New breed is going long at short

Young, big shortstops making impact with power

CLEARWATER, Fla. — As an All-Star shortstop in the 1970s and ’80s, Larry Bowa recalls having a clear job description:

“Catch the balls and make all the plays.”

Bowa typified the traditional sandpaper shortstop, grinding out a long career on fast feet, relentless effort and the expectation that power should come from the corner spots.

But more than 30 years after his retirement, Bowa’s breed is nearing extinction in the major leagues. Carlos Correa, Addison Russell and a bumper crop of sluggers at short hit more homers than ever in 2016. The kids are bringing unprecedented pop to the middle infield, and modern metrics are hastening the surge.

“If sabermetrics were in play when I played,” Bowa said, “I would have never put on a big league uniform.”

Today’s shortstops are being asked to play a different game. They totaled 493 home runs last season, easily surpassing the next highest mark of 423 from 2002 — right in the heart of the Steroid Era.

It’s not a top-heavy group. Fifteen shortstops hit at least 15 homers last season, more than doubling the previous high of seven in 2002. Eleven of those players are 27 or younger, led by Colorado’s Trevor Story (24) and Oakland’s Marcus Semien (26) with 27 homers each.

The pack behind them included rookies Corey Seager (22) of the Dodgers and Aledmys Diaz (26) of the Cardinals. Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox) didn’t turn 24 until October. Russell (Cubs) and Francisco Lindor (Indians) turned 23 in the offseason. Correa (Astros) is 22.

Point is, the power is on at shortstop position, and there’s energy enough to keep it running for years.

It’s not that the position has always lacked muscle. Boston’s Vern Stephens, in the ’40s and ’50s, and Rico Petrocelli, in the ’60s, hit their share of big flies over the Green Monster. Ernie Banks smacked many of his 512 career homers as a shortstop for the Cubs in the ’50s and ’60s. But those were the exceptions.

Cal Ripken Jr. changed that in the 1980s. Standing 6 feet 4 inches but with a point guard’s agility, Ripken infused uncommon might at the position and began to redefine the role of the middle infielder.

In the 1990s and 2000s, stars such as Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada took the baton from Ripken, and Troy Tulowitzki followed soon after.

Providing that power can mean sacrificing defensive range, but sabermetrics are encouraging the shift. Scouting reports have become so advanced, teams can predict with greater certainty where opponents will hit the ball. Sure hands and a strong arm are still crucial, but a slow first step isn’t the deal breaker it used to be.

“We didn’t have all that stuff,” Bowa said. “We just went on range and your pitcher’s ability to put the ball where the catcher’s glove was. That part of it’s changed. “

Data isn’t changing the position by itself, though. These players are built differently. Ripken’s rare physique made him a generational talent, but now the majors are stocked with big-framed shortstops.

“They have that combination of speed, power, range, arm, that no matter what the sabermetrics say, your eyesight tells you what they have,” Bowa said. “And they’re special. You build teams around guys like that.”

MIKE STONE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Houston’s Carlos Correa is among the bigger, younger shortstops who have displayed exceptional power. At 22 years old and 6-foot-4-inches tall, he’s slammed 20 home runs or more in each of his two major-league seasons.