
Shortstop – Jack Wilson
For a lot of Pittsburgh Pirates fans my age (27), Jack Wilson was one of their favorite players growing up. From 2001 – 2009, Wilson locked down shortstop for the Pirates. During this time, as Noah delved into earlier this week, Wilson solidified himself as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history.
From 2001 – 2008 Wilson accumulated a 11.0 fWAR, which was the 7th highest in the National League during this eight-year stretch. As a Pirate, Wilson slashed .269/.311/.376 with a 78 wRC+ in 4,703 plate appearances.
While Wilson was never an offensive standout, he did take home the National League Silver Slugger Award for shortstops in 2004. That was the same year Wilson made his lone All-Star Game appearance. His 2004 season included him becoming the 9th shortstop in NL history to collect at least 200 hits in a season with 201, he also led the league with 12 triples. While he never won a Gold Glove Award, which was a damn shame, Wilson did take home the Fielding Bible Award as the best defensive shortstop in baseball during the 2009 season.
‘Jumping Jack Flash’ as he was affectionately known by Pirate fans, due to his walk up music being ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ by the Rolling Stones, Wilson is still a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. He should forever be remembered by fans as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history.