Shortstop may not be the first place fans look for stars, but there are plenty of great players to pick up for the position.
Responsible for everything between second and third, shortstops can dig you out of a pinch by stopping a line drive or difficult grounder before it develops into a play. They're an underappreciated part of the infield dynamic, and take on a large chunk of hitters' most targeted location.
Let's break down the best shortstops you can bring on in MLB The Show 20's Franchise Mode.
Javier Baez - 92 OVR
Javier Baez was a huge pickup for the Chicago Cubs in 2014. He's been with the team throughout their return to glory, and he's matured into an amazing player along the way.
Baez's best talents are his 98 Arm Strength, 95 Reaction, and 92 Fielding. This defensive excellence along with 73 Speed makes Baez a shutdown shortstop hunting down double plays and anything trying to poke out between second and third. And his defense isn't all he's got. Along with Baez's defense, he's also an accomplished batter that can absolutely ruin lefties.
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The 2-time all star has a bright future ahead of him beyond the strong resume he's already put together as a lifelong Cub. He's a great pickup for any franchise.
Trevor Story - 92 OVR
Trevor Story is arguably the most elite shortstop in the league today, and MLB The Show 20 made sure to show it. While Story isn't quite as elite on the defensive end as Javier Baez, he's very close, and he is more skilled as a batter and baserunner.
Story's best stats are his 91 Contact vs L, 90 Arm Strength, and 89 Durability. Story can be relied on as a durable player that can make plays where he is, and is one of the best possible pickups you can make for your franchise.
Expect Story to still get better for the next few years with his A potential, and with his durability, he can still be an important set piece for years afterward.
Francisco Lindor - 91 OVR
Francisco Lindor may not be the fastest shortstop, but with his solid defensive fundamentals and great bat, he's one of the best in the league.
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Lindor has played his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. While he's a promising player with a lot of upside, he's been inconsistent after turning in his worst stats year yet in 2019.
Lindor's best talents are his 87 Durability, 87 Fielding, and 86 Reaction. He's another elite defensive choice with great batting behind him. While he doesn't have the speed you'd expect in this young man's position, Lindor is still a valuable asset to any team and still has years to improve the holes in his game.
Marcus Semien - 88 OVR
Marcus Semien is entering his 6th year with the Oakland Athletics, and is coming off his career best batting avg and OBP. As one of the older shortstops playing a young man's position, Semien may not have too many elite years left, but he continues to grow his skills as one of the best at the position, and he isn't going to quit any time soon.
Semien's best talents are his 99 Durability, 91 Arm Accuracy, and 83 Reaction. Semien can be relied on both in his play on the field and his condition off of it. Semien brings a solid bat and good defense to combat his subpar base running.
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Semien is a great veteran to pickup for your franchise, and may even have more room to grow as he approaches 30 years old.
Fernando Tatis Jr. - 86 OVR
At just 21 years old, Fernando Tatis Jr. has an entire legendary career ahead of him, and he's already started it off with a bang as one of the league's best shortstops.
Tatis' best skills are his flexibility on offense and defense. He has a whopping 95 Arm Strength, 84 Speed, and 80 Contact vs L. There's not a situation Tatis will be uncomfortable in, making him a dangerous pickup.
For any franchise looking toward the future, you could have more than a decade of success with Fernando Tatis Jr. in the gap.
Andrelton Simmons - 86 OVR
Andrelton Simmons is one the oldest shortstop on the list, but shortstop is a young position, and at 30 years old, he still has plenty to give.
Simmons veteran presence is one that can rally together a team of younger players, and he can be relied on defensively more than most.
Simmons' best talents are his 99 Reaction, 99 Fielding, and 98 Vision.
If your team is looking for a veteran eye that can help guide a younger lineup, or you're just looking for a valuable pickup at shortstop, you can't go wrong grabbing up Simmons for your franchise.
Trea Turner - 85 OVR
Trea Turner is one of the most overperforming characters in relation to overall in MLB The Show 20. As a lights out base runner with good contact hitting and good fielding to fall back on, the 26 year old has only greatness ahead of him. It's a good time to pick him up for your franchise.
Turner's best talents are his 99 BR AGG, 98 Speed, and 92 Stealing. But don't underestimate his hitting with 84 Contact vs L, and 79 Clutch.
As another younger player with A potential, Trea Turner is a diamond in the rough for any franchise looking to improve their team immediately and for years down the line.
Carlos Correa - 85 OVR
Carlos Correa is an underrated prospect that will make waves in the MLB for years to come. Still, though, he has some patches in his game that could use some work before he makes it higher on this list.
Correa's best talents are his 97 Arm Strength, 89 Contact vs L, and 85 Power vs R. Correa is in the unique position of having more power against righties while being worse at making contact against them, and getting more contact against lefties while hitting less powerfully. This may be a dent, but with A potential on top of some strong fielding, Correa is a valuable pickup for long term franchises.
Xander Bogaerts - 85 OVR
Xander Bogaerts is a career Red Sox player entering his 8th year in Boston. But while he has the resume of a veteran, this 27 year old still has some room to improve beyond his already impressive skillset.
Bogaerts' brings rock solid batting to any team, and it shows in his 95 Durability, 93 Clutch, and 85 Contact vs R. While he's quite slow for the shortstop position, and weaker on the fielding side of the game too, his bat more than makes up for it on teams looking for more hits.
Adalberto Mondesi - 84 OVR
Among the youngest shortstops to make the list, Adalberto Mondesi is a prodigy that has a lot of room to grow at-bat. But despite his batting woes, Mondesi brings to the table some lethal baserunning to compliment great defense.
Mondesi has an incredible 99 Stealing, 95 BR AGG, and 94 Speed, meaning he's one of the most dangerous base running threats in the game. Add to it 85 Fielding and Reaction and you've got a great base for this young blue chipper to build on for years to come.