State of the System 2020: Shortstop

Ronny Mauricio Steve Sypa For years, Jose Reyes was a given at shortstop, and not only was he a player good enough to be penciled in as an everyday starter, but he excelled. In 1050 games from 2003-2011, he hit .292/.341/.441 with 81 home runs and 370 stolen bases, playing in four All-Star Games, receiving a smattering of MVP votes, and winning the 2011 National League batting championship with a .337 average. After he left, the Mets had a hole at shortstop for years. Ruben Tejada, Omar Quintanilla, Wilmer Flores, Asdrubal Cabrera, Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez have all have started at the position since, and while none were necessarily bad players, a combination of offensive production, defensive ability, contract-length and/or experience has left the Mets without a sure fire, dependable shortstop since Reyes. While the Mets’ minor league system is thin in many areas, shortstop is not one of them.

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