Derek Jeter: Most Underrated Player of All-Time
June 24, 2009 · Daniel Sandker · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Since the Yankees are over .500, I’m feeling the pinstripe bandwagon right now. Let’s talk about someone who doesn’t get enough credit. That man is Derek Jeter.
Over the past decade, analysts and statisticians alike have given their opinion on why Derek Jeter is OVERrated.
Sabermetrics can kiss my…
First, let’s take our cap off to the captain of the New York Yankees, the greatest franchise in the history of professional sports.
There have only been 11 captains in the Yankees’ 108-year history. Among them are names like Gehrig, Ruth, Munson, Guidry, Mattingly, and Jeter.
What player in this league could keep so many big, overpriced egos in check? Players like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, and Jason Giambi were all led by Jeter.
Bill James. This guy has never picked up a bat in his life, yet somehow his mathematical calculations say that Derek Jeter is the worst shortstop in the league. Here’s an interesting point. James’ Range Factor, which is essentially the BCS of baseball statistics, puts Rafael Furcal as the SS with the highest range factor in 2006, and Jeter in the basement with one of the worst RFs in the league.
This is ironic, because Furcal committed 27 errors in ’06, whole Jeter only botched 15 plays. So that’s to you, Bill James.
Jeter is one of the most clutch hitters of our era if not ever. He has 150 hits in the playoffs, a major league record.
Career average with RISP? .311
RISP and two outs? .320
Bases juiced? .361
This guy just gets better and better the more you need him. There is not one player on any team in the league that I would want up in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the game on the line more than Jeter. Not Pujols, not A-Rod, nobody.
Props to Jeter. Let’s bring one home this year.
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