ZiPS: Shortstop

ESPN's Dan Szymborski is a computer and stat guru, and we love getting a look at his projections. Here are his numbers for the 2014 Texas Rangers.

Position: Shortstop

Player: Elvis Andrus

Last year: .271 batting average, .328 on-base percentage, .331 slugging percentage, 4 home runs, 67 RBIs, 698 plate appearances, 42 stolen bases

2014 projections: .273/.337/.351, 4 home runs, 62 RBIs, 699 plate appearances, 35 stolen bases

Andrus got off to a horrific start to the season, and it really stretched beyond a "start" into a first half of the season. Over the second half, Andrus was a different player. He hit .313/.369/.405 after an awful first half with a slash of .242/.300/.280. He also stole a career-high 42 bases and hit all four of his home runs in the second half of the season.

If Andrus can be closer to what he was in the second half of the season last year, then he might actually be someone worthy of hitting second in the order — a point of contention for several Rangers fans who believe Andrus should be hitting in the bottom half of the order.

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