A shocking revelation has rocked the world of Major League Baseball (MLB) over the past two seasons: shortstops are outperforming third basemen at the plate. This might not seem like a big deal, but when viewed through the lens of baseball history, it's a significant shift in the game's dynamics.
Baseball-Reference, a trusted source for positional hitting data, reveals that shortstops have only outhit third basemen twice before 2024, in 1922 and 1933. In fact, third basemen have historically hit much better, with an average OPS advantage of 53 points since 1912.
So, what's behind this shift? Enter the new generation of shortstops, a group that not only excels defensively but also boasts some of the game's best hitters. Names like Bobby Witt Jr., Francisco Lindor, Gunnar Henderson, and Trea Turner are leading this charge.
This isn't your grandfather's baseball. In 1977, the top slugging shortstops had a mere eight home runs apiece. Fast forward to today, and we're seeing shortstops with 20+ home runs becoming the norm.
This trend goes against the traditional defensive spectrum, a concept introduced by Bill James in 1982. The spectrum ranks positions from least to most demanding defensively, with shortstops (SS) and second basemen (2B) on the right end, requiring more defensive prowess, and designated hitters (DH) and first basemen (1B) on the left, with less defensive responsibility.
"The defensive spectrum is a fact, not a theory," James wrote. And indeed, shortstops have historically hit less than second basemen, who hit less than center fielders, and so on.
However, the differences in offensive output between positions have been slowly narrowing over the years. In 1977, the OPS spread ranged from .811 for right fielders to .629 for shortstops. By 2024, the spread had narrowed to just 64 points, from .742 for designated hitters to .678 for catchers.
This convergence of offensive output across positions is why shortstops dominated the WAR leaderboard in 2025. When comparing players like Jeremy Pena and Pete Alonso, positional adjustments must be made. Alonso, a better hitter, would cost his team runs on defense if he had to play shortstop. Pena, a good defensive shortstop and a good hitter, had the higher WAR.
As we rank the strength of each position across the majors, shortstop takes the top spot with an exclamation point. The position has never been stronger.
For each position, we'll assign a grade based on its historical strength dating back to 1977, a span of 50 years. We'll consider factors like the OPS relative to the overall MLB OPS (tOPS+), the position's ranking among others in OPS, and the number of 4-WAR players, indicative of All-Star-level performance. We'll also highlight the best season for each position since 1977.
Shortstop:
- Historical Grade: A+
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Bobby Witt Jr., Geraldo Perdomo, Gunnar Henderson, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 75.4
- Best Year Since 1977: 2024 (Witt, Henderson, Lindor, Elly De La Cruz, Zach Neto, Seager, Masyn Winn, Mookie Betts, Jeremy Pena, Dansby Swanson)
- Current Analysis: Shortstop depth is incredible today, with star power and defensive prowess. Buster Olney's rankings highlight this, with a stat showing that shortstops generated 18.4% of the offense in 2025, a significant improvement from 6.0% in 1975.
- Historical Context: We give the nod to 2024 over 2025 for the best season, primarily due to the historic seasons of Witt and Henderson, both with over 9.0 WAR.
Catcher:
- Historical Grade: B
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Cal Raleigh, Alejandro Kirk, Will Smith, Patrick Bailey, William Contreras
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 50.7
- Best Year Since 1977: 1977 (Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Ted Simmons, Jim Sundberg, Johnny Bench, Thurman Munson, Joe Ferguson, Gene Tenace, Butch Wynegar, John Stearns)
- Current Analysis: Catchers had their best collective offensive season since 2014 in 2025, with a tOPS+ of 95, better than the historical average. Players like Drake Baldwin, Hunter Goodman, and Shea Langeliers had breakout seasons, and the position is relatively youthful.
- Historical Context: The 1977 season featured an incredible group of catchers, with four Hall of Famers in their prime and other all-time greats like Sundberg and Tenace. While the position may be on the upswing, it's unlikely to reach those heights again.
Designated Hitter:
- Historical Grade: B
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Yordan Alvarez, George Springer, Brent Rooker
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 43.3
- Best Year Since 1977: 1991 (Frank Thomas, Paul Molitor, Chili Davis, Harold Baines, Brian Downing, Jack Clark, George Brett)
- Current Analysis: DHs have had some ups and downs, slipping below league average in 2017 and 2020, but have rebounded with the dominance of Ohtani and the power of Schwarber.
- Historical Context: The DH position has been primarily used by the AL, often as a spot for aging hitters. However, with the emergence of players like Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz, the position has gained more respect.
Left Field:
- Historical Grade: C+
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Juan Soto, Riley Greene, Cody Bellinger, Jackson Chourio, Kyle Stowers
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 54.0
- Best Year Since 1977: 2002 (Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Jacque Jones, Brian Giles, Garret Anderson, Melvin Mora, Pat Burrell, Luis Gonzalez)
- Current Analysis: Left field has improved since its low point in 2016, ranking fourth in OPS in 2025. Players like Wyatt Langford, Bellinger, and Jarren Duran had strong seasons, and the position has a bright future with young talent.
- Historical Context: Left fielders have historically been either slow sluggers or speedy players without the arm for center field. While the slow sluggers are less prevalent now, left fielders have still managed to rank second in OPS 11 times.
Right Field:
- Historical Grade: C
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Aaron Judge, Corbin Carroll, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr., Kyle Tucker
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 57.7
- Best Year Since 1977: 1998 (Vladimir Guerrero, Brian Jordan, Sammy Sosa, Bobby Abreu, Paul O'Neill, Larry Walker, Derek Bell, Manny Ramirez, Juan Gonzalez, Shawn Green)
- Current Analysis: Right field had a strong showing in 2025, ranking second in WAR among all positions from its top 15 players. However, the depth falls off after the top group, and the position takes a hit with Soto moving to left field.
- Historical Context: Right field has consistently ranked first or second in OPS over the past 49 seasons, including four of the five seasons from 1977 to 1980. This era featured an impressive group of right fielders, but the 1998 season was particularly wild, with Gonzalez leading the AL in RBIs and extra-base hits but finishing ninth in WAR among right fielders.
Third Base:
- Historical Grade: C
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Jose Ramirez, Junior Caminero, Alex Bregman, Manny Machado, Maikel Garcia
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 55.6
- Best Year Since 1977: 2016 (Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Kris Bryant, Adrian Beltre, Kyle Seager, Nolan Arenado, Justin Turner, Jose Ramirez, Evan Longoria, Anthony Rendon)
- Current Analysis: Third base had a strong run in the mid-2010s and early 2020s, but the position is a bit weak now as that group has aged out. Six of the top nine third basemen in 2025 were over 30, and the minor league pipeline is bare.
- Historical Context: Third base has historically ranked fifth or sixth in OPS, but in good years, it can edge higher. The 2016 season was particularly impressive, with an all-star lineup of third basemen, including Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers.
Center Field:
- Historical Grade: C
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Julio Rodriguez, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Daulton Varsho, Byron Buxton, Jackson Merrill
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 53.3
- Best Year Since 1977: 1992 (Kirby Puckett, Kenny Lofton, Devon White, Andy Van Slyke, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Finley, Marquis Grissom, Brett Butler, Ray Lankford, Mike Devereaux)
- Current Analysis: Center field is at an interesting juncture, with exceptional defense but a lack of star hitters. Only Rodriguez, Crow-Armstrong, Buxton, and Rafaela topped 4.0 WAR in 2025.
- Historical Context: Center field has long been the sport's glamour position, and the 1992 season was its pinnacle. It featured Hall of Famers, defensive wizards, speedsters, and future stars, all in one season.
Second Base:
- Historical Grade: C-
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Ketel Marte, Nico Hoerner, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brice Turang, Brendan Donovan
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 47.2
- Best Year Since 1977: 2016 (Jose Altuve, Robinson Cano, Jean Segura, Brian Dozier, Ian Kinsler, DJ LeMahieu, Dustin Pedroia, Daniel Murphy, Jason Kipnis, Ben Zobrist)
- Current Analysis: Second basemen hit a low point in 2025, finishing with the worst OPS of the nine positions for the first time in a full season since 1996. However, the position appears to be on the rise, with young players like Luke Keaschall and Jackson Holliday on the rise.
- Historical Context: Second basemen have generally been below-average hitters, but the 2016 season saw a surge in offensive output, with an impressive group of second basemen leading the way.
First Base:
- Historical Grade: D+
- Olney's Top 5 for 2026: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Matt Olson, Nick Kurtz, Pete Alonso, Freddie Freeman
- Top 15 Combined WAR in 2025: 50.4
- Best Year Since 1977: 2009 (Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, Prince Fielder, Derrek Lee, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Kendrys Morales, Ryan Howard)
- Current Analysis: First base had a slight rebound in 2025, but it still finished behind DH in OPS, with a lack of depth being a significant issue.
- Historical Context: First base has historically topped the OPS rankings, but the position's strength has waned in recent years. The 2009 season was a peak, with an all-star lineup of first basemen, including Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, and MVP winners.
