Ranking the projected starting American League shortstops in 2019

Lindor had his third-straight top-nine American League MVP finish as he was sixth in 2018. He led the league last year scoring 129 runs while also batting .277 with 38 homers, 42 doubles, and 25 stolen bases. The 25-year-old won a Gold Glove in 2016 and still excels in the field. A right calf strain will likely keep him out to begin the regular season. News5Cleveland reports how MLB Network named him the best shortstop in baseball.

Just one season after hitting .315, Correa saw his batting average dip 76 points to .239 last season. Still just 24 years old, he also hit 15 home runs and 20 doubles, nine and five less respectively than in 2017 despite only 20 less at-bats. After 27 errors in his first two seasons, he has made just 15 in the last two years.

After starting his career as a subpar offensive player with an outstanding glove, Simmons has seen his offense make plenty of strides. The 29-year-old went on to bat .292 with 11 home runs, 26 doubles, and 10 stolen bases last year. He has a .753 OPS in 2017-18 after posting a .664 OPS from 2013-16. He won the fourth Gold Glove of his career in 2018.

The 26-year-old Bogaerts set a few career-highs last year including in homers (23), RBIs (103), doubles (45), on-base percentage (.360), and slugging percentage (.522). He batted .288 and finished 13th in American League MVP voting. While he is quite the threat on offense, he doesn't have the range of the better defenders at his position.

The 22-year-old Torres was named an All-Star and finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting last year. His successful debut season saw him hit .271 with 24 home runs. He predominantly played second base last year but did make 15 starts at shortstop. He was the #6 prospect according to Baseball America heading into last season.

A broken elbow limited Andrus to just 97 games in 2018. It wasn't a great year for offensively as he batted .256 with six home runs and 20 doubles. He stole just five bases after having at least 21 in each of his first nine seasons. The 30-year-old has never won a Gold Glove but has consistently rated above-average in the field.

After hitting just 34-188 (.181) during his first two seasons with the Royals, Mondesi was much improved after being called up in mid-June last year. In 75 appearances, he hit .276 with 14 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Despite the improved hitting, he had just 11 walks compared to 77 strikeouts. A smooth fielder, the 23-year-old utilizes his excellent speed to reach balls most shortstops can't.

Semien missed just three games in 2018. The 28-year-old had a .256 average with 15 homers, 35 doubles, and 14 stolen bases. He has now reached double figures in steals four straight years, although he hasn't been able to approach the 27 long balls he belted in 2016. Most seasons, he makes a lot of errors but still grades as a strong fielder.

Adames debuted in late May last year and became an everyday player from the get-go. The 23-year-old appeared in 85 games hitting .278 with 10 home runs and six stolen bases. He was rated as the #19 prospect by Baseball America heading into 2018.

The 25-year-old Polanco missed half of last season due to an 80-game suspension for violating the league's wellness policy. In 77 games, he went on to bat .288 with six homers, 18 doubles, and seven stolen bases. Despite missing half of 2018, he still made 13 errors and had 18 of them in 2017.

Once a highly touted prospect, Anderson has been a low-on base percentage, high strikeout guy in his three seasons with the White Sox. He slightly improved his plate discipline last year with 30 walks after 26 combined his first two years. Although his .240 average in 2018 was a bit disappointing, he was a 20/20 player (20 home runs, 26 steals). The 25-year-old has been error-prone with 20 last year and 28 in 2017.

Galvis has been penciled in the lineup on a regular basis as he hasn't missed a game each of the past two seasons. Last year with the Padres, he ended with a .248 average, 13 home runs, and 31 doubles. Never a high batting average player, he has knocked out balls out for homers the last three years. Despite playing everyday, the 29-year-old has only made 16 errors the last two seasons.

After finally realizing his potential with a strong 2017, the 29-year-old Beckham reverted back to his unspectacular ways last year. The first overall selection in the 2008 draft went on to hit just .230 with 12 homers and 17 doubles in 96 games. He owns nearly a 4.5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio for his career. He has played all over the field but is no better than average at any of the positions.

After seven years with the Pirates, Mercer will man shortstop for the Tigers in 2018. He has been a consistent hitter batting between .244 and .256 each of the last five seasons. In 117 games last year, he hit six home runs and 29 doubles. The 32-year-old isn't necessarily a highlight film in the field, but he also isn't susceptible to making many errors.

The Orioles made Martin the first pick of the 2018 Rule 5 Draft which means he has to stay in the majors all season or be sent back to the Athletics. Last year in Double-A, the 24-year-old batted an even .300 in 118 games with six homers, 29 doubles, and 25 stolen bases. He was a first round pick by Oakland in 2015.