Cincinnati Reds Midseason Report Card
By Adam Hughes
Shortstop
Jul 1, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart (2) leads off of second during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Zack Cozart gets a lot of credit for his defensive work, and rightly so. He has racked up 2.3 Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR) so far in 2014, which ranks him among the best shortstops in the game, and he has a penchant of highlight-reel plays. It’s a good thing, too, because his hitting is a throwback to the early Ozzie Smith days, when middle infielders were almost expected to be anemic at the plate. On the season, Cozart is batting .233 with 51 strikeouts, good for a dreadful 65 OPS+.
Grade : C-