Unzipping 2015: Comparing Boston and New York - Shortstop

In the last installment we saw statistically what we all knew instinctively:

1. Dustin Pedroia is superior across the board to Stephen Drew.
2. Yankee management was insane to sign Drew

Shortstop is going to be much closer. Boston has former top-prospect Xander Bogaerts entering his second full season while New York is replacing the legendary* Derek Jeter with four-year veteran Didi Gregorius.

What's interesting about these two players is how similar they stack up. Bogaerts was a little better with the bat but Gregorius was a little better in the field. So how are they projected this year?

Boston: Xander Bogaerts

2015: 147 G | 144 H | 53 RBI | .263 BA | .322 OBP | .409 SLG | .731 OPS | 2.5 WAR | Cost per WAR: $217,200 | Age: 22

New York: Didi Gregorius

2015: 132 G | 123 H | 48 RBI | .251 BA | .307 OBP | .369 SLG | .676 OPS | 1.8 WAR | Cost per WAR: $281,389 | Age: 25

As you can see, Bogaerts has the edge here in plate production. But this is definitely the closest we have seen when it comes to value.

Some people were dismissive of the Yankees when they traded for Gregorius. But he is actually a pretty smart signing for New York. And here is why: 0.9 WAR. That is the average WAR per year that Derek Jeter provided to the Yankees from 2010-2014. Gregorius doubles that amount for literally pennies on the dollar compared to Jeter and his salary. And Gregorius's glove should be better as well (a low bar to clear, to be sure). As dumb as the Stephen Drew signing was...that is how smart Cashman was to trade for Gregorius.

That said, however, won't change the fact that the Red Sox come out ahead here. And not only because Bogaerts should provide more bang for the buck. Bogaerts is also a home-grown player, which gives the Red Sox more financial flexibility for the next few years. He is also three years younger than Gregorius.

The only wild-card that could change this outlook is Bogaerts' glove. Last year he got jerked around between short and third and he suffered for it. Bogaerts never looked comfortable at all in the field in 2014 and it showed. If that deficiency in the field continues and Gregorius performs to his standard (slightly above league average) that will even these two players out. Preventing runs counts as much as scoring them.

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* If slightly over-rated. Yes, he played hard and was great at the plate. But then we should also be able to admit his glove was average at best. He exceeded the league average for Range Factor at his position exactly once in 2005. That's not the hallmark of a great fielding shortstop.

Could We Hold Off on the Derek Jeter Tongue-bath For a Moment?

Derek Jeter is the greatest Yankee ever.

Derek Jeter is the greatest shortstop ever.

Derek Jeter is the greatest baseball player of all time.

Lord Almighty, make it stop. Please, make it stop.

Let me say this right now. Jeter is a great player. A definite Hall-of-Fame inductee. Possibly the best-hitting shortstop of all-time.

But he is not - not - the best Yankee ever, the best shortstop ever or the best player of all time. He deserves tons of respect and accolades for his career. But when people begin to attach superlatives over and over and over again that aren't accurate, it stokes a backlash that Jeter really doesn't deserve.

It makes people who don't root for the Yankees want to pull their hair out. It makes us dread the entire 2014 season. Not because of what Jeter can do mind you. No, we dread the incessant sucking-up and over-the-top statements we'll hear all year. Fox Sports will be unbearable. I can't ever imagine how the YES Network will function; Michael Kay will probably just cry for entire broadcasts, the sobbing occasionally punctuated by him incoherently mumbling "THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!" John Sterling is probably wandering the Bronx right now, bursting into places and screaming "El Capitaine!" at anyone who will listen.

This may, or may not, be John Sterling yelling at people.

Thank God I have whisky in the cabinet.

Anyway, let's address those three statements at the top of the piece. All stats from the excellent and awesome website baseball-reference.com.

Derek Jeter is the greatest Yankee ever

WAR

1. Babe Ruth: 142.7
2. Lou Gehrig: 112.5
3. Mickey Mantle: 109.7
4. Joe DiMaggio: 78.3
5. Derek Jeter: 71.6

Adjusted Batting Wins

1. Babe Ruth: 116.2
2. Lou Gehrig: 89.9
3. Mickey Mantle: 85.2
4. Joe DiMaggio: 49.4
5. Charlie Keller: 28.8
6. Bernie Williams: 28.5
7. Alex Rodriguez: 27.8
8. Derek Jeter: 26.1

Numbers don't lie, people. If you are talking about the greatest Yankees, you start with Ruth. After him comes the triumvirate of Gehrig, Mantle and DiMaggio. You can mix and match those guys although I personally think that Gehrig is pretty much ensconced at the second spot.

At that point Jeter comes into play. Being the fifth best Yankee of all-time is pretty damned amazing, considering the players that have been there. There is no need to inflate him and push him higher. It just looks ridiculous.

Although...I'd even place him sixth. Someone retired last year by the name of Mariano Rivera. First all-time on the Yankees in WAR for pitchers (56.6), second in career ERA (2.21) and Adjusted Pitching Wins (32.5), and the best career WHIP of any pitcher to wear a Yankees uniform (1.00). Oh, and 652 career saves, the best ever. It's kind of hard to leave Rivera out of the top five Yankees of all-time.