Assuming you view Alex Rodriguez as a third baseman, the three best full-time shortstops during the 2000s were probably Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins and Miguel Tejada. One of those three is a Hall of Famer, while the other two won league MVP awards.
The fourth-best shortstop in the decade was probably Rafael Furcal. A prototypical leadoff hitter, Furcal hit .284 during the 2000s and wasn't afraid to work a walk either, as evidenced by his .350 on-base percentage during the same period. Once he got on base, Furcal was even more dangerous, as he swiped 271 bags during the decade, the ninth-most among all players. Furcal also had a tremendous glove, posting 55 defensive runs saved between 2003 and 2009.
Furcal was perhaps overshadowed on Bobby Cox's Braves, teams that included Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones. His six seasons in Atlanta were enough to get the attention of the Dodgers, though, as he earned a three-year/$39 million deal to head to Los Angeles ahead of the 2006 season. Furcal would spend five-and-a-half seasons with the Dodgers before being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in July of 2011. For all the team success he was a part of in Atlanta and Los Angeles, it was the Cardinals that Furcal would win his lone ring with.
In total, Furcal accumulated more than 1,800 hits during a 14-season career that saw him win the 2000 National League Rookie of the Year Award and make one All-Star appearance with each of the three employers noted above.
Draft: Signed as amateur free agent for $5,000 in 1996 out of Dominican Republic
Organizations Played For: Braves; 2000-2005, Dodgers; 2006-2011, Cardinals; 2011-2012, Miami Marlins; 2014
Best Season: 2005 - .284/.348/.429 with 12 home runs, 58 RBIs, 46 stolen bases, 58 walks, 100 runs scored, 24 defensive runs saved and a 4.5 fWAR
Career Nuggets: After Furcal's initial three-year deal with the Dodgers expired, he nearly returned to the Braves, only to sign a three-year/$30 million deal that allowed him to stay with the Dodgers...Furcal led off Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS - an iconic postseason game - with a triple off of Roy Halladay and scored the only run of the evening...Furcal missed the entire 2013 season, ending his time with the Cardinals. He landed with the Miami Marlins for 2014, who hoped he would be their starting second baseman. Instead, a left hamstring tear limited him to just nine games with the team.
Career Stats: .281/.346/.402 with 113 home runs, 587 RBIs, 314 stolen bases, 643 walks, 1,063 runs scored, 52 defensive runs saved (statistic not measured until 2003) and a 33.1 fWAR
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- Matt Morris
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