Major League Baseball Under-25 All-Star Team

SHORTSTOP 

• Carlos Correa – Houston Astros #1

(Born: September 22, 1994) (Ponce, Puerto Rico)

(22) – As you’ll see from the rest of the list, there is quite the surplus of shortstops on the Under-25 team so making the decision who to start was extremely difficult (even though I would be more than cool with any of them being my starting shortstop). However, even with the competition from the rest of the group of all-stars, Puerto Rican stud Carlos Correa is the creme of the crop. He does it all and it seems like the 22 year old sensation has barely reached his full potential yet. Correa currently ranks 1st among all major league shortstops in home runs and RBI’s and is a primary reason the Houston Astros’ have started the season as MLB’s best team. His defense is phenomenal, his offense is even better. Correa may very well be an MVP soon.

• Francisco Lindor – Cleveland Indians #12

(Born: November 14, 1993) (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

(23) – If it wasn’t for his Puerto Rican counterpart, Lindor would get the starting nod for shortstop of the all Under-25 team. Unfortunately for him, Puerto Rico has been producing big time shortstops in the last few years. Leading the Indians to their first World Series appearance in twenty years, Lindor became a household name from his dominant postseason. He is a big time player that delivers in the big time moments. Lindor is an absolute hitting machine, with a career .300 batting average and is a phenomenal fielder as well, winning the annual Platinum Glove Award in 2016, which is awarded to the best defensive player in each league as voted by fans.

• Corey Seager – Washington Nationals #5

(Born: April 27, 1994) (Charlotte, North Carolina)

(23) – Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year continues his success so far in 2017. Perhaps the best shortstop in the National League, the 23 year old lefty slugger is an all-around stud. With Correa, Lindor and Bogaerts on the team however, Seager finds himself in stiff competition. Obviously it would be beyond foolish to keep him off the team so Seager is third on my depth chart for shortstops. Seager, like Lindor, proved to be clutch last year in his first postseason appearance, homering in the first inning of game one of the 2016 NLDS against the Washington Nationals, becoming the youngest Dodgers player in history to hit a postseason home run. With Corey Seager (and Cody Bellinger) as the new franchise centerpieces, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ future looks very, very bright.

• Xander Bogaerts – Boston Red Sox #2

(Born: October 1, 1992) (Oranjestad, Aruba)

(24) – Like Seager, Bogaerts would be a starter on nearly every other team. But due to the new resurgence of great, young shortstops, he finds himself on the bottom of the depth chart. Bogaerts has been battling with Cincinnati Reds’ shortstop Zach Cozart all season for the shortstop batting title but since Cozart has a solid seven years on him, I’ll be rooting for the young BoSox shortstop to pull it off. He’s been in the league since he was 20 years old and already has the poise of a mature veteran. Bogaerts easily makes the all Under-25 team.