From Curaco, Andrelton Simmons was a light-hitting Shortstop who never made an All-Star Game, but we think it would be criminal if he did not receive an opportunity to be on the 2025 ballot.

Simmons did not hit particularly well, as his career OPS of .678 and 1,169 Hits were not head-turning.  What Simmons did exceptionally well was rock-solid defence, and the numbers and accolades show it.  A five-time Gold Glove winner, Simmons won six Wilson Defensive Players, one Wilson Overall Defensive Player, and the 2013 NL Platinum Glove.  Simmons led the league (NL 2013 & 2015 AL 2017) three times in Defensive bWAR, was second three times and retired 11^th overall in that statistic with 28.5.  He was so good with the glove that he received MVP votes three times, peaking with an eighth-place finish in 2017 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. 

Simmons also played for Atlanta, Minnesota and the Chicago Cubs. 

An Atlanta Brave for the first four years of his career, Andrelton Simmons arrived in the Anaheim organization via a high-profile November 2015 trade, a transaction designed to give the Angels the most specialized defensive anchor in the sport. Already a human highlight reel in the National League, Simmons brought a foundational level of run prevention to the shortstop position that redefined the team’s defensive floor.

After a solid 2016, Simmons had a defensive season for the ages. That summer, he demonstrated a specialized ability to turn impossible plays into routine outs, leading the American League with a staggering 5.2 defensive bWAR. He combined that glove work with the best offensive year of his career, recording 164 hits and a career-best .278 average. This excellence earned him an eighth-place finish in the MVP voting and his first of two consecutive Gold Gloves in an Angels uniform.

Between 2017 and 2018, he secured back-to-back Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards, proving to be a localized vacuum on the left side of the infield.  His 12.1 defensive bWAR over just five seasons reflected a surgical impact that few players in franchise history have ever matched, essentially serving as a second "ace" for the pitching staff through his range alone.

Simmons’ career slowed during the shortened 2020 season due to ankle injuries, and he left Orange County for Minnesota as a free agent.  With the Angels, Simmons had 592 hits, two Gold Gloves, and a 12.1 dWAR.