OT: Derek Jeter Underrated?

Submitted by Drake on
Even though he is a huge M fan, and even went to UM (for like a day), I never liked Jeter and found him to be extremely overrated but apparently Joe Posnanski thinks he is underrated this year. "Look: He's hitting .330 through Tuesday and has a .394 on-base percentage -- tied with A-Rod for best on the Yankees. He's on pace for 218 hits, 109 runs, 21 homers. 27 stolen bases. He's having a great offensive season, quite similar to the season last year's MVP, Boston's Dustin Pedroia, had." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/08/19/jeter…
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ThWard

August 19th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^

I'm sort of neutral on him, but dude makes $20 million a year and is widely considered the face of baseball. He's a helluva player, but I'm not sure how he could ever be underrated.

Joined: 07/10/2008

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bouje

August 19th, 2009 at 2:01 PM ^

Gotta agree I don't see how he can be under-rated. I actually will say that he is adequately rated. Not over-rated not under-rated..... just... rated

Joined: 09/30/2008

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willywill9

August 19th, 2009 at 5:20 PM ^

He can be viewed as under rated given all the negative attention he's received for his "defensive decline." But in fact, he's having a pretty strong defensive year, coupled with an outstanding offensive year. I don't really watch ESPN much anymore, but there hasn't been quite the buzz as there has been in the past about him. I live in NY, and on the papers you either see something about A-Rod, Texeira, Joba, or Mariano.

Joined: 09/22/2008

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Mlaw2010

August 19th, 2009 at 2:20 PM ^

I would actually say that he is underrated. I think the success he had early in his career made a lot of fans begin to think of him as a baseball god. This led to a lot of people overrating him. Then, when people realized he wasn't as good as their outlandish expectations made him out to be, they began saying he was overrated. That opinion has prevailed since then and most people now don't give him enough credit for how talented he is. To summarize: was so overrated that he is now underrated.

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ThWard

August 19th, 2009 at 2:23 PM ^

What evidence is there there that this "opinion" that he's overrated has "prevailed"? Not his $20 million/year contract, nor his playing in every All Star Game since 2004 (save for one year), right? I mean, sure, anecdotally, a lot of people probably rip him... but a lot of non-Yankees fans rip Yankees players out of habit. I can't see any basis for determining that the opinion that Derek Jeter - face of baseball, $20million/year, perennial All Star - is overrated has "prevailed."

Joined: 07/10/2008

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Mlaw2010

August 19th, 2009 at 2:45 PM ^

First of all, look at the poll that was posted above - the players decided that a .317 career hitter was the most overrated player in baseball. Sure makes it seem like the idea that he is overrated has prevailed. Furthermore, your argument supported my claim that people see him as overrated. Fans rip him as being overrated - regardless of the reason (he's a Yankee, his contract, etc), that sentiment has existed for the better part of the last decade. Regardless of how people have looked at him, there is no mistaking that his numbers make him one of the greatest shortstops of all time (even his defense has rebounded nicely this season). Thus, anybody who doesn't put him in that category is underrating him.

Joined: 11/10/2008

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Real Tackles Wear 77

August 19th, 2009 at 5:26 PM ^

I believe the only time Jeter has failed to make the AL all-star team since his first appearance in 1998 was in 2003, when he hurt his shoulder on opening day in Toronto and missed a couple of months. Also in 2006, he should have been a runaway choice for MVP but the anti-Yankee media (which had consistently snubbed Joe Torre for MOY several times and other Yankees for awards they deserved) chose Justin Morneau instead. Morneau is a great player and deserved the MVP as well, but if you compare the stats of those two that year, Jeter was superior.

Joined: 07/05/2008

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mattbern

August 19th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

Does not get the respect that he deserves. he puts up numbers year after year and is a class act. DOesn't run his mouth, doesn't get into trouble off the field. I don't see how that's overrated. Ii'm not necessarily trying to say the he is underrated, but i am sick of people saying that he is overrated. He is a rare talent who is a big reason why the Yankees have been one of, if not THE, best team(s) in baseball since i've been a fan.

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Wide Open

August 19th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

I don't know that opposing teams are exactly quaking in their boots when he comes up to bat like earlier in his career. At the same time he's knocking on the door of 3,000 hits already, and someone told me he has more hits before age 35 than Pete Rose. (Though I can't explain how he won any gold gloves let alone three or four. It's probably the overratedness.)

Joined: 07/02/2008

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MH20

August 19th, 2009 at 4:47 PM ^

I think he makes too much money for his overall production. He is a very good hitter (well above .300 career) but has average power and somewhere between below average to average defense (depending on what you read/believe). He is very steady but is overpaid by the Yankees. However, they overpay everyone so it really doesn't matter.

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Real Tackles Wear 77

August 19th, 2009 at 5:19 PM ^

I'm sorry, I was brought up in a long line of Yankee fans, but of all the players one could choose to blindly criticize (and yes, there certainly are Yankees past and present who do deserve some criticism), Derek Jeter is the last one who should be mentioned. He will be a unanimous selection for the Hall of Fame on his first time on the ballot, and is a proven winner and champion, and the unquestioned face of the most visible franchise in all of professional sports. Literally the only inconsistency in his game has been defensively, but this has never been a liability to the Yankees. Not only that, but he has continued to excel in the "steroid era" while never being mentioned for any suspicious behaviors, and is generally one of the most respected playersin baseball by teammates, opponents and the media. If anything, Derek Jeter is underrated, and anyone who claims otherwise is just desperate for material at this slow time of year.

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Mlaw2010

August 20th, 2009 at 1:48 AM ^

I agree with pretty much all that you said. I grew up and spend summers in New York and I have seen at least part of every game the Yankees have played for the last 8 years (thank you MLB.tv). I think you have to see him play every day to appreciate what it is he brings to a team and his consistency. The one thing I'll disagree with you on is the idea that he is going to be a unanimous selection to the HOF. Nobody has been a unanimous choice to the baseball HOF and there are some writers who simply won't vote for a player on the first ballot. So he'll get a percentage in the high 90's, but I'd be surprised if he's unanimously selected. However, given the era he played in and the fact that he (seemingly) was clean his entire career maybe that will change.

Joined: 11/10/2008

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DoubleB

August 19th, 2009 at 6:54 PM ^

to be a good, not great, hitter and average at best defensive shortshop. He's 21st in the AL right now in OPS. If you only look at his road splits (because of the hitting prowess of the new Yankee Stadium), he'd be around 33. He was 40th in OPS in 2008, 25th in 2007. He plays a traditional non-power position at SS so he deserves credit for that, but there is no way that he's worth the money he gets. For all his hype, by definition he is overrated. Being overrated doesn't mean he sucks. It's means he's not as good as the average fan probably thinks. He might be one of the top 20 players in the AL. He doesn't sniff the top 10.

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