Is Derek Jeter the Most Overrated Athlete in American Sports History?

Jeter’s legacy is huge. Most of his statistics are generally unremarkable. 

Last Tuesday, Mariano Rivera deservedly became the first unanimous abduction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. The next most certain first-ballot Yankee to be inducted will be ‘The Captain,” Derek Jeter.

Right? It’s not even worth debating.

Many fans think of Derek Jeter as what it means to be a Yankee. Jeter knew how to win, and he knew the right way to do it. Jeter never uttered a regrettable word, no matter how often the New York media tried to trip him up.

Jeter has five rings, is the Yankees’ franchise leader in hits and games played, has five Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers titles. Who can forget that ‘flip play’ against the A’s in the 2001 ALDS?

While all of that is true, I think the New York media glorified Jeter. It’s ridiculous to conclude that Jeter is the best shortstop of his generation. It’s ludicrous to say that he’s the all-time best. 

As I see it, it’s possible to make a strident counter-argument–that Jeter is the most overrated athlete in the modern history of American sports! The way I see it, Jeter was a good player who ended up playing on some very good Yankees’ teams.

Despite frequently leading the MLB in plate appearances and managing to avoid the DL for the bulk of his career, Jeter only led the league in hits twice. Jeter’s OPS+ was just 115. He never topped 24 home runs in a year. He never won a batting title. He never won an MVP award.

Courtesy: huffingtonpost.com

Defensively, Jeter was a below-average defender, who should have been playing second or third base by the time A-Rod rolled into the Bronx. But didn’t Jeter win five Gold Glove awards at shortstop? Sure! But the Gold Glove voting is a popularity contest. And as captain of a team that plays in MLB’s biggest market, Jeter had a massive leg up every year.

Just looking at Jeter’s 2010 campaign shows how flawed the system is. Yes, Jeter led the American League with a fielding percentage of .989. But what does that mean? Fielding percentage is a measurement of the number of putouts and assists a player has divided by the chances he has. Fielding percentage only accounts for the number of errors a player has. It doesn’t account for the range a player has or the spectacular, run-saving highlights a player makes.

So, basically, Jeter’s high fielding percentage in 2010 only proves he consistently made easy plays, which hardly crowns him as the best fielder of the year or in history.

In order to get a better gauge of Jeter’s defensive deficiencies, look at his UZR. UZR accounts for where the ball is hit–comparing the fielder to the average fielder in the same area. UZR adjusts for factors like the stadium, pitcher’s tendencies, and how fast the ball is hit.

Let’s look at Jeter’s UZR during the years he won the Gold Glove award–in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010. In those year’s, Jeter’s UZR ranking was 13th, 24th, 21st, 4th, and 15th when compared to the 25 or so other eligible shortstops in the league during those respective years. The data tells us that–with the exception of 2009–Jeter was subpar, at best, during the prime of his defensive career.

Now, let’s look at Jeter’s career defensive WAR. Would you believe that this five-time Gold Glove winner had the worst career dWAR (-14.7) of ALL TIME?

Courtesy: CBS Local New York

The conclusion? If Jeter hadn’t played for the most popular team in baseball, I guarantee you he would have won at least four fewer Gold Gloves.

And while there are analysts who attribute Jeter’s low RBI totals to the fact that he spent much of his career as either the leadoff man or a two-hitter, I don’t buy that argument. Why? Jeter played for a team that won about 90 games a year and had formidable guys–like Jorge Posada, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, and A-Rod–hitting after you, year after year.

I wonder what Jeter’s numbers would have been like had he swapped places with another top shortstop of his generation, Miguel Tejada? Take away Jeter’s star-studded supporting cast, his postseason and World Series opportunities, and see if you still conclude that he’s the greatest shortstop of all time.

To be clear about things, Jeter is in ‘The Baseball Hall of Fame,” not ‘The MLB Hall of Fame.” Jeter will get into the Hall easily, not because he was the best player, but because he has a legacy.

Just think about how many kids emulate Jeter with jump-throws in their backyard and in Little League games. Think about how he served as a role model for millions of kids–and players–who love for the game.

Vote with those things in mind. They are two of the reasons why Derek Jeter should be in the Hall, likely a first-ballot inductee, too. Just don’t say that Jeter is the best of his generation or (please!) that he’s baseball’s shortstop GOAT!