If Ozzie Smith was playing baseball in 2019 instead of decades ago, he might be viewed as a below-average major league shortstop.
His career wRC+ statistic of 90 means that his hitting, in terms of runs created, was 10 percent below the average major league player of his era. His career WAR yearly average of 3.55 – which incorporates his defensive contributions — might sway opinions, though.
In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about the merits of Jose Iglesias as an everyday shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, both presently and perhaps moving forward. Those arguing against Iglesias cite his wRC+ number of 88 this season and 84 for his career.