Fact: Derek Jeter had the fourth worst plus/minus figure at shortstop in 2004 at -16. Fact: Derek Jeter had the second worst plus/minus figure at shortstop in 2005 at -34.
Fact: Derek Jeter had the second worst plus/minus figure at shortstop in 2006 at -22.
Fact: Derek Jeter is tied for the worst plus/minus figure at shortstop thus far in 2007
at -34.
Fact: Virtually every other fielding metric shows similar results.
But Jeter won Gold Gloves in 2004, 2005 and 2006. And he’ll probably win again this year. As my good friend Carmen Corica used to say, “Don’t let facts cloud the issues.”
The issue is that Derek Jeter is the best shortstop in baseball. The first shortstop I would pick in all of baseball to play for my team this year or next year would be Derek Jeter (though I would have to consider putting A-Rod back at short as well). Jeter is great offensively and has tremendous leadership skills. But he is not one of the best defensively. The managers and coaches who vote for the Gold Gloves have a hard time separating the best defensive shortstop from the best shortstop.
Here are some more facts to cloud this year’s issues. These are the shortstop plus/minus leaders and trailers at shortstop as we head into the final days of the season:
Leaders
| Name | Plus/Minus |
| Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies | +34 |
| John McDonald, Blue Jays | +26 |
| Omar Vizquel, Giants | +19 |
| Jason Bartlett, Twins | +19 |
| Tony F. Pena, Royals | +18 |
Trailers
| Name | Plus/Minus |
| Derek Jeter, Yankees | -35 |
| Hanley Ramirez, Marlins | -35 |
| Brendan Harris, Devil Rays | -19 |
| Michael Young, Rangers | -15 |
| David Eckstein, Cardinals | -15 |
The Fielding Bible Awards are our alternative to the Gold Gloves. Adam Everett won our first Fielding Bible Award at shortstop last year and was leading in plus/minus by a wide margin at the time of his injury this year. But despite having played only about a third of the season, he just misses the top five list above at +17.
The Fielding Bible Awards are announced on November 1 in the Bill James Handbook. My first-place vote at shortstop will be going to last year’s runner up to Everett, Omar Vizquel. Troy Tulowitzki will be high on my list as well, maybe even ranked second, but I want to see if his defense is for real next year.
Derek Jeter didn’t make the top ten in the Fielding Bible Awards voting last year and I predict he won’t make it again. He’s certainly not in my top ten when I submit my ballot.
I developed the Plus/Minus System in my book The Fielding Bible about a year ago as a way to measure defensive ability. A number around zero indicates average. If a player is +5, it means he has handled five more plays than could be expected from an average player at his position. A figure of -3, for example, would indicate handling three fewer plays than the average player. For more on the Fielding Bible Awards and the Plus/Minus System, go to www.FieldingBible.com