College Position Preview: Six Shortstops to Watch in 2022

We continue our position preview series; now it’s time to look at the shortstop position.

Previously, we’ve done spotlights on:

• 6 Catchers to Watch in 2022
• 7 First Basemen to Watch in 2022
• 6 Second Basemen to Watch in 2022
• 6 Third Basemen to Watch in 2022

Here are a handful of shortstops to keep an eye on when the 2022 season rolls around…

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Playing shortstop means waiting on some of the worst hops and making some of the longest throws. It means practicing the toe drag across second base and making highlight-reel plays look routine.

The shortstop position is stacked with talent across college softball. Here are some of the “must-see” standouts in the 6-hole.

Grace Lyons, Oklahoma
Lyons might be the best shortstop in the game at this point and she’s a stalwart in the infield for the Sooners. Stellar defense? She has it. Big bat? She carries it. Program leader? That’s her. As goes Lyons, so go the Sooners. That’s how important she is to her team.

Sydney McKinney, Wichita State
The reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, McKinney turned heads with her play as a ‘super sophomore’ in 2021. She ended the year as the program’s first-ever All-American and registered a .439 batting average and 87 hits. 

Taylor Pleasants, LSU
Another player known for her offense and defense, Pleasants has the pedigree to be the SEC Player of the Year at some point. Whether she’ll get there remains to be seen, but her smooth stroke at the plate and impressive range in the field lay the foundation for that kind of ascent.

Kiley Naomi, Oklahoma State
Even entering her fourth season in Stillwater, Naomi still gets overlooked at times in the discussion of the best at her position. She’s so slick defensively that tough plays look downright easy when she makes them, and oh by the way, she also set program records in six offensive categories last season.

Briana Perez, UCLA
Back for one more year as a Bruin, Perez will be a leader on the UCLA team in 2022. It seems like she’s been around Easton Stadium for a while now and has continued to contribute at a high level throughout her career.

Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
Prior to 2021, Burton’s trophy case included just a Second Team All-Conference honor in 2019. As a redshirt junior, all that she did last season was earn all-OVC and all-region honors as well as the league’s Player of the Year honor. A .324 hitter, she led the OVC with eighteen home runs and notched 46 RBIs and 43 runs scored.