The Five Greatest Shortstop Seasons in Diamondbacks History
This is the fifth in a series chronicling the best seasons by a Diamondback at each position around the diamond. In the franchise's short 25 year history they've had some great player seasons. In order to avoid certain players appearing multiple times however, this will be limited to one mention per player at a position. Objective statistical measures are relied upon of course, but this is not a straight WAR ranking. Subjective factors, intangibles, team success and even "clutch" are all considered as equally if not more important than a few decimal points difference in WAR.
Here then are the five greatest single seasons by a shortstop in Diamondbacks history
Number 5: Alex Cintron 2003
2003 was by far the best season of Alex Cintron's playing career. His 2.7 WAR that year is the 7th highest of any season at shortstop by a Diamondback. Never considered a strong defender, he overcame his -5 runs fielding rating by batting .317 with pop, including 13 homers. That's the highest BA for a shortstop in franchise history and his 112 OPS+ ranks 3rd.
Number 4: Craig Counsell 2006
Counsell appeared in this series earlier for his stellar defense at second base. While we are not repeating the same player twice within a position, appearing in the top five at multiple positions merits additional recognition. The ever versatile utility man transitioned from second to short in 2006 and didn't skip a beat with the glove. In just 105 games he tallied +23 defensive runs saved and 2.7 defensive WAR. While it was not a banner year at the plate, his glove more than made up for it, as he was a solid 1.4 WAA as well.
Counsell's season was cut short with a rib injury, which paved the way for Stephen Drew to take over for the final two months of 2006. Counsell finished his playing career after five more years in Milwaukee with a total of 143 defensive runs saved above average. That works out to +17 per 162 games. His fielding prowess, coupled with his other intangibles allowed him to be a major contributor on two World Series winning teams and paved the way for a successful managerial career with the Brewers.
Number 3: Jay Bell 1998
Jay Bell also appears twice, having placed second on the all time second bade list. Brought in to lend credibility and stability to a new franchise, Bell did just that, manning short for 155 games, playing above average defense, and hitting 20 homers while he was at it.
While 1998 wasn't the best year of his career, it was extremely important to the fledgling franchise. Bell would go on to record numerous highlights with the team. His imagery is all over the biggest moment in franchise history, having scored the winning run of the 2001 World Series. And who could forget this moment in 1999 when his grand slam won $1,000,000 for Gylene Hoyle !
Number 2: Stephen Drew 2010
Stephen Drew has the most career WAR of any D-backs shortstop with 13.2. He has three seasons with three or more WAR including 2008. On the surface his 2008 season might appear to be the better offensive season, as he had a higher batting average and OPS. However league run scoring and batting environment dropped sharply between 2008 and 2010, (from 4.65 R/G to 4.38 and .from .749 OPS to .728). Chase Field was also playing less hitter friendly going by park factors. When adjusted for league average and park factors his OPS+ was 113 in 2010 compared to 110 in 2008.
That combined with better fielding and base running scores all added up to one full WAR difference, 4.0 vs. 3.0. The quiet and unassuming Drew always played hard, running out every ball and diving for every ball he could possibly get to. He earned the nickname "Dirt" as a kid growing up due to his uniform always being dirty and it stuck with him in his big league career.
Number 1: Nick Ahmed 2018
Nich Ahmed is far and away the best defensive shortstop to don a D-backs uniform. His 2019 season actually ranks slightly higher in WAR due to better offense, but his 2018 was a breakthrough and record setting year with the glove. He won his first Gold Glove that year, tallying +28 defensive runs saved and leading MLB with 3.7 defensive WAR. Even more impressive His +35 Outs Above Average from Statcast is the highest single season total by a any player at any position in the statcast era (since 2016)
Blessed with great range and instincts, a strong arm, and the quickest transfer in the game, it's impossible to overstate just how great a defender Ahmed was at his peak and when healthy. Beset by injuries the last couple of years and in the final year of his contract he will be hoping to bounce back from shoulder surgery. No matter how it goes, fans should remember they got to see likely the best defender at the position in franchise history.
Honorable Mentions:
Tony Womack had his best season for the D-backs in 2001 with 1.4 WAR. While his low on base percentages dragged down his WAR values in most seasons, he was the everyday short stop on a world series winning team. He had +9 defensive runs saved that year, by far his best showing. His game tying double against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning of game 7 had the highest single at bat Win Percentage Added in franchise history (+ 50%)
Cliff Pennington was a defensive wizard who racked up +12 rDRS at shortstop in just 429 innings. For a full season that pro rated out to +34 runs.
Franchise Shortstops Report Link
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