SHORTSTOP SUPERNOVAS

Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr. and Elly De La Cruz form 'The Threequel' at shortstop, evoking past trios and influencing future generations with their power, athleticism and versatility

- by JESÚS CANO

Baseball is a game rooted in tradition. Yet over the years, it has seen its fair share of evolution.

On the field, the shortstop position is evolving faster than any other.

But we don't get where we are today without first going back in time more than a quarter century. In the late 1990s, the trio of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra defined the shortstop position through their brilliance on both sides of the ball. Collectively, they set the standard for what a shortstop could be.

Baseball America tabbed Jeter, Rodriguez and Garciaparra the "Holy Trinity." In an August 1999 issue, BA surveyed 50 players, general managers and assistant GMs at that year's All-Star Game in Boston about the trio's best tools and skills.

"When you go back to Jeter, Garciaparra and Rodriguez, there were lots of really good shortstops then. Maybe there was a bit of an ebb. And I think what we've now seen over the last six to seven years, that maybe there's a resurgence in the position." Antonetti knows a thing or two about talented shortstops. Cleveland debuted Francisco Lindor as its shortstop in 2015. He would have won American League Rookie of the Year if not for Carlos Correa, another brilliant young shortstop who debuted that same season.

The Dodgers' Corey Seager followed Lindor and Correa in 2016, winning National League Rookie of the Year. The group formed a second power trio of all-time young shortstop talent blossoming at once.

This story, however, isn't a survey or a retrospective. It's a story about the supernova of talent taking over the shortstop position in MLB today.

If in 1999 we were talking about the Holy Trinity. Today, we are experiencing The Threequel.

Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz are shaking up the shortstop position with their athleticism, power and defensive excellence. The trio has a chance to rival peak Jeter, Rodriguez and Garciaparra from nearly three decades ago.