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Atlanta Braves positional previews vs. NL East: shortstop

By Jonathan Magel

SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Dansby Swanson #7 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during a team workout at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2020 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Dansby Swanson #7 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during a team workout at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2020 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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JUPITER, FL – MARCH 10: Miguel Rojas #19 of the Miami Marlins in action at Roger Dean Stadium on March 10, 2020. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FL – MARCH 10: Miguel Rojas #19 of the Miami Marlins in action at Roger Dean Stadium on March 10, 2020. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

4. Miami Marlins

Miguel Rojas might catch you by surprise being ahead of Dansby on the list but when you look at his production last year you’ll understand why. Rojas slashed .284/.331/.379 with only 5 home runs.

I understand that he’s not an offensive juggernaut but that’s solid offensive production. Another reason he ranks ahead of Dansby is his defense.

Rojas finished fifth last year among Major League shortstops according to Fangraphs in Defensive runs above average while Dansby rated 18th. When picking a shortstop I tend to value defensive fortitude and being able to hit for average.

The steamer projects Rojas to bat .274/.325/.387 on 8 home runs and 1.5 WAR.

That’s a bit of a regression considering he was a 2.4 WAR player this past year. The offensive totals don’t dip too much so I’d assume they see some regression in his defensive play.

Overall Rojas seems to be a cheap veteran that provides solid play at one of baseball’s most important positions. He may not have the upside of a Dansby or the other players on this list but I think he provides solid value.

That’s all the Marlins are likely looking for as they still aren’t ready to compete for the NL East title and would like to give a prospect like Jazz Chisholm time to develop before making him their shortstop of the future.

3. New York Mets

The 24-year-old shortstop for the New York Mets, Amed Rosario, put together a second season we were hoping Dansby would have. He batted .287/.323/.432 with 15 home runs and 19 stolen bases.

His better offensive ability, particularly in the home run department, is what notched him out over Rojas. Not to mention 19 stolen bases is a respectable number especially in this day and age.

He graded out defensively last year worse than Rojas ranking 12th in defensive runs above average. This made it a little tougher to have him ahead of Rojas, but his increased offensive potential outweighs his defensive shortcomings compared to Rojas.

The Steamer projects Rosario to hit .276/.318/.424 on 15 home runs and 19 stolen bases. So they project him to have a similar year as last year with a slight regression on offense.

Overall, Steamer projects a WAR of 2.4 which is a jump up from last year’s number of 1.8. I think his offensive projections may be a little light and I’m sure Mets fans are hoping the same.

Ideally a player of his age you would like to see him continue to progress at this stage of his career. If he does continue to improve I would imagine the Mets have found a shortstop for the future unless they go big fish hunting in the next couple of free-agent classes.

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