CJ Abrams Lists His Mount Rushmore of Shortstops… MLBbro.com Lists Ours

There is not a hotter MLBbro these days than Washington Nationals shortstop, CJ Abrams. Recently our MLBbro shared his Mount Rushmore of current shortstops that shine on the field. One of them is a MLBbro and of course he added himself.

MLBbro.com came up with our own Mount Rushmore of shortstops. While Abrams was listing current shortstops, we went ahead and compiled an All-Time list.

The combination of professionalism, the evolution of the position and an underrated aspect to the list… longevity and loyalty to one franchise got these four MLBbro shortstop icons the spotlight.

Maury Wills:

The fact that this MLBbro icon is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame is just as big a travesty as Barry Bonds being blacklisted from the honor. Even though he was nominated by the Golden Era committee in 2014, he still didn’t make the cut. Wills brought the art of the stolen base.

His story of maximizing his skills to overcome the fact that many teams (including the Dodgers at the beginning) didn’t believe he had the physical tools to play professional baseball.

• He won six straight stolen base titles.
• His 104 steals in 1962 was a record until fellow MLBbro Lou Brock tallied 118 in 1974.
• Won the NL MVP award AND All-Star MVP in the same season!

Maury Wills sadly never got the call for the Hall of Fame before passing in 2022 at the age of 89. But the essence of the MLBbro battling the undercurrent of the system of racism puts him on this list.

Ernie Banks:

While the aforementioned Maury Wills used his craftiness and speed to make this list under peculiar circumstances, Ernie Banks brought power to the city of Chicago and became the first MLBbro since Jackie Robinson to put fans in seats (also read: the only reason to watch Chicago Cubs baseball). Before Banks came on to the scene, the shortstop position never knew power.

Ernie Banks played 19 years for a terrible Chicago Cubs team that never made the playoffs. Mr. Cub created his legacy in 1957-60 collecting back-to-back NL MVP awards in 1958-59. The resume tells it all…

• 14 time All-Star (1955-62, 1965, 1967, 1969), Gold Glove winner in 1960, and Hall of Fame Inductee in 1977.
• Hitting slash of .274/.330/.500…2,583 hits…512 homers…1,636 RBI.

 

Ozzie Smith:

There is a theme going on here if anyone has noticed. Maury Wills is on the list for the intangibles of playing the game of baseball. Ernie Banks brings offensive firepower that brought box office influence to the shortstop position. Now let’s discuss the MLBbro icon that brought defensive wizardry to the position. Who else but…

The Wizard of Oz…Ozzie Smith!

He is the greatest defensive shortstop ever. He is one of one. There can’t be an all-time discussion without his name being mentioned. His range, athleticism and ability to get the ball away quickly landed him 13 Gold Gloves, a .978 fielding percentage and a 43.4 defensive WAR. He was a part of the MLBbro crew in St.Louis that lit up the base paths to the tune of 580 steals.

The Wizard’s .262 career average with 2,460 illustrates the work he put in to be a solid hitter.

 

Derek Jeter:

This MLBbro icon took all of the ingredients of the previous players on this list and with the addition of marketing and business in a huge city of New York with the Yankees changed the landscape of how athletes make money in endorsements.

While his stats don’t pop out like Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge or Reggie Jackson, the ability to be consistently there in the big moment on five World Championship Yankees teams makes him an icon that transcends to all MLB greats.

His clutch play is embedded in the DNA of the Yankees franchise and his leadership and respect will lead on as long as MLB is in business.