Welcome to Bleacher Report's newest series highlighting the best and brightest for every MLB franchise at each position over the last 25 years!

Up first, the shortstops.

While there are a handful of no-brainer selections like Derek Jeter for the New York Yankees and Jimmy Rollins for the Philadelphia Phillies, most of the picks required at least some level of debate.

Since we're focusing on the last 25 years, only statistics compiled since the start of the 2000 season were eligible for consideration. That meant someone like Hall of Famer Barry Larkin who was still active during the 2000s but well past his prime does not get credit for his entire career body of work, only what he did from 2000 forward.

Offense, defense, individual accolades and postseason success were all a factor in determining each team's best shortstop, and in the case of a tight race, peak production was valued over a larger, less impressive body of work.

Let the debate begin!

Arizona Diamondbacks: Stephen Drew

Stats: 773 G, 96 OPS+, .266/.328/.436, 300 XBH (72 HR), 333 RBI, 33 SB

WAR: 13.2 (2.8 per 162 games)

The No. 15 overall pick in the 2004 draft following a standout collegiate career at Florida State, Stephen Drew rattled off three straight 3-WAR seasons at his peak as the Arizona Diamondbacks starting shortstop.

That peak performance is enough to give him the nod over two-time Gold Glove winner Nick Ahmed, who checked in a close second at the position with 12.2 WAR in 888 games over 10 seasons in a D-backs uniform.

Honorable Mention: Nick Ahmed, Didi Gregorius, Geraldo Perdomo

Athletics: Miguel Tejada

Stats: 646 G, 115 OPS+, .283/.341/.484, 261 XBH (122 HR), 465 RBI, 34 SB

WAR: 18.9 (4.7 per 162 games)

Marcus Semien (20.4 WAR) is actually the Athletics WAR leader at shortstop since 2000 ahead of Miguel Tejada (18.9 WAR) by a narrow margin, but the 2002 AL MVP award ultimately tips the scales in Tejada's favor.

He hit .308/.354/.508 for a 128 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 34 home runs, 131 RBI and 5.7 WAR during his MVP campaign, and he was the starting shortstop and a key cog for an Oakland squad that made the playoffs four years in a row at the start of the 2000s.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Semien, Bobby Crosby, Cliff Pennington

Atlanta Braves: Rafael Furcal

Stats: 817 G, 95 OPS+, .284/.348/.409, 255 XBH (57 RBI), 292 RBI, 189 SB

WAR: 21.9 (4.3 per 162 games)

Defensive whiz Andrelton Simmons won two Gold Gloves in his four seasons with the Atlanta Braves, but his best years came as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, making Rafael Furcal the pick by a narrow margin.

With top-of-the-scale speed and a rocket arm, Furcal won 2000 NL Rookie of the Year honors and spent six seasons as Atlanta's starting shortstop. He had a 6.5-WAR season in his final year with the team in 2005, filling up the stat sheet with 31 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 58 RBI, 100 runs scored and 46 steals.

Honorable Mention: Andrelton Simmons, Dansby Swanson, Edgar Renteria

Baltimore Orioles: Miguel Tejada

Stats: 716 G, 119 OPS+, .305/.354/.481, 279 XBH (109 HR), 468 RBI, 17 SB

WAR: 19.5 (4.4 per 162 games)

Miguel Tejada is the first of three players to appear on this list for multiple teams, so go ahead and start thinking about who the other two might be now.

It's only a matter of time before Gunnar Henderson overtakes him, and that could conceivably happen as soon as 2025 with another elite-level campaign, but for now, Tejada still has the edge thanks to three All-Star selections and a pair of Silver Slugger wins during his time in Baltimore.

He hit .311/.360/.534 for a 131 OPS+ with 40 doubles, 34 home runs and an AL-leading 150 RBI in 2004 while racking up a career-high 7.4 WAR and finishing fifth in AL MVP balloting.

Honorable Mention: Gunnar Henderson, J.J. Hardy

Boston Red Sox: Nomar Garciaparra

Stats: 511 G, 132 OPS+, .323/.373/.541, 260 XBH (82 HR), 350 RBI, 31 SB

WAR: 20.8 WAR (6.6 per 162 games)

Nomar Garciaparra's elite peak performance against Xander Bogaerts' more complete body of work made for one of the more compelling debates in this exercise.

The decision would have been much easier if the first three full seasons and 20.3 WAR that Garciaparra compiled counted toward his case, but those happened at the end of the 1990s and were therefore not part of the conversation.

Still, he hit .372/.434/.599 to win the AL batting title in 2000, and after an injury-shortened campaign the following year returned with back-to-back 6-WAR seasons in 2002 and 2003 before he was traded to the Cubs midway through 2004.

Honorable Mention: Xander Bogaerts

Chicago Cubs: Javier Báez

Stats: 815 G, 102 OPS+, .262/.303/.474, 310 XBH (140 HR), 443 RBI, 76 SB

WAR: 21.6 (4.3 per 162 games)

His production has fallen off a cliff since joining the Tigers in free agency, but there is a reason Javier Báez was able to secure that six-year, $140 million deal in the first place.

During his time with the Cubs, he was one of the most dynamic players in baseball, impacting games with his power, speed and defense. He was a complementary piece during the 2016 World Series run but emerged as a star two years later when he finished runner-up in NL MVP voting in the first of back-to-back 6-WAR seasons.

Honorable Mention: Starlin Castro, Dansby Swanson, Ryan Theriot

Chicago White Sox: Tim Anderson

Stats: 895 G, 99 OPS+, .282/.312/.422, 295 XBH (98 HR), 338 RBI, 117 SB

WAR: 16.2 (2.9 per 162 games)

Tim Anderson went from promising young shortstop to legitimate star in 2019 when he won the AL batting title with a .335 average and raised his OPS almost 200 points over the previous year.

That was the start of a four-year run where he hit .318/.347/.473 with a 122 OPS+ while tallying 12.6 WAR in 374 games, earning a pair of All-Star selections and a Silver Slugger along the way.

Alexei Ramirez (23.1 WAR) and Jose Valentin (16.9 WAR) both had more WAR during their time with the White Sox, but did not make the same peak impact.

Honorable Mention: Alexei Ramírez, José Valentín

Cincinnati Reds: Zack Cozart

Stats: 743 G, 92 OPS+, .254/.305/.411, 247 XBH (82 HR), 280 RBI, 21 SB

WAR: 15.7 (3.4 per 162 games)

Only the final five seasons of Barry Larkin's career came during the 2000s, and aside from the 2000 campaign when he was a 2.6-WAR player over 102 games, he was largely a non-factor with only 1.8 WAR in 371 games.

That opened the door for Zack Cozart, who had a solid six-year run as Cincinnati's starting shortstop that culminated in a huge 2017 season in which he hit .297/.385/.548 for a 140 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 24 home runs, 63 RBI and 5.2 WAR in 122 games. He signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Angels in free agency that offseason.

Honorable Mention: Barry Larkin, Elly De La Cruz

Cleveland Guardians: Francisco Lindor

Stats: 777 G, 118 OPS+, .285/.346/.488, 344 XBH (138 HR), 411 RBI, 99 SB

WAR: 28.1 (5.9 per 162 games)

The best home-grown player to emerge from the Cleveland farm system since Manny Ramirez in the mid-90s, Francisco Lindor was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2011 draft on the strength of his defensive skills, speed and contact ability.

Even the most optimistic projections did not peg him as a future 30-homer threat, but he logged three straight 30-homer seasons and earned four All-Star selections during his six years in Cleveland before he was traded to the Mets.

Honorable Mention: Asdrúbal Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta

Colorado Rockies: Troy Tulowitzki

Stats: 1,048 G, 123 OPS+, .299/.371/.513, 436 XBH (188 HR), 657 RBI, 55 SB

WAR: 39.5 (6.1 per 162 games)

Troy Tulowitzki ranks fifth among all shortstops since the start of the 2000 season with 44.5 WAR, and the bulk of that production came during his time with the Colorado Rockies.

He had a 6.8-WAR rookie season and helped the Rockies make a surprise run to the World Series in 2007, and rattled off three straight top-10 finishes in NL MVP balloting from 2009-11 while also winning a pair of Gold Gloves. Injuries kept him from reaching his full potential, but when everything was clicking he was as good as anyone on this list.

Honorable Mention: Trevor Story

Detroit Tigers: Carlos Guillen

Stats: 817 G, 121 OPS+, .297/.366/.476, 316 XBH (95 HR), 449 RBI, 59 SB

WAR: 18.6 (3.7 per 162 games)

Carlos Guillen is a strong candidate for the most underrated shortstop of the last 25 years.

During his first five seasons with the Tigers following a forgettable run with the Mariners, he hit .308/.377/.493 for a 128 OPS+ while averaging 31 doubles, 15 home runs, 72 RBI and 3.7 WAR. He earned three All-Star selections and received MVP votes twice during that span, shifting to third base for the final season of that five-year stretch.

Aside from that impressive run from Guillen, shortstop has largely been a revolving door in Detroit going back to the Alan Trammell era.

Honorable Mention: Jhonny Peralta, Jose Iglesias

Houston Astros: Carlos Correa

Stats: 752 G, 127 OPS+, .277/.356/.481, 303 XBH (133 HR), 489 RBI, 33 SB

WAR: 34.1 (7.3 per 162 games)

More than a few eyebrows were raised when the Astros selected Carlos Correa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft ahead of consensus top talent Byron Buxton, but more than a decade later it's clear they made the right choice.

While Correa is now suiting up for the Twins, he made his mark on the Astros organization, winning 2015 AL Rookie of the Year before helping the team win a World Series title in 2017. On top of his strong regular season numbers, he also posted an .849 OPS with 18 home runs and 59 RBI in 79 playoff games.

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Peña, Adam Everett

Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr.

Stats: 469 G, 131 OPS+, .288/.336/.505, 214 XBH (82 HR), 285 RBI, 110 SB

WAR: 14.7 (5.1 per 162 games)

Only three years into his MLB career, Bobby Witt Jr. is already the runaway pick for the Kansas City Royals best shortstop of the last 25 years, and arguably in the entire history of the franchise with all due respect to three-time All-Star Freddie Patek.

His 9.4 WAR in 2024 matched George Brett's legendary 1980 MVP season for the highest single-season total in franchise history by a position player.

Honorable Mention: Alcides Escobar

Los Angeles Angels: Andrelton Simmons

Stats: 561 G, 96 OPS+, .281/.328/.394, 157 XBH (36 HR), 238 RBI, 51 SB

WAR: 20.0 (5.8 per 162 games)

This was one of the tougher decisions, as Erick Aybar spent a decade with the Angels and piled up 1,223 hits and 23.0 WAR while winning a Gold Glove in 2011 and earning an All-Star selection in 2014.

However, while he peaked at 4.4 WAR in 2011, defensive star Andrelton Simmons matched or exceeded that mark three times in his five years with the team, including a 7.9-WAR performance in 2017 when he finished eighth in AL MVP balloting.

He won the Gold Glove in 2017 and 2018, and he struck out just 202 times in 2,281 plate appearances as one of the game's best contact hitters.

Honorable Mention: Erick Aybar, David Eckstein, Orlando Cabrera

Los Angeles Dodgers: Corey Seager

Stats: 636 G, 131 OPS+, .297/.367/.504, 280 XBH (104 HR), 364 RBI, 12 SB

WAR: 21.2 (5.4 per 162 games)

The Los Angeles Dodgers clung tightly to Corey Seager while he climbed the minor league ladder, repeatedly deeming him untouchable in trade talks, and he quickly showed why once he arrived in the majors.

He hit .308/.365/.512 with 71 extra-base hits and 5.2 WAR in 2016 to win NL Rookie of the Year and finish third in MVP balloting, and while he dealt with injuries throughout his time with the Dodgers, he was a star when healthy.

The Dodgers have used 13 different starting shortstops on Opening Day over the last 25 years, and the position remains something of a revolving door with Mookie Betts set to be the primary starter again to open the year.

Honorable Mention: Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, Trea Turner, Dee Strange-Gordon

Miami Marlins: Hanley Ramírez

Stats: 943 G, 129 OPS+, .300/.374/.499, 406 XBH (148 HR), 482 RBI, 230 SB

WAR: 26.9 (4.6 per 162 games)

Before he bulked up and became more of a middle-of-the-order run producer, Hanley Ramírez was a legitimate five-tool talent for the Miami Marlins.

The 2006 NL Rookie of the Year hit .313/.385/.521 for a 136 OPS+ while averaging 40 doubles, 25 home runs, 78 RBI, 112 runs scored, 39 steals and 5.2 WAR over his first five full seasons in the majors. He had a 30/30 season in 2008 and won the NL batting title in 2009 when he was runner-up in NL MVP voting.

Honorable Mention: Miguel Rojas, Adeiny Hechavarría

Milwaukee Brewers: Willy Adames

Stats: 548 G, 113 OPS+, .244/.323/.457, 228 XBH (107 HR), 348 RBI, 38 SB

WAR: 14.0 (4.1 per 162 games)

The deal to acquire Willy Adames from the Rays in exchange for pitchers Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen in May 2021 ended up being one of the best trades in Brewers franchise history.

The 29-year-old has since moved on to greener pastures, signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with the Giants in December, but not before he logged four straight 3-WAR seasons, providing power, run production and a steady glove during his time with the organization.

Honorable Mention: J.J. Hardy, Jean Segura

Minnesota Twins: Carlos Correa

Stats: 357 G, 124 OPS+, .272/.351/.453, 132 XBH (54 HR), 183 RBI, 0 SB

WAR: 10.4 (4.7 per 162 games)

Jorge Polanco had his best seasons as a second baseman and Cristian Guzman had one really good outlier season in 2001 when he was an All-Star, leaving Carlos Correa as the best pick for the Twins.

He has played in just 357 of 486 games in his three years with the organization, including only 86 games this past season, but he has continued to play at an All-Star level when healthy. He earned his first All-Star selection with the club last year, and he will have plenty of time to add to his resume with a contract that runs through 2028.

Honorable Mention: Jorge Polanco, Cristian Guzmán

New York Mets: Francisco Lindor

Stats: 598 G, 122 OPS+, .259/.336/.461, 234 XBH (110 HR), 359 RBI, 86 SB

WAR: 21.5 (5.8 per 162 games)

This was the most difficult decision.

Speedy José Reyes piled up 1,534 hits, 493 extra-base hits, 408 steals and 28.2 WAR while earning four All-Star selections in his 12 seasons with the Mets.

Those numbers would make him the pick for almost any other team, but Francisco Lindor has nearly eclipsed that WAR total in 767 fewer games, posting back-to-back 6-WAR seasons the last two years and finishing second in NL MVP voting in 2024.

With seven years remaining on his 10-year, $341 million contract, he could go down as the greatest position player in Mets history before all is said and done.

Honorable Mention: José Reyes

New York Yankees: Derek Jeter

Stats: 2,109 G, 113 OPS+, .307/.374/.432, 654 XBH (197 HR), 970 RBI, 272 SB

WAR: 47.9 (3.7 per 162 games)

Derek Jeter was already an established superstar when the 2000 season rolled around, having been a central future in the 1996, 1998 and 1999 World Series champions and racked up 23.4 WAR in 638 games.

That said, he was also still just entering the prime of his career at the start of our cut line as a 26-year-old in 2000 when he won another ring and claimed 2000 World Series MVP honors along the way.

The Yankees have been searching for a suitable replacement since he retired after the 2014 season, and look like they might have finally found one in Anthony Volpe.

Honorable Mention: Didi Gregorius, Anthony Volpe

Philadelphia Phillies: Jimmy Rollins

Stats: 2,090 G, 97 OPS+, .267/.327/.424, 806 XBH (216 HR), 887 RBI, 453 SB

WAR: 47.6 (3.7 per 162 games)

With three All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves and 2007 NL MVP honors on his resume, Jimmy Rollins is one the best shortstops of the last 25 years and a no-brainer as the best to man the position for the Philadelphia Phillies.

He was the team's starting shortstop from 2001 when he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and earned some down-ballot NL MVP support, all the way through the 2014 season when he closed out his Phillies tenure with a 4.1-WAR season.

Honorable Mention: Trea Turner

Pittsburgh Pirates: Jack Wilson

Stats: 1,159 G, 79 OPS+, .269/.311/.376, 309 XBH (60 HR), 389 RBI, 36 SB

WAR: 21.3 (3.0 per 162 games)

Jack Wilson is one of the best defensive shortstops in recent history, and his 21.0 defensive WAR ranks fifth among all players since the start of the 2000 season, behind only Andrelton Simmons (28.5) among shortstops.

Despite his defensive prowess, he never won a Gold Glove, though he did take home a Silver Slugger in 2004 when he hit .308/.335/.459 with 41 doubles, 12 triples, 11 home runs, 59 RBI and a career-high 4.8 WAR.

Want to feel old? His son, Jacob, is now the starting shortstop for the Athletics.

Honorable Mention: Jordy Mercer

San Diego Padres: Khalil Greene

Stats: 659 G, 96 OPS+, .248/.304/.427, 248 XBH (84 HR), 328 RBI, 23 SB

WAR: 9.3 (2.3 per 162 games)

Khalil Greene enjoyed a brief four-year peak with the San Diego Padres in the mid-2000s, starting with a runner-up finish in 2004 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

He hit .256/.313/.446 for a 102 OPS+ while averaging 33 doubles, 18 home runs, 72 RBI and 2.5 WAR during his first four full seasons, and two years later he played his final MLB game at the age of 29 as a member of the Cardinals.

With Fernando Tatis Jr. considered an outfielder for this exercise and Ha-Seong Kim filling more of a super-utility role, Greene was the best of an extremely thin group of candidates.

Honorable Mention: Ha-Seong Kim, Everth Cabrera

San Francisco Giants: Brandon Crawford

Stats: 1,654 G, 97 OPS+, .250/.319/.396, 480 XBH (146 HR), 744 RBI, 47 SB

WAR: 29.6 (2.9 per 162 games)

Brandon Crawford spent 13 seasons as the San Francisco Giants starting shortstop, winning World Series rings in 2012 and 2014 while winning four Gold Gloves and making three All-Star Game appearances.

He enjoyed the best season of his career in his age-34 season in 2021, hitting .298/.373/.522 for a 141 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 6.1 WAR in 138 games. He won the Gold Glove, made his final All-Star appearance and finished fourth in NL MVP voting that year.

Honorable Mention: Rich Aurilia

Seattle Mariners: J.P. Crawford

Stats: 701 G, 103 OPS+, .247/.339/.369, 203 XBH (52 HR), 268 RBI, 24 SB

WAR: 17.5 (4.0 per 162 games)

Alex Rodriguez only played one season with the Seattle Mariners during the 2000s. It was a 10.4-WAR season where he set himself up for a record-setting payday in free agency, but that was still not enough time with the team during the window we're focusing on to be considered for inclusion.

That left J.P. Crawford as the best option, and while he is not a top-tier shortstop, he has quietly tallied 14.3 WAR over the past four seasons. That ranks 11th among all shortstops during that span.

Honorable Mention: Carlos Guillén, Jean Segura

St. Louis Cardinals: Edgar Rentería

Stats: 749 G, 101 OPS+, .293/.350/.425, 238 XBH (60 HR), 388 RBI, 111 SB

WAR: 15.6 (3.4 per 162 games)

The Cardinals have often prioritized defense at the shortstop position, using guys like Brendan Ryan and Pete Kozma as regular starters despite their offensive shortcomings.

However, they had a legitimate offensive star at the position during the six seasons that Edgar Renteria spent manning the position. His best season came in 2003 when he batted .330/.394/.480 with 47 doubles, 13 home runs, 100 RBI and 5.6 WAR while winning Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

How long before Masyn Winn makes a run at the top spot?

Honorable Mention: Paul DeJong, Jhonny Peralta, David Eckstein, Brendan Ryan

Tampa Bay Rays: Julio Lugo

Stats: 505 G, 105 OPS+, .287/.350/.421, 162 XBH (40 HR), 212 RBI, 88 SB

WAR: 13.5 (4.3 per 162 games)

The Tampa Bay Rays signed Julio Lugo early in the 2003 season after he was released by the Astros, and he quickly played his way into the team's starting shortstop job after being plucked from the scrapheap.

He spent parts of four seasons with the team, providing a valuable mix of defense, speed and gap power before he was traded to the Dodgers at the 2006 deadline in exchange for a package that included highly-regarded prospect Joel Guzmán.

Honorable Mention: Jason Bartlett, Willy Adames

Texas Rangers: Alex Rodriguez

Stats: 485 G, 155 OPS+, .305/.395/.615, 256 XBH (156 HR), 395 RBI, 44 SB

WAR: 25.5 (8.5 per 162 games)

An epic three-year run from Alex Rodriguez or more than a decade of steady production from Elvis Andrus?

That was the debate here, and while there is a compelling case that Andrus had a bigger impact on the Rangers organization, it's impossible to ignore the numbers that A-Rod posted over the first three seasons of his 10-year, $252 million contract before he was traded to the Yankees.

• 2001: 160 OPS+, .318/.399/.622, 87 XBH, 52 HR, 135 RBI, 8.3 WAR
• 2002: 158 OPS+, .300/.392/.623, 86 XBH, 57 HR, 142 RBI, 8.8 WAR
• 2003: 147 OPS+, .298/.396/.600, 83 XBH, 47 HR, 118 RBI, 8.4 WAR

It will be interesting to see what sort of numbers Corey Seager finishes with by the time his own 10-year contract is over.

Honorable Mention: Corey Seager, Elvis Andrus

Toronto Blue Jays: Bo Bichette

Stats: 609 G, 119 OPS+, .290/.332/.466, 246 XBH (93 HR), 343 RBI, 56 SB

WAR: 17.5 (4.7 per 162 games)

Despite a down year in 2024, Bo Bichette is still an easy choice as the Toronto Blue Jays best shortstop of the last 25 years.

The 26-year-old led the AL in hits in 2021 (191) and 2022 (189), and he has made strides as a defender since entering the league. Heading into the final season of a three-year, $33.6 million extension, he will need to rebound to maximize his earning potential after posting a 71 OPS+ and minus-0.3 WAR over 81 games in 2024.

Honorable Mention: Yunel Escobar, José Reyes

Washington Nationals: Trea Turner

Stats: 637 G, 120 OPS+, .300/.356/.486, 260 XBH (93 HR), 306 RBI, 192 SB

WAR: 22.3 (5.7 per 162 games)

Trea Turner spent the first six and a half seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals, establishing himself as one of the game's elite power-speed threats before he was traded to the Dodgers at the 2021 deadline alongside Max Scherzer.

He was the starting shortstop for the World Series winning team in 2019, and finished into the top 10 in NL MVP voting twice during his time with the Nationals, including the year when he was traded when he also won the NL batting title.

Honorable Mention: Ian Desmond, CJ Abrams