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Baltimore Orioles: Where does shortstop J.J. Hardy rank among AL East peers

By Nate Wardle

Apr 27, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) fields the ball and throws to first for the final out of the game during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field. The Orioles won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) fields the ball and throws to first for the final out of the game during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field. The Orioles won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 27, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) turns a double play on Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) turns a double play on Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

3. New York Yankees

Yankees’ shortstops – Didi Gregorius, Ronald Torreyes, Jorge Mateo, Donovan Solano

Didi has gotten in each of his two seasons for the Yankees, so the question becomes whether that continues in 2017.

In his first year in pinstripes, Gregorius hit .265/.318/.370 with 9 HRs, 24 2Bs, 56 RBIs and 57 runs. In his second year, he hit .276/.304/.447 with 20 HRs, 32 2Bs, 70 RBIs and 68 runs in two fewer games. And the strikeouts decreased in 2016, although so did the walks with his power surge.

At only 27 years old, it is possible that Gregorius is still going to improve.

His defense in 2016 did regress, from a 1.5 WAR to a 0.0 WAR. His range numbers also decreased to below league average, but his total fielding runs above average remained about the same.

While Gregorius isn’t going to be the best bet defensively, he won’t set the Yankees back, either.

Behind him are Torreyes, who is vying for a utilityman spot with Rob Refsnyder, and Jorge Mateo, one of many promising prospects in the restocked Yankees’ farm system.

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