It took Andrelton Simmons little time to construct a reputation as the best defensive shortstop in baseball. Since his 2012 rookie season in Atlanta, scouts and advanced metrics have agreed on his superlative fielding.
It’s early yet, but that unanimity is no more. Fifty games into 2017, the statistics measure him as good but no longer great. He’s third among MLB shortstops in Ultimate Zone Rating, instead of his typical first, and far off his own usual pace.
While it remains far too small of a sample to draw any definitive conclusions, Simmons notably agrees with that assessment.