San Francisco Giants: 10 best shortstops in franchise history

By Joel Reuter

Jul 18, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 01: Brandon Crawford #35 of the San Francisco Giants to complete the double-pay looks to get his throw off over the top of Freddy Galvis #13 of the San Diego Padres in the top of the fifth inning at AT&T Park on May 1, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JULY 26: A bat and glove sit in the Oakland Athletics dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on July 26, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

4. Al Dark (1950-56), New York Giants

Stats: 103 OPS+, .292/.334/.439, 1,106 H, 98 HR, 429 RBI, 605 R
WAR: 27.0 rWAR/23.2 fWAR
Accolades: 3x All-Star
WS Titles: 1

Al Dark was NL Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves in 1948 when he hit .322/.353/.433 with 48 extra-base hits and 4.3 WAR in his age-26 season to also finish third in MVP voting.

Two years later, he was traded in a six-player deal that also brought second baseman Eddie Stanky to the Giants.

During the four-year span from 1951 to 1954, he played in three All-Star Games while hitting .299/.342/.455 for a 109 OPS+. He averaged 5.1 WAR during that span and proved extremely durable with an average of 154 games played per season.

He finished fifth in NL MVP voting during the 1954 season when the Giants ended up winning the World Series title, and he went 7-for-17 with two runs scored in the Fall Classic.

He was eventually traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in a blockbuster deal midway through the 1956 season that included 10 players and saw future Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst join the Giants.