The Jeter/ Teixeira Debate

A huge debate sprung up today at the announcement of the AL MVP. No, it wasn't that Joe Mauer won, that was a bit of a foregone conclusion. Rather, the debate was about who finished second and third in the voting. Many Yankee fans were upset that Mark Teixeira finished ahead of Derek Jeter in the MVP race.

So, before this turns into Mantle/ Maris II, I thought I'd take a look at some numbers. Now, I'm no Bill James but what I found is pretty interesting.

It's no secret that Derek Jeter had a renaissance year of sorts in 2009, especially in the field, where he earned his first Gold Glove since 2006. But the player who won the Gold Glove at 1st base also wears pinstripes. coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Jeter's fielding percentage for 2009 was .986, up from .979 in 2008. His errors also dropped from 12 in 2008 to 8 in 2009. But how much did the change in players at 1st base help this trend? Afterall, Mark Teixeira is known as one of the best fielding 1st baseman in the game. Jason Giambi and the resident platoon of 2008 certainly don't compare.

Turns out, not so much. Lets look around the infield to see fielding comparisons from 2008 to 2009. The players didn't change, with the exception of first base. So the comparison will be fair. Here's the breakdown:

2nd Base, Robinson Cano- 2008: .984%/ 13 Errors & 2009: .984%/ 12 Errors

Short Stop, Derek Jeter- 2008: .979%/ 12 Errors & 2009: .986%/ 8 Errors

3rd Base, A-Rod- 2008: .970%/ 10 Errors & 2009: .967%/ 9 Errors

1st Base, Jason Giambi/Richie Sexson- 2008: .994%/ 11 Errors & Mark Teixeira- 2009: .997%/ 4 Errors.

Cano and Rodriguez had similar fielding years despite the marked defensive upgrade at 1st base. So, it seems that's Jeter's resurgence had more to do with himself than with the glove of Teixeira inserted at 1st base for the 2009 season.

Now onto the offense. Jeter finished the 2009 season with a .334 average. His 212 hits were second only to perennial hts leader Ichiro. He acounted for 107 of the Yankees 915 runs. That's 11% of the Yankees total offense. Comparatively, Mark Teixeira drove in 122 runs, good for 13% of the teams total offense. Also, Jeter's run total is good for 4th in the AL, tied with teammate Johnny Damon. Conversely, Teixeira's RBI total was best in the AL, as was his 39 home runs (tied with Tampa's Carlos Pena). Those power numbers are the stats that the BBWAA fall in love with. Also, you can argue that Teixeira didn't get untracked until Alex Rodriguez came back from hip surgery in May. But Teixeira is a notoriously slow starter, and he finished with numbers that you would likely find on the back of his baseball card.

This argument comes down to intangibles and affection. Maybe this is already like Mantle vs. Maris? Mark Teixeira is already and will continue to be a beloved Yankee figure, especially if the Yankees keep winning World Series Titles. But Derek Jeter resides in the rare air of the Yankee Hierarchy. And, at least in the fans minds, no one is better.

I will say this. Jeter does have those "Intangibles" that everyone always talks about. The problem is, unless it's October, you're a die hard fan who doesn't miss a game, or a member of the media who covers the Yankees on a daily basis, you don't get to see it in action. The intangibles don't make it on Sportscenter. But, the home runs and RBI do.

In the end, I think that both Jeter and Teixiera were mutually beneficial of each other's abilities in garnering consideration for MVP. I'm sure both are much more concerned with the hardware they did receive in 2009 that the hardware they didn't. Namely, the World Series Trophy.

-Mike Tursi