The emphasis on defense makes the position unusually difficult to fill. Historically, a strong shortstop did not have to be a good hitter. Some of the weakest hitters in Major League Baseball have played the position, including Mario Mendoza, for whom George Brett popularized the eponymous Mendoza Line to describe a batting average below .200. Since the 1960s, however, such mediocre hitting has become rarer as teams increasingly demand players with ability to both field and hit.
the emphasis on defense makes the position unusually difficult to fill historically a strong shortstop did not have to be a good hitter some of the weakest hitters in major league baseball have played the position including mario mendoza for whom george brett popularized the eponymous mendoza line to describe a batting average below 200 since the 1960s however such mediocre hitting has become rarer as teams increasingly demand players with ability to both field and hit