Where does 2011 Jeter rank among SS?

By Steve S. On June 5, 2011 · 4 Comments · In Player Analysis

We all know by now that Derek Jeter is not the player he was in 2006, although when the decline started is still subject to some debate. We also know that offense is down (again) across baseball this year, and many fine offensive infielders (Hanley, , ) are having uncharacteristically bad seasons where age wouldn’t be considered a factor. With this in mind, I wanted to take a look at how Derek stacks up at his position for the 2011 season, both offensively and defensively.

I’ll use the Fangraphs leader board for this exercise. First, we’ll start with the basics. His .262 BA ranks 18th among the 25 qualifiers. His .329 OBP puts him at 14th. His .300 wOBA comes in at 14th as well. Defensively, he surprisingly holds up better than he does with his bat. He’s 10th in UZR/150 at -0.3. His supporters will point to how sure handed he is with the glove, and his 6th ranked +1.6 ErrR bears this out. But his overall DRS comes in at -4, which ties him for 13th with Boston’s Jed Lowrie. All totaled, Derek ranks 16th among all MLB shortstops in WAR at 0.6 for the season. At roughly the 1/3 mark of the season, that would project to 1.8 WAR for the year, which would be the lowest mark of his 17 year career, and even lower than his disappointing 2.8 WAR from 2010.

The Yanks may want to keep him in the lead off spot so as to not take anything away from his march to 3000, but even on his own team his .329 OBP ranks 7th among the 9 starters, and his .327 SLG ranks 9th. The Yanks may be able to live with Derek as their SS for another year or so, but once his milestone is out of the way they need to take a serious look at batting him in the bottom of the order. That’s what his production calls for at this point of his career.

 
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4 Responses to Where does 2011 Jeter rank among SS?

  1. DW says:
    June 5, 2011 at 10:45 am

    Jeter stinks!!!

    Remember that all first pa of the game is in daylight! Even more likely now that the days are getting longer his second pa will be in daylight. All you have to do is look at his numbers against relievers/night games to know that THE JETER is done as a productive ballplayer.

    There is NO way I want that bum playing in the post season in night games.

    [Reply]

  2. oldpep says:
    June 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

    I think UZR having him where it does shows more about that stat than it does about him.

    Given the small change it would make, I can’t see much gain in moving him from the lead-off spot. It would be a huge story and would make Gardner (or whoever) into a media target.

    Posada, on the other hand…

    [Reply]

  3. Duh, Innings! says:
    June 5, 2011 at 11:59 am

    I’d drop him to eighth in the order now, too bad if it takes him a little longer to collect his 3000th hit. I didn’t know his milestone was more important than what’s best for the team which him batting leadoff with a pathetic .329 OBP most certainly isn’t. I’d then drop him to ninth if he didn’t get it done in the #8 slot, too bad if he wouldn’t like it. He can retire after this year then since he’s untradeable ($33M if he doesn’t pick up his 2014 player option, $41M if he does after this year.)

    The Yankees, namely Shallow Hal and Hankenstein, were fools to give Jeter three years and a player option for a fourth year. They should’ve given him a one-year $15M take it or leave it deal because what would he have done, collected his 3000th hit with who? No NL team would’ve signed him and if one of them did, good, he’s out of the AL. He’d have never signed with Baltimore, Seattle, Oakland, Toronto, Kansas City, Minnesota, or Cleveland. Most of those teams wouldn’t have been able to afford him anyway. The Rangers have Elvis Andrus, the Angels have Erik Aybar, and the Chi-Sox have Alexi Ramirez. No way Jeter becomes the ultimate turncoat and signs with Boston or Tampa Bay. Detroit would’ve been his only suitor. Had he signed with them and was their Opening Day 2011 leadoff hitter, he would’ve been the first batter the Yankees would’ve faced in 2011 LOL. And it would’ve been the only time Jeter would’ve appeared at Yankee Stadium this year barring him returning there in the ALDS or ALCS if the Tigers made the postseason and drew the Yankees in either series (improbable but not impossible ifs.) If he was unable to play in that season opening season, he would not have played at Yankee Stadium this year and if he signed with an NL team next year after Detroit, there’d be a chance he’d never step foot in Yankee Stadium again as a player if the NL team he signed with wasn’t slated to play there in 2012 or they didn’t face the Yankees in the 2012 World Series.

    The Yankees should give him next year to right his ship and if he doesn’t, tell him he’s being released. If he doesn’t retire to avoid release, the Yankees should release him. He’ll retire to avoid release. The more and more I see him, the more and more I see a guy who comes off like he got his and doesn’t care to improve. Look at what he did just a few days after the season started: dropped the stance Kevin Long recommended to him. He rejects the help of a guy who is the primary reason outside of Granderson why Granderson is in the running for ALMVP. Now he can’t adopt Long’s stance cuz if he does and hits better, everyone will say “He should’ve listened to Long right off the bat” (pun intended.)

    I don’t hate or dislike Jeter, I just think he’s done as the hitter he was through April of last year and should’ve never received three years guaranteed and an option to get fourth year let alone two years when who in their right mind / who but a fucking idiot / who but W.B. Mason would pencil him in to be the starting SS or primary/full-time DH? That he wanted three years and a player option for a fourth year told me he’s living in denial. It also tells me he was scared to accept a one-year deal cuz he doesn’t think he’d be good enough this year to get another year or two. He must know he’d be a goner after this year if this was his final season under contract or he signed for 2011 only with how he’s hitting.

    Jeter does have one weapon left in his arsenal: the postseason. I think we all have to just grin and bear that Jeter will probably finish this year around what his slashline is now and hope he can produce a better one in October. I think he could as all bets are off in the postseason.

    [Reply]

    Duh, Innings! Reply:
    June 5th, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    I meant to say who in their right mind would start him at SS or DH in 2013 or 2014?

    Does he REALLY think he’ll be the starting SS or DH, or start in the OF in 2013 or 2014? If he does, he is definitely living in denial and it’ll be ugly, and then I will lose respect for him by then cuz he’d be taking money from the Yankees then. Money he has earned by virtue of getting the contract, but boy, did he suck while taking it. I think I can speak for legions of Yankee fans when I write that I don’t want him fading in his final five or so years to be a lasting memory.

    Please retire after this year Derek, or risk sucking for a third straight season (2012) and being ok or worse in four of your last five seasons (2008 on.)

    [Reply]

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