It’s becoming increasingly rare for teams to win at the Major League level without a shortstop.
Even if your shortstop isn’t a stratospheric superstar, getting either superb glove work or pumped up power is basically a requirement now. While Atlanta won the World Series with Dansby Swanson — maybe the 12th or 13th best shortstop in the game — his 27 home runs and two in the World Series were more than enough to get them over the hump, especially when paired with his steady defense and all-world teammates.
The Big Apple’s teams are in drastically different places with their shortstops. The Mets are married to Francisco Lindor for the next ten years unless they can convince someone to take on his contract, which pays the shortstop until he’s 37. The Yankees, meanwhile, are at an all-important crossroads. The team is a little bit too good, and the franchise is far too proud, for a full rebuild. Yet, it was clear some time around July that the Bombers needed to shake things up at shortstop.
