The top three shortstops in the majors by OPS are the Orioles’ Manny Machado (.972), the Cardinals’ Aledmys Diaz (.906) and the Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts (.896). Say you had to pick the fourth.

You might go with Rockies rookie Trevor Story, who has 15 homers, or the Dodgers’ Corey Seager, who has 14, or one of the standout rookies from last year: the Astros’ Carlos Correa, the Indians’ Francisco Lindor or the Cubs’ Addison Russell. But the answer is actually Eduardo Nunez (.879).

Yep, that Eduardo Nunez. The one who had fast-twitch skills as a Yankee that never translated into excellence. He is one of the few bright spots for the Twins, gaining the full-time shortstop job (with occasional starts at third base) by hitting .335 with seven homers and 12 steals.

Nunez’s walk rate remains low enough to indicate his offense will soon fall, and his defense remains sketchy (though the Twins believe he’s throwing more consistently and accurately). But for the cost of never-made-it-to-the-majors Miguel Sulbaran to the Yankees in April 2014, the Twins have ended up with a useful player.