After stopping off at second base, the B/R MLB 300 now moves to the left side of the infield with a look at shortstops.
Like our first basemen and second basemen rankings, this list of shortstops consists of 25 of the overall 300 players. As for how it came to be, we subjected each player to a scoring system that adds up to a total of 100 possible points.
First, there are 25 points for hitting. Our focus was on how well each player is equipped to hit for average and get on base. This meant looking not only at how he hits the ball, but also at how consistently he makes contact and whether or not he has the discipline to draw walks.
Then, there are 25 points for power. We concentrated on each player's ability to collect extra-base hits, which meant looking at how often he puts the ball in the air—ground balls don't tend to go for extra bases—how hard he hits it and how much of the field he uses for power.
Next, there are 20 points for baserunning. It's a bigger priority for shortstops than it is for other positions, so we looked at players' stolen bases and how aggressive they are in taking extra bases on balls in play.
Lastly, there are 30 points for defense. It's a big category because shortstop is one of baseball's most important defensive positions. We used defensive metrics as a guiding star and judged the players on things like their range, arm strength and sure-handedness.
As for how the scoring works, a score in the middle is meant to denote average, not failing. For example, a 15 out of 30 for defense means the player is merely an average defender, whereas 10 out of 30 is clearly below average, and 20 out of 30 is above average. It's also important to note that if two or more players ended up with the same final score, the edge went to the player we'd choose if we had to pick just one.
Before we begin, here's an important reminder that while we used what's happened in 2015 as a foundation for the scores, this list projects performance for the 2016 season. Players were evaluated based on the staying power of each skill with progression, decline and past luck in mind—which created a different ranking system than we would've had if we'd judged where each player stands today.
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