Five 2026 Shortstops Starring On Defense This Season

The best way to make sure you stay on the varsity team and in good favor with your coaches is by playing sound defense. In many ways, the bat will come, but if you can't help your team in the field at a premier position, you'll likely find yourself on the bench in short order.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five shortstops who are dazzling onlookers with their defensive prowess this high school season.    Marley Munoz has been a plus defender for her entire playing career at Shafter High School. She's put together a career .984 fielding percentage between shortstop and catcher, and had not committed an error this year through 25 varsity games. Marley has incredible athletic skills that have helped her excel at each position she's played, but she has the arm and agility to play shortstop at the next level. For someone who has wanted to play collegiately since she was eight years old, Marley has set herself up to do so.     Much like Marley Munoz, Hannah Daniel is also a tremendous catcher as well as a lockdown shortstop. She was Crosby's primary catcher this season, and helped the squad to a 19-8 record while also earning First-Team All-District honors. She has the arm and versatility to play shortstop with ease when called upon, and will look to continue her impressive defensive pay with her TSF HTX Brown club team this summer. Hannah impressed mightily on the field this year and can catapult her way up recruiting boards with another strong summer.     No list about top shortstops from the 2026 class would be complete without Addy Slovak. The Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State shortstop is an incredibly talented athlete who cemented herself as a must-see prospect this year. Not only has she consistently put together strong fielding percentages in three years at the varsity level, but she also batted a whopping .692 this year with 32 RBI. The slap-hitting, three-sport athlete is agile, poised and ready for her next step at the collegiate level.     Shelby Felty is yet another versatile defender who can play nearly everywhere on the diamond but has found tremendous success at shortstop. She's one of a handful of players with a perfect fielding percentage to date this year, and she boasts a career .987 fielding percentage through three years at the varsity level. Her abilities have also helped her tremendously with a variety of high-level travel clubs, showing a promising trend for what she can do in the college ranks.     Kinsey Unger is both a successful shortstop and leadoff hitter for her high school team. The gifted Unger hit .759 this year with 15 doubles, 12 triples and nine homers, while also stealing 33 bases. Her bat alone will likely land her with a college program, but in the field, she's a talented shortstop who can also play solid defense at second base and center field. Kinsey possesses a unique athleticism that's going to help make her a vacuum at shortstop moving forward in her playing career.

The best way to make sure you stay on the varsity team and in good favor with your coaches is by playing sound defense. In many ways, the bat will come, but if you can't help your team in the field at a premier position, you'll likely find yourself on the bench in short order.