Which MLB shortstop would you build your team around? Our mini-draft
Credit to Author: ESPN| Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2024 16:22:16 EST
Alden Gonzalez sorts through a loaded shortstop position to make his pick for the best in the big leagues. (1:37)
The shortstop position is absolutely loaded in Major League Baseball.
One of the biggest debates ahead of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game is who should be the starting shortstop for the American League: reigning Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson or budding superstar Bobby Witt Jr.?
Well, the first fan voting numbers are in, and they are No. 1 and 2, respectively, as they battle for their first Midsummer Classic nod. But if you look at some of the other names getting votes in both leagues, you’ll notice it goes well beyond those two. Another under-25 shortstop rounds out the top 3 vote-getters in the AL — Anthony Volpe — and he’s followed by two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager. In the National League, Mookie Betts already has more than a million votes (but will miss the game after breaking his hand), and he’s followed by two superstars in Trea Turner and Elly De La Cruz. And that’s without even getting into the top prospect in the minors right now: the Baltimore Orioles‘ Jackson Holliday, another shortstop.
Which raises the question: If you could build a team around a cornerstone shortstop right now, who would you take? We challenged our baseball experts to participate in an MLB shortstop draft. Below are their picks for the player they’d most want over the next five years — and why they chose them.