For
some reason, there is just something sexy about baseball’s shortstop. Growing
up, our favorite players play shortstop (Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciparra, Jimmy
Rollins just to name a few household names). As children, we would take on
their personas, yelling out “I call Nomah!” while playing whiffle ball in the
back yard.
Their
on field production supported why every kid wanted to become them. Derek Jeter
is the greatest to ever play the position. Not only did he play superb defense,
winning five gold glove awards throughout his career, Jeter also hit his way to
3,000 hits, a .310 lifetime batting average and an average of 15 home runs and
70 RBI per year. Jeter also averaged 113 runs as well as 32 doubles.
As
the greatest shortstop to date has retired, as well as some of the other
greatest shortstops to ever man the position, the field currently lacks a
suitor to fill the void. Candidates include Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and
Addison Russell, names that have potential but ultimately have not yet produced
at the elite level. To call them the next Derek Jeter would be premature.
There
is one player that I failed to mention that interests me that many people
overlook as well, our very own Xander Bogaerts.
Bogaerts
gets overlooked because of his 2014 season where he switched between third base
and shortstop and hit a to a lousy .240 batting average with 12 homers, a low
46 RBI and only 60 runs. But Bogaerts bounced back in 2015. He hit to a .320
average, good for second in the AL and fifth in the league, with 81 RBI and 84
runs, albeit only seven homers.
Bogaerts
has maintained his production this year. He currently bats .346, first in the
American League, ahead of our very own Jackie Bradley Jr (.342). He leads the
league with 63 hits and is on pace for 231 hits as well as 123 runs, 15 homers,
96 RBI, and 23 stolen bases.
Bogaerts
will probably not maintain those numbers—which would put him in the running for
Most Valuable Player—but he could produce something just a tad below those
numbers. Say Bogaerts produces at a 10-85-15 clip with a .320 batting average
with 110 runs. A realistic possibility, those numbers come close to Derek
Jeter’s stat line.
Is
Xander Bogaerts the next Derek Jeter? His production and top prospect status, a
former second overall prospect in baseball, makes me ponder the thought.
Bogaerts
is two inches shorter than Jeter (6’1” to Jeter’s 6’3”) while maintaining a
similar build. The two have a very similar batting stance as well. Look at the
two.
Nearly
identical.
Bogaerts
has turned into an elite baseball player with the stats and the stance to back
up the claim that he could become the next Derek Jeter. At 23 years old,
Bogaerts is still hitting his prime. Will Bogaerts name one day be in the same
sentence as the greats? Only time will tell.
