way more pure low-to-the-ground athlete than both Holliday or Merrill, and he appears way more snug backhanding balls within the gap, although he doesn’t at all times have the arm to complete that play and his vary is a shade under common.

Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins
Lee makes numerous spectacular performs due to his savant-like really feel and acrobatic aptitude, way more than through uncooked bodily capacity. He is, nonetheless, one of the best bender of the shortstops analyzed up to now, getting deep into his legs on that key, telling backhand play that the others battle with. Lee is so good at making this play partly due to his capacity to bend (take a look at the angle of his hamstring relative to the bottom in comparison with the others) and partly as a result of his switch happens whereas he exits this place. During the final month he has been uncharacteristically mistake-prone on some gimme grounders, however I don’t anticipate that will likely be a long-term difficulty. Given his thicker construct and damage historical past, it wouldn’t shock me if Lee’s capacity to play shortstop peters out throughout his preliminary years of workforce management, sooner than the youthful guys additionally analyzed on this article. But among the many all-around influence gamers close to the highest of this listing, Lee and Jordan Lawlar are clearly probably the most main league-ready defenders at the moment.

Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks
Lawlar’s vary is simply truthful, however now that his throwing stroke has been smoothed out, he’s in any other case a whole and wonderful shortstop defender with plus-plus actions. He generally goes right into a pop-up slide relatively than bend like most different shortstops would to discipline sure grounders to both aspect of him, however his capacity to exit that slide in place to make a robust, correct throw is unbelievable and extremely entertaining. Lots of shortstops are likely to cost gradual rollers in on the grass and scoop the ball on the run, however Lawlar has by no means regarded snug making this play and he appears to have made an adjustment, because it’s exhausting to search out him doing it on tape. Instead, he tends to attend on the baseball, and depend on the quickness of his actions and his arm power. It’s working up to now. He and incumbent Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo are each excellent defenders, however Perdomo has a number of expertise at different positions, making him a extra pure match to maneuver round in a superutility capability when Arizona thinks Lawlar is prepared. I’ve elevated Lawlar’s defensive analysis. That, mixed with the way in which his strikeout charges have stabilized, prompted me to maneuver him into the 60 FV tier forward of some inferior center infield defenders.

Carson Williams, Tampa Bay Rays
Williams is probably the most sensational and gifted defender right here, persistently making huge league-caliber performs whereas sprinkling in an absurd variety of net gems for a man who’s barely 20 and has solely been specializing in being a place participant for a few years. Aside from the occasional short-hop throw to first base (which is extra about Williams’ really feel for launch than it’s a lack of arm power), Carson is a whole defender who checks each scouting field emphatically. He strikes the baseball across the infield with tempo and precision whereas making most points of protection look absurdly simple. He has premium athletic capacity, a plus-plus trade, and the arm to be an upper-echelon defender on the place. Again, Williams turned 20 on the finish of June. I’m nonetheless anxious about his hit software, however the influence of his shortstop protection goes to allow him to play a key function. He might produce just like the way in which Willy Adames has, and I’ve juiced his FV into the 55 FV tier on account of this train.

Other Shortstops Analyzed
White Sox prospect Colson Montgomery is a reasonably agency and clear “no” at shortstop, although I suppose you could possibly argue he appears the way in which he does as a result of he spent most of 2023 on the shelf with indirect and again points, which can nonetheless be impacting his mobility. Most of what Montgomery is doing on protection occurs too slowly, and runners find yourself secure on in any other case routine performs. His arms and vary are each comfortably under common, and 21-year-olds this dimension hardly ever stick at quick. He’s clearly a terrific prospect due to his bat, however the notion that Montgomery is the second coming of Corey Seager in all respects is fake.

Guardians rookie Brayan Rocchio now appears positive at quick after experiencing the yips in Venezuela over the winter. His high-stress throws on do-or-die makes an attempt in on the grass typically require just a little little bit of assist from the primary baseman, which, with Kole Calhoun being requested to be taught the place on the fly on the huge league stage, made for some ugly baseball when Rocchio was up in August. His lightning-quick trade and talent to make spinning throws on balls hit again up the center are the highlights of an in any other case common assortment of abilities on the place. He ought to stabilize the shortstop place subsequent yr as soon as Cleveland is soundly satisfied Gabriel Arias can’t hit.

You little question find out about Masyn Winn’s all-world arm power. That 80-grade software makes up for what can generally be a gradual strategy to groundballs, which might in any other case trigger the baseball to reach late. Winn’s frequent must rush his throws has typically prompted first basemen to have to return off the bag, however this shouldn’t be a long-term difficulty. His vary and athleticism are each plus, whereas his arms and actions are nearer to common. He most likely isn’t a future Gold Glover, however Winn is fairly comfortably one of the best shortstop defender within the Cardinals org and I contemplate it extra probably that Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan rotate round principally non-shortstop positions subsequent yr now that Masyn is in place.

The Blue Jays Addison Barger returned from elbow irritation in June and started to see increasingly time in proper discipline in mid-July. Since the start of August, he’s been enjoying principally proper discipline whereas getting a begin someplace on the infield about as soon as every week. He was evaluated as a 40-grade shortstop defender through the offseason and that also holds, as Barger’s toes and arms are missing however his arm is a match mainly anyplace on the infield. He’s able to enjoying shortstop however isn’t excellent, and with Bo Bichette entrenched because the workforce’s on a regular basis possibility, it’s more likely that Barger performs a left-handed function that enhances Santiago Espinal and an growing old George Springer for the following a number of years. Barger would possibly already be higher than Cavan Biggio is in that function proper now and will advantage down-the-stretch consideration, however the Jays selling Mason McCoy and Ernie Clement relatively than Barger (or Orelvis Martinez) in gentle of latest accidents to Bichette and Matt Chapman sort of alerts what Toronto thinks of these guys on protection. Because he’s primarily slipping down the defensive spectrum, I’ve slid Barger into the 45 FV tier as extra of an integral function participant relatively than a real on a regular basis man.

I’ve dialed down the grades on Orioles infield prospect Joey Ortiz’s protection and arm by a full normal deviation. His diminutive dimension makes him particularly agile, however he lacks every other distinctive defensive attributes. I haven’t altered Ortiz’s FV grade, nonetheless, as a result of he’s nonetheless making a ton of contact and hitting the ball exhausting, with a 46% hard-hit price at Norfolk. Here is how a few of Ortiz’s extra granular offensive attributes stack up towards the typical of the highest 30 huge league second baseman from 2022 (i.e. about how he’d must carry out to be a 50-grade participant at second). It feels okay to 50 him though second base is now within the image greater than earlier than.

At greatest, high-ceiling Rockies prospect Dyan Jorge is at present a work-in-progress at shortstop, the place he stays vulnerable to misplays. His arms are comfortably under common and his throwing stroke is a bit non-traditional. I had him speculatively projected to heart discipline as an novice and am again on that prepare after a quick departure primarily based on my prolonged spring coaching appears. Marlins prospect, and fellow Cuban, Yiddi Cappe is in the same spot. Cappe has seen extra time at shortstop since Kahlil Watson was traded away however remains to be principally enjoying second base, the place his arm is a cleaner match. He’s gradual to corral balls at shortstop and finally ends up writing slow-developing checks that his arm can’t money. Both of those guys deserve just a little extra time to air out developmentally as a result of they each waited an additional yr to signal, however they’re each nonetheless way more about long-term athletic projection than current defensive talent.