Who are the best shortstops in baseball right now? Well, let’s just say a list of the top shortstops in 2024 is as deep and competitive as you’ll find at any position. Some of the players in the game today could almost go toe-to-toe with some of the greatest shortstops in MLB history. Needless to say, those players are also among the best shortstops in 2024.
Best MLB Shortstops Ahead of the 2024 Season
In a conversation about the top shortstops in 2024, who would make the cut? More importantly, who deserves to be listed at the top? This is surely a topic that should generate plenty of debate. To throw our two cents into the conversation, here is our ranking of the 10 best shortstops in 2024.
10. CJ Abrams
Full disclosure, there were a lot of good candidates for the final spot in our top 10. But 23-year-old CJ Abrams has arguably the best upside of the shortstops we considered.
His 47 stolen bases in 2023 stood out the most. His 18 home runs didn’t hurt either. Abrams has the potential to be a dynamic shortstop one day. He might need another year or two in the majors to start fulfilling his potential, but he’s definitely on the radar.
9. Ha-Seong Kim
The fact that the Padres are moving Xander Bogaerts to second base to make Ha-Seong Kim their everyday shortstop says a lot. Defensively, he can handle himself. Offensively, there’s nothing wrong with hitting 17 homers and stealing 38 bases, which is what Kim did in 2023.
Now that he’s solidified his job, there is no reason that Kim can’t be even better this year.
8. J.P. Crawford
The Mariners are finally seeing the J.P. Crawford they thought they were getting when they traded for him five years ago. He finally enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, contributing 35 doubles and 19 home runs while producing an OPS of .818.
The former first-round pick still has to put together back-to-back seasons like that, but Seattle is obviously optimistic that’ll be the case.
7. Elly De La Cruz
Presumably, Elly De La Cruz will emerge as Cincinnati’s everyday shortstop in what is a crowded infield. His numbers last season didn’t match the hype and tailed off after his hot start.
But the talent to be a top-flight shortstop is undoubtedly there. De La Cruz played just 98 games in 2023, but that was enough to collect 35 extra-base hits and 35 stolen bases. He’s a dynamic talent and could be closer than we think to being a top-flight shortstop.
6. Bo Bichette
At age 26, Bo Bichette appears to be developing as the Blue Jays expected. In the past three years, he’s been an all-star twice and led the American League in hits twice.
Bichette also hit over .300 with 53 extra-base hits in 2023. Defensively, Bichette still has some issues, which hurts his standing among the other elite shortstops in baseball. However, his offensive upside remains incredibly high heading into the 2024 season.
5. Dansby Swanson
With back-to-back all-star selections and back-to-back Gold Gloves on his resume, Dansby Swanson surely belongs among the best shortstops in baseball.
After signing with the Cubs last year, his numbers came down a little. However, there’s nothing wrong with 20-plus doubles and 20-plus homers from one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. He still brings a lot to the table for the North Siders.
4. Trea Turner
A big contract came with big expectations for Trea Turner, and unfortunately, he fell a little flat during his first season in Philly. But let’s not kid ourselves, Turner is still an elite shortstop.
Even in a down year that saw his OPS fall short of .800 for the first time since 2018, Turner still hit 26 homers and stole 30 bases. He continues to have 30-30 potential and is solid defensively. Even if he’s on the wrong side of 30, there should be no doubt that Turner is a top-notch shortstop.
3. Bobby Witt Jr.
The future could be now for Bobby Witt Jr. and the Royals. His exploits in 2023 earned him an 11-year, $288.7 million extension earlier this spring.
The 23-year-old looks to be worth it after hitting 30 home runs and stealing 49 bases last season. Witt also drove in 98 runs while leading the American League in triples. To put it another way, he’s a versatile and talented young shortstop who is only going to get better in 2024 and beyond.
2. Francisco Lindor
As far as two-way shortstops go, it doesn’t get much better than Francisco Lindor. He was robbed of a Gold Glove in 2023, as he routinely showed his athleticism in a post-shift world. That alone makes him a valuable commodity.
One could argue that his bat has been a little inconsistent since joining the Mets in 2021. But he started to get on track last year with an OPS of .806. Lindor also joined the 30-30 club for the first time in 2023, which should set him up for another amazing campaign for the Mets in 2024.
1. Corey Seager
After winning World Series MVP honors for the second time in four seasons it would almost be disrespectful not to label Corey Seager as the best shortstop in MLB right now. Of course, before his playoff heroics for the Rangers, Seager hit .327 with a 1.013 OPS during the 2023 regular season.
His lackluster 2022 campaign is looking like an aberration compared to everything else Seager has done over the last handful of years. He’s hit over .300 in three of the last four seasons and hit over 30 homers in back-to-back years. That combination of average and power is enough to make him MLB’s best shortstop.
