All-Star Preview: Shortstop

This week, we're taking a look at the ABL's many potential All-Stars. We're continuing on in the middle infield, looking at the shortstops. Their have been a lot of injuries here, with several of the best in the game hitting the DL for a few weeks: Ron Hamm, Jim Crawford, Jeremy Gleave. But let's see whose seasons have gone well and try to decide who should make the All-Star squad.

Shortstop has been the weakest position in the Roberto Clemente League this season. Consider the better

PLAYER                   AB   R HR RBI   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+
Wilton Collins, MTL     261  41  2  26 .287 .333 .375 .709   88
Curt Dempsey, MON       188  30  6  27 .330 .397 .527 .924  143
Dane Moore, SEA         238  37  9  33 .269 .345 .420 .765  102

Curt Dempsey

Curt Dempsey sprained his ankle in April and missed two weeks of the season. In spite of this, he leads all RCL shortstops in WAR. He's about 10 at-bats short of qualify for a batting title, but even if he went 0 for 10, his rate stats would still be by far the best in the league.

Dane Moore has been a slightly above average hitter and a slightly above average fielder. He leads RCL shortstops in home runs, though he's been aided by his home ballpark: his road OPS is only .593, while at home it's .967. Wilton Collins gets high marks for his defense and ranks second in WAR.

With only 25 slots on the team, not every position will have two players. It seems to me that Dempsey should be the only RCL shortstop on the team.

The Thurmon Munson League has a few shortstops who are having excellent seasons

PLAYER                   AB   R HR RBI   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+
Ed Denton, CAB          271  34  1  37 .295 .367 .358 .725   94
Callum Ritchie, MIL     264  28 14  54 .265 .347 .458 .805  112
Ed White, BOS           282  37  1  43 .323 .364 .479 .843  122

Ed White

Ed Denton is having a nice season for a shortstop, and his .367 OBP is actually the highest of the three. However, Callum Ritchie and Ed White are clearly the top two choices. Ritchie's home run and RBI totals lead all shortstops. White is a doubles machine, leading all ABL hitters with 29: in a league where the stadiums have huge dimensions, a good doubles hitter is a definite plus. White is also the best defensive shortstop in the game.

This is probably the easiest decision for All-Star voters thus far: White and Ritchie should make the team, with White starting.