By The greatest shortstops in history must be outstanding offensive players as well as excellent defenders. It’s conceivably the hardest position to play in baseball because it takes numerous average or excellent tools
Honus Wagner
Between 1897 and 1917, Honus Wagner played for the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates throughout the course of a 21-year MLB career. He drove the Pirates to a 1909 World Series victory and amassed eight batting crowns. Wagner retired with a batting average of .328, 3,420 hits, 101 home runs, 1,732 RBIs, 1,739 runs, as well as 723 stolen bases. In 1936, he received his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Carl Ripken Jr
Having played some third base later in his tenure, baseball’s iron man spent the great majority of his 2,632 consecutive game streak at shortstop.
Ripken was a solid defensive player despite collecting only two Gold Gloves. He also earned Rookie of the Year in his first full season and his first of two MVP titles in his second full season. In fact, Ripken’s rookie season was the only one in which he was not an all-star, despite being selected to the Midsummer Classic in 19 consecutive seasons.
Ozzie Smith
From 1978 through 1996, Ozzie Smith played for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals over the course of his 19-year MLB career. He was a World Series champion in 1982, a 15-time All-Star, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, a Silver Slugger, and a member of the Hall of Fame. In addition to 2,460 hits, 793 RBIs, 1,257 runs, 28 home runs, and 580 stolen bases, he also retired with a batting average of .262 and 2,460 hits
Ernie Banks
Despite only playing shortstop for nearly half of his career, Ernie Banks is yet another player who deserves to be included on this list. He played with the Chicago Cubs for 19 seasons in the Major League Baseball, finishing his career with 2,583 hits, 1,636 RBIs, 1,305 runs, 512 home runs, and 50 stolen bases while maintaining a batting average of.274. In addition to becoming a Hall of Fame inductee, he was a 14-time All-Star and two-time MVP.
Derek Jetter
Between 1995 and 2014, Derek Jeter played for the New York Yankees for 20 seasons in Major League Baseball. He won five Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, five World Series titles, was a 14-time All-Star, was named Rookie of the Year, won five World Series championships, and was named World Series MVP once. He finished his career with 3,465 hits, 1,311 RBIs, 1,923 runs, and 358 stolen bases, good for a .310 batting average
Alex Rodriguez
If Alex Rodriguez had not played shortstop for barely half of his remarkable career, he would’ve been higher on this ranking. He played in Major League Baseball for 22 years and won 14 All-Star, 10 Silver Slugger, 2 Gold Glove, 3 MVP, 3 Major League Player of the Year, and 1 World Seriesaward. He hit 696 home runs in his whole career.
Luke Appling
Between 1930 and 1950, Luke Appling played in the MLB with the Chicago White Sox for 20 seasons, missing only the 1944 season due to active duty. In addition to two batting titles, he was an All-Star seven times. His career stats included 2,749 hits, 45 home runs, 1,116 runs batted in, 1,319 runs scored, and 179 stolen bases for a batting average of .310.
Don’t forget to check out about the Best Home Run Hitters of all time.
