As the title suggests, today’s WAR lens focuses in on shortstops from around the league. This of course includes our very own, El Capitán. Before you read the rest of this post please understand the following:
1) WAR is not the be-all end-all to sabermetrics by any means, and yes, it isn’t perfect.
2) WAR attempts to incorporate both offense and defense. Consider oWAR for the exclusion of defensive value.
3) WAR is designed to represent the number of wins a player adds to the team above what a replacement player (AAA/AAAA) might contribute.
4) WAR value translation: 8-plus is an MVP-caliber performance; 5-plus is an All-Star-caliber performance; 2-plus is starter-level; 0 to 2 would be a reserve; and below zero is Replacement Level.
5) The objective of this exercise is to provide a brief synopysis of how each Yankee player is valued relative to other similarly positioned players around the league in comparison to a replacement level player (your typical AAA guy). This is not intended to be an evaluation of the players’ specific abilities.
At the risk of acquiring more hate mail for not guzzling the Derek Jeter Kool-Aid©, I’m going to try and make some unbiased observations. Firstly, it comes to no surprise to anyone in their right mind that Derek Jeter hasn’t posted his typical offensive stats this season. Therefore, it should come as little surprise to anyone in their right mind that his oWAR isn’t as high as guys like Troy Tulowitzki or Hanley Ramirez who both have been excellent with the bat and have been absolutely destroying the ball.
With that being said, he does rank fairly similarly (this year, mind you) to players such as Stephen Drew, Jose Reyes and Marco Scutaro who are all more-than-respectable shortstops. Perhaps the appropriate conclusion to be drawn here is that Jeter is still a valuable shortstop (although who knows for how long) and is still favorable offensively. Although he might not have elite offensive ability anymore (Kevin Long may take offense to that ever since his intervention), Jeter is still more productive than most shortstops. Clearly, there is value in that! On a side note, when taking a look at Jeter’s 2009 stats, his season becomes that much more incredible. He really was enjoying renaissance highs in nearly every category, while simultaneously defying Father Time.
On the other hand, he’s tied for the worst dWAR of the group. Even last year when he had improved on his range, he was only valued at a 0.3 dWAR which is ever so slightly above replacement level (as opposed to his 2010 dWAR of -1, or just below). This really shouldn’t surprise anyone given his age and the fact that he’s always had mediocre horizontal movement. Yet, at the same time, I can’t help but notice that Jeter’s dWAR really isn’t that far off from anyone else on the list. Cliff Pennington, who has the highest value, is at positive 1.2. That’s only a 2.2-dWAR spread which ultimately seems rather negligible. Basically, a shortstop who is essentially serviceable defensively combined with a plus-bat, is still a worthwhile commodity. The Yankees seem to recognize this fact as do most other organizations.
In terms of actual salary, Jeter is on an entirely different plane, far removed from everyone else (which of course is why he’s scrutinized far more severely than everyone else). The next-highest paid shortstop, Reyes, is making less than half what Jeter is making. Without completely rehashing the pending salary discussion (debate), it’s clear that Jeter’s contribution is coming at significant expense. Honestly though, what else is new? This is NY. They are the Yankees and he is Derek Jeter.
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0 Responses to Comparing Derek Jeter to other shortstops via WAR
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TIQ IQ
Well, you just threw away any credibility you had by calling Jose Reyes a "more-than-respectable shortstop." Never mind that he's Flushing scum, he has NEVER been respectable. He's a joke in the field, and he can't hit when it matters. The only people who think he was EVER better than Jeter, including now, are Yankee-Haters and the same delusional Metheads who thought Rey Ordonez was better once upon a time.
Bottom line: Jeter wins, so he is worth the money.
What else is new?
Lets try 2009 world series champs
Lets try to equate leadership in the club house into war
That's right they are the Yankees Go Yanks!!!!
Help me, Jebus!!!! I've lost my credibility…
UM – Setting aside any character flaws, it'd be foolish to deny the fact that Reyes is a talented player. It wasn't so long ago that he was referred to as the "most exciting player" in the game. In case you're interested, here are some stats that pretty much disprove everything you just claimed.
Jeter 2010 Triple Slash – .267/.334/.372
Reyes Career Triple Slash – .286/.335/.434
Reyes 2010 Triple Slash – .284/.323/.430
Reyes 2010 Triple Slash w/ RISP – .295/.349/.411
Bottom Line: It's not that unreasonable of a comparison given the season each player is currently having. Also please see #5 in my disclaimer noted above. It was directed at you.
Anon- I was being facetious. My point is simply that the Yankees have no problem spending the cash. Obviously, we are all the benefactors.
My head hurts.
I would spend my time expanding on jose reyes, but i don't believe my Uncle Mike would fully understand. After all, he is from "central jersey, where men are men." I wish i was deep enough in my mom's basement to find stats for senor reyes since about june 1st, when he actually started to play like he wasn't injured (hint….they're even better than his current season stats).
rather than spend time defending against obviously stupid comments, i'd much rather point out a bit of brilliance in a post by my own uncle mike on his "ULTRA-awesome blog for ULTRA-awesome yankee fans who base their existence on how many championships the YANKEEZZZ have won!!!". he says "[The Rays have] never really been in a Pennant race before. In 2008, they finished 2 games ahead of the Red Sox, but knew they had the Wild Card in their back pocket if they didn't win….Now, of course, they again have the Wild Card to fall back on. But they have to know that, if they get it, they won't have home-field advantage in any series."
So in 2008 they knew they had the wild card in their back pocket, so they played themselves into the world series, but now, in 2010, since they also have the wild card in their back pocket, they will not do anything along those lines? I understand the logic
As an aside, I was in a movie with Olga Kurylenko…and she got naked.
I'm not really sure what to make of your post but I give you credit for making me laugh out loud. I appreciate the humor.
On a side note, you were also pretty funny in The Girl Next Door.
I apologize for being hammered while writing my last comment. It was meant as an affront on my Uncle Mike, rather than a comment on your post, which I, for the most part, agree with. It was laced with sarcasm and seething hatred, the likes of which can only be summoned by a man who was forced to play second fiddle to Steve Zahn in The Perfect Getaway.