2024 Depth Charts: Shortstops

Is this the single most important depth chart we'll look at this year?

Photo Credit: Richmond Flying Squirrels

So far in this year’s Depth Charts series, we’ve covered:

• 2b

• RHP - Starters

• Corner Outfielders

• Catchers

• Center Fielders

• LHP - Starters

• RHP - Relievers

Annnnnnnnnnd this is where it gets FUN! It’s also where it gets a little dicey, though, because much depends upon the success of this group, both for the immediate and long-term future.

There are a few places where organizations should always have strong depth charts. You need to be strong in catchers, for instance, because so much development of other players is dependent upon them (you really can’t have a strong pitching pipeline without a lot of solid receivers scattered about the system). It’s important to have a good depth of left-handed pitching, because that’s always a scarce resource around the game, highly in demand and hard to acquire from other teams. You obviously want to have plenty of power in development, particularly in the outfield. And every team that is strong in player development needs to be constantly acquiring quality shortstop prospects, because these guys are the skeleton on which everything else grows.

Wherever young talent is being signed, the shortstop position announces its presence. In a couple of weeks when the international signing period opens for the year, a plethora of players inking their names to their first contracts will be announced as shortstops. Those players will grow to become 2b, 3b, CF, RF, and even LF and 1b, but at the beginning, they’re the best athletes on the field, which means they are shortstops.

It’s the position that serves as the talent funnel for the pro game. And right now, it’s the position that looks like it could have a lot to say about the success of the Giants’ player development system by the end of 2024.