It’s mid-June, and each team has played around 70 games. Yes, we are halfway through the season. Several players have played very well this season. A few days ago, I listened to a podcast show. In the show, there was an interesting discussion.
The host and an analyst discussed MVP candidates. They mentioned some household names such as Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Meanwhile, Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. are strong candidates as well.
The discussion was a great one. After listening to the show, I began to think about a question. There are several MVP candidates that are shortstops. By far in MLB history, did we see the 2 MVP winners who were shortstops in the same year?
I checked on the MLB website and it seems that it didn’t happen. Then, I began to think about another question. When was the last time that a shortstop won the MVP award in each league?
Well, in 2007, Jimmy Rollins won the NL MVP award. In that season, he played 162 games for the Phillies, slashing .296/.344/.531 with 30 home runs and 94 RBI. Additionally, he had 41 stolen bases. In the AL, it was in 2003. Alex Rodriguez played for the Rangers as a shortstop, hitting .298/.396/.600 with 47 home runs and 118 RBI over 161 games. A-Rod had 17 steals in 2003. They did play well in the season when they won the MVP award.
But, how about their performances before the All-Star break?
In the first half of the 2003 season, Alex Rodriguez hit .285/.373/.544 with 22 home runs and 60 RBI. His OPS was over .900. In 2007, Jimmy Rollins slashed .286/.329/.518 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. Before the 2007 All-Star break, Jimmy Rollins had an OPS over .800.
Now, let’s take a look at some shortstops that are good candidates for the 2024 MVP award.
To date, 3 shortstops each have an OPS of .900 or higher. Gunnar Henderson slashes .275/.373/.584 with 21 home runs and 48 RBI. 21 home runs are now the second most in the majors. Aaron Judge is the home run leader in the MLB. At the same time, an OPS of .957 ranks 5th in the majors. Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. hits .326/.375/.553 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI. He has 20 stolen bases. His OPS of .928 is in the top 10 in the majors and he leads the AL with 95 hits. In the meantime, Mookie Betts now hits .307/.407/.493 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. He has drawn 47 walks, 4th most in the majors. Additionally, 3 other shortstops each own an OPS over .800.
When we look at the top shortstops’ stats, Gunnar Henderson’s and Bobby Witt Jr. 's OPS are over .900. Their OPS is actually higher than A-Rod’s OPS in the first half of the 2003 season. Furthermore, Henderson already blasted 20+ home runs. Bobby Witt Jr. hasn’t crushed so many home runs thus far. Nonetheless, he will soon reach 100 hits. Their performances are great and might be even better than A-Rod’s performance in the first half of the 2003 season. At the same time, it’s Mookie Betts’ first season as a full-time shortstop. He has shown great plate discipline and continues to be one of the best hitters in the majors. His OPS is higher than Jimmy Rollins’ OPS in the first half of the 2007 season. Of course, the first half of the 2024 season hasn’t come to an end and we will have to see if they will consistently play well after the All-Star break.
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