Is Alexi Amarista Really Up For The Job At Shortstop?

By Bobby DeMuro
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Updated: March 9, 2015

Recently I’ve written pessimistically about James Shields, the Padres infield, the Padres outfield, Joc Pederson, Taylor Featherston, and Josh Hamilton. Reading some of the analysis I’ve levied against players might have you think I’m a Debbie Downer. And I am! (Get off my lawn.)

Now, news comes that Alexi Amarista has the everyday shortstop role in San Diego. I’ve been critical of Amarista as a part of the collective Padres infield, and those criticisms are just: he won’t hit for power or average. He’s one of the smallest players in the league. For a shortstop, his arm isn’t great. He’s never played a full season as a starter in the big leagues. The last time he had enough plate appearances to qualify as a starter (at least 502) was 2010 in the minors. Will the 162-game grind wear him down?

It’s tough to find a shortstop like, say, Troy Tulowitzki or Ian Desmond. Shortstops who hit for average and power, have monster arms, are 6’3” and lead the team on both sides of the ball aren’t common. So, while the Padres infield is weak, Amarista isn’t the biggest problem.

To his credit, Alexi Amarista plays good defense. He had a 1.5 dWAR last season, best on the team by a fair margin. He also rated plus-seven in defensive runs saved at shortstop last season according to FanGraphs, which is above average.

He won’t hit, and his past numbers suggest he’ll probably come in around .240 with little power (he’s hit five home runs each of the last three Major League seasons). He does need to get on base more often; a career .279 on-base percentage and 5.7% walk rate aren’t good enough. But he also doesn’t strike out, only fanning 14.4% of the time in the big leagues, suggesting he might improve based on the amount of balls he puts into play.

Yes, he’s small at 5’6” and 150 lbs., but Jose Altuve is small, and he’s pretty good. (I know their skill sets are different, but both guys have a track record of staying on the field despite their size; there’s no reason to think Amarista’s size would catch up to him now if it hasn’t already).

Amarista will play solid defense this season. [Image via @DesireeRoa]

If the Amarista-as-shortstop campaign does crash and burn, he’s a former utility man who has logged significant innings at second, short, third, left, center, and right field. Should he lose the shortstop job, his utility work could give the Padres the flexibility to acquire a bat-first corner infielder to help inject more offense into the roster.

That being said, though, I don’t think he’ll fail at shortstop. He won’t hit .280, he’s not going to the All Star game, and he won’t be the breakout star of the year in the NL West. But he’ll be strong on defense and… whatever on offense.

The Padres still need help on the infield, but they should look to improve their depth chart at third and second before setting sights on Amarista’s spot. Alexi Amarista will be the best defender on the field for the Padres this season, and if he can be not-awful at the plate, he’s worth the starting role.

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