MLB The Show 19: Best Shortstops (SS)

Shortstop is traditionally the most difficult defensive position on the field. It sees the most action and often faces the hardest hit balls too, which means quick reflexes and excellent hand-eye coordination is a must here. Teams have prioritized defense here for over a century now, with names like Honus Wagner, Ozzie Smith, and Ernie Banks making their mark on the sport with the glove first. In more recent years names like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have shown the immense benefit of having an offensive player that can hold their own at the position.

How to choose the best shortstops in MLB The Show 19 Franchise Mode

This article is dedicated to finding the best shortstop in MLB The Show 19. These players still have a primary focus on defense, but the modern generation of shortstop are also proving able to produce at the plate, turning some of them into perennial MVP candidates and cornerstones of ball clubs. These players are quick in the field, contact-machines at the plate, and durable enough to survive a season at the most demanding spot on the field. We have put together a list of every shortstop in MLB The Show 19 with an OVR of 72 or more, but who are the best?

*For a full list see the table below

Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians (OVR 90)

Age: 25

Throws/Bats: R/S

Contract: 1 year/$10.6 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Durability (97), Contact vs L (90), Fielding (90), Reaction (88), Vision (84), Arm Accuracy (80), Arm Strength (76)

The best shortstop in baseball right now is Francisco Lindor. Cleveland's star was the 8th overall pick in the 2011 draft and quickly rose through the farm system to reach the Majors in 2015. He played 99 games that year, and to date it is the only season that Lindor has not made the All-Star team. In 2017 Lindor added a power swing to his game, dropping 25 points in batting average to blast an extra 15 homers, in 2018 he bumped his career-high up to 38 long bombs and added 25 stolen bases too. He's also won a pair of gold gloves at shortstop. In MLB The Show 19 Lindor is a contact machine (70/90) and a terrific fielder (90), making him the ideal player for today's game.

Trea Turner, Washington Nationals (OVR 90)

Age: 25

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 1 year/$3.7 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B, CF

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Durability (99), Baserunning Aggressiveness (99), Speed (97), Stealing (97), Clutch (88), Contact vs R (81)

The 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Trea Turner didn't take long to hit the Major Leagues, making his debut in 2015. By 2016 he was the regular starter for the Nationals but injuries cut his playing time. In 2018 he played all 162 games though, and set career-highs in homers (19), doubles (27), and steals (43). Turner's biggest asset is his speed (97) and ability to steal a base (97). A solid contact hitter (81/76) but not an electric fielder, Turner is a useful player that requires some careful management to get the most out of.

Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs (OVR 89)

Age: 26

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 1 year/$5.2 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B, CF

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Durability (98), Contact vs L (89), Fielding (86), Arm Strength (86), Reaction (84), Power vs L (82), Speed (78)

Javier Baez was the 9th overall pick in 2011 and a cornerstone of the Cubs rebuilding process. He debuted in 2014 but it wasn't until 2016 that Baez became an every-day starter for Chicago. He rewarded them with 14 homers, a .273 batting average, and a 2.0 dWAR as he split time between shortstop, third base, & second base. Since that year Baez has added a power swing to his game, setting a career-high of 34 homers last year, as well as improving his average and maintaining his level of play in the field. In The Show 19 Baez crushes left-handed pitching (contact 89, power 82), has excellent fielding (86), and the durability (98) to play every game.

Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels (OVR 88)

Age: 29

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 2 years/$28 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Fielding (99), Vision (98), Reaction (97), Arm Strength (95), Durability (89), Arm Accuracy (85), Clutch (85)

Perhaps the best fielder at any position in baseball, Andrelton Simmons is the quintessential shortstop. He was originally drafted in the 2nd round of 2010 by the Atlanta Braves and got his debut with them in 2012 before moving to the Angels for the 2016 season. Simmons' defense has been his calling card over the years, robbing base hits by reaching balls that were seemingly destined for the outfield. With unquestionable skills in the field (fielding 99, reaction 97, arm strength (95) Simmons is a pitchers best friend in The Show 19.

Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers (OVR 85)

Age: 24

Throws/Bats: R/L

Contract: 1 year/$4 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Durability (95), Clutch (95), Contact vs R (88), Arm Accuracy (83), Contact vs L (77), Fielding (77), Arm Strength (77), Discipline (76)

A first-round pick in the 2012 draft, Corey Seager made his Major League debut in 2015, becoming the every-day starter at shortstop in 2016. Seager is more of a hitter than he is fielder in The Show 19. With good contact skill (88/77) and amazing ability in big spots (clutch 95) he should provide impressive offense over the course of a season. A career .301 hitter, Seager has flashed solid power with 20+ homers and a high of 40 doubles. He can hold his own in the field, but he isn't going to make hits disappear at the same rate as Baez or Simmons.

Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox (OVR 85)

Age: 26

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 1 year/$12 million

Secondary Position: 3B

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Durability (93), Clutch (90), Contact vs R (79), Contact vs L (79), Arm Accuracy (79), Arm Strength (76), Vision (72)

Xander Bogaerts got his debut with the Red Sox in 2013 and by 2014 was their regular shortstop. It took him some time to settle in the Majors, and he is still something of an inconsistent enigma at the plate. One year he can hit 20+ homers, an other he can bat over .300, but he is yet to put the two together to have a truly awesome season. With great contact skill against both pitchers (79/79) and solid arm talent (arm accuracy 79, arm strength 76) he is a well-rounded shortstop, but he could leave you wanting with his fielding range at times.

Carlos Correa, Houston Astros (OVR 83)

Age: 24

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 1 year/$5 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Whole Field

Best Stats: Contact vs L (89), Discipline (83), Clutch (82), Arm Accuracy (76), Reaction (75), Contact vs R (74)

Big things were expected from Carlos Correa after the Astros took him first overall in the 2012 draft. He flew through the Minors and played 99 games as a 20-year-old in 2015, winning Rookie of the Year. In the first three years of Correa's career he looked like a world-beater, a 20+ homer, .288 hitter with strong defensive skills, but injuries in 2018 limited him to 110 games and seemed to sap his bat as he lost nearly 80 points of average and a lot of his power. He still has great potential in The Show 19 but he starts on the back foot with his fielding (68) and durability (69), but his contact skill at the plate is still very good (75/89).

Jean Segura, Philadelphia Phillies (OVR 83)

Age: 29

Throws/Bats: R/R

Contract: 4 years/$56 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Opposite

Best Stats: Contact vs R (90), Contact vs L (88), Durability (88), Vision (85), Baserunning Aggressiveness (77), Clutch (75)

Jean Segura has moved around a lot in his career. He started with the Angels in 2012 but barely played for the Major League club before he was moved to Milwaukee. He played there until 2016, which he spent in Arizona. He played 2017 & '18 in Seattle and landed in Philadelphia in 2019. Through all that Segura has been a very solid shortstop. A career .286 hitter that can flash power from time to time and is a strong base-stealer. Segura's best skill is his contact hitting (90/88) though, meaning he should be a consistently productive part of your lineup in The Show 19.

Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants (OVR 83)

Age: 32

Throws/Bats: R/L

Contract: 3 years/$37.5 million

Secondary Position: 2B

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Durability (96), Arm Strength (91), Arm Accuracy (84), Fielding (84), Reaction (83), Contact vs L (70), Clutch (70)

A veteran compared to many of the young guns now manning shortstop, Brandon Crawford has been the giants every-day shortstop for 7+ years now. He's not an electric hitter, with a career .252 average and just one year with over 15 homers, but he is an incredibly reliable glove in the field. He took home the 2015, '16, & '17 gold glove for NL shortstop and has made two All-Star games as well as lifting a pair of World Series trophies. In The Show 19 Crawford's arm is special (arm strength 91, arm accuracy 84) and he can do damage against left-handed pitching too (contact vs L 70).

Didi Gregorius, New York Yankees (OVR 82)

Age: 29

Throws/Bats: R/L

Contract: 1 year/$11.8 million

Secondary Position: 2B, 3B

Batting Tendency: Pull Hitter

Best Stats: Vision (87), Durability (82), Contact vs L (79), Arm Accuracy (74), Arm Strength (73), Reaction (73), Contact vs R (71)

Didi Gregorius arrived in New York from Arizona for the 2015 and stepped into Derek Jeter's shoes at shortstop. Since coming to New York he has developed a power stroke, launching 20+ homers in each of the last three years after not hitting double-digits previously. With that has come a small boost in batting average too. He is a solid fielder, but with the improvements he has made at the plate Gregorius is now a dangerous hitter, especially against right-handed pitchers (contact vs R 71, power vs R 71).

Other shortstops (SS) with OVR 72 or more