Cardinals: Was Albert Pujols really inferior to Derek Jeter?

Offense

Pujols was a thumper, a middle-of-the-order terror, during his 11 years in St. Louis.  He pummeled pitchers virtually from day one in the majors.  While he never again approached his peak with the Angels, he still was a productive bat for his first half-decade in Anaheim before tailing off significantly.  And lest we forget, he rebounded following his release last summer to have a strong half-season with the Dodgers.

Jeter arrived in New York as a fully-formed star pretty much from the get-go.  His rookie year slash numbers of .314/.370/.430 are a virtual match for his career .310/.377/.440 totals.  On average, he was the same excellent table-setter for 20 years as he was his first year.

Of course, the expectations for these two hitters differed based on where they hit in the lineup and where they played the field.  We’ll get to the latter aspect later, focusing first on the details of their hitting skills.

Given the similar number of trips to the plate each player took, let’s look at several counting stats as a way of comparison, listing the player with the advantage first.

Hits: Jeter = 3465, Pujols = 3301

Doubles: Pujols = 672, Jeter = 544

Triples: Jeter = 66, Pujols = 16

Home runs: Pujols = 679, Jeter = 260

Runs: Jeter = 1923, Pujols = 1872

RBI: Pujols = 2150, Jeter = 1311

Strikeouts: Pujols = 1349, Jeter = 1840

Walks: Pujols = 1345, Jeter = 1082

Total Bases: Pujols = 6042, Jeter = 4921

Not only does Pujols lead 6-3 in category wins, he leads in the most important categories, and often by substantial margins.  And when he trails, it’s not by much – unless you think triples are a crucial tool in evaluating a hitter.

How about in rate stats?  Let’s see.

Batting average: Jeter = .310, Pujols = .297

On-base percentage: Jeter = .377, Pujols = .375

Slugging percentage: Pujols = .544, Jeter = .440

OPS: Pujols = .919, Jeter = .817

OPS+: Pujols = 144, Jeter = 115

Jeter takes two of the first three categories – the second by a trivial amount – but when those rates are combined into a more all-inclusive number – one that is more revealing of overall talent – Pujols has more than a 100-point edge in on-base-plus-slugging.  And with park factors indicating a 29-point edge when comparing both hitters to average via OPS+.

Pujols was a remarkable hitter – one of the best in the game’s extensive history, particularly during is peak – and markedly better than the very good Jeter, a descriptor that is in no way a slight.  It’s simply reality, one that is all but impossible to refute.

How much of this deficit does Jeter gain back via baserunning?  What do the numbers say?

Stolen bases: Jeter = 358, Pujols = 116

SB%: Jeter = 78.7%, Pujols = 73.9%

GIDP: Jeter = 287, Pujols = 413

Jeter stole many more bases with a better success rate, and he didn’t hit into nearly the number of double plays.  Pujols’ total is the all-time record, while Jeter is in 14th place.  Of course, there generally has to be a runner on first to hit into double plays, and Pujols likely had more of those situations.  Still, Jeter gets the clear win here, though baserunning as an overall portion of offensive contributions is relatively minor.

(Sidenote: Pujols has been successful in his last 16 stolen base attempts, most recently getting caught on Sept. 19, 2015.)

When comparing their offensive profiles and contributions, Pujols is the obvious winner.  This is based largely on his power, which is a significant factor when evaluating a hitter.  Singles and stolen bases are nice; doubles and homers are better – much better.

Defense

Now the discussion gets really fun.  How do we compare a shortstop to a first baseman, with each position assigned the responsibility of performing very different tasks vs. the other.  One has to range left and right, snag grounders and liners, get in position to fire to the appropriate base.  The other has to react to balls faster (though with lower overall expectations), scoop short hops, and stretch to reign in errant throws.

An evaluation of Jeter’s defense yields a wide range of results.  We’ll touch on awards later, but let’s talk highlight reels now.  Jeter has two plays that epitomize his intelligence, grit, and determination.

The first is The Flip, his Oct. 13, 2000, stunner of a play I still can’t believe happened.  Who backs up the backup relay receiver on a ball thrown by the right fielder, especially a shortstop?  Jeter had to range from his typical position in the hole between second and third bases to the first base line halfway between home and first, gather the errant throw, and backhand it to Jorge Posada, who tagged Jeremy Giambi‘s leg just before his foot touched the plate.  Un-be-liev-a-ble!

The second play is The Dive, his July 1, 2004, catch in foul territory against the Red Sox, of course.  Trot Nixon fouled a ball toward the stands partway up the left field line.  Jeter pursued it, caught the ball, and did a Superman dive into the stands.  He emerged bruised and bloodied, and with the ball.  Un-stopp-a-ble!

Pujols has no such highlight-reel plays, though he did play shortstop like Jeter – for two innings in 2002.  Pujols also spent time at left field, third base, right field, and another miniscule amount at second base.  That versatility early in his career was helpful to lineup construction, as he could be moved around to a few spots and allow other players to field their typical positions.  However, Pujols has played all but three innings at first base since 2015.  And of course, he’s been a designated hitter in 571 starts, with Jeter checking into that lineup spot 73 times.

Still, advanced defensive metrics, imperfect though they may be, paint a less pretty picture of Jeter’s defense than those two highlight-reel plays indicate.  Total Zone and Defensive Runs Saved consistently rate Jeter as below average throughout his career.  After all, there’s a reason a New York restaurant had a dish called Pasta Diving Jeter.

And then there was the controversy of Alex Rodriguez moving to third base upon joining the Yankees, a move made in deference to The Captain and in spite of the fact that A-Rod was the superior defender at shortstop.  No one could ever question Jeter’s heart, but they certainly could question his glove.

Pujols’ defense was a mixed bag, peaking at a very high level in his mid-20s as he gained a few years of experience at first base before tapering off as his age and injuries increased.

So how to compare a below-average defensive shortstop and a first baseman with a high peak and a long, slow decline?  Jeter played the tougher position with fervor, if not consistent excellence.  Pujols had it easier with the glove, so even if the newer numbers say he was an overall positive to Jeter’s negative, shortstop is significantly more difficult than first base.  Advantage, Jeter.

Milestones/Awards

Both players have achieved a great deal in their baseball careers, that’s obvious.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this debate.  But evaluating the round numbers they’re reached and honors they’ve received is yet another way to compare them to determine which player truly is better.  Let’s have another showdown.

3,000 hits: Jeter = yes, Pujols = yes

500 homers: Pujols = yes, Jeter = no

600 homers: Pujols = yes, Jeter = no

1,500 runs: Jeter = yes, Pujols = yes

2,000 RBI: Pujols = yes, Jeter = no

Jeter is sixth all time in hits, Pujols is 12th.  Pujols is fifth all time in homers, Jeter is 216th.  Jeter is 11th in runs scored, Pujols is 14th.  Pujols is third in RBI, Jeter is 105th.  In the categories Jeter leads, Pujols isn’t far behind.  In those which Pujols leads, Jeter is nowhere to be found.  Going by the big, round numbers, Pujols has a substantial advantage.

How about accolades?

MVPs: Pujols = 3, Jeter = 0

Top-10 MVP finishes: Pujols = 11, Jeter = 8

All-Star selections: Jeter = 14, Pujols = 10

Gold Gloves: Jeter = 5, Pujols = 2

Silver Sluggers: Pujols = 6, Jeter = 5

Rookie of the Year: Jeter = yes, Pujols = yes

World Series titles: Jeter = 5, Pujols = 2

Pujols finished in the top four in MVP voting each of his first six seasons, in the top 5 during 10 of his first 11 seasons, and in the top 10 every year he played for St. Louis.  Jeter’s longest stretch in the top 10 was four consecutive seasons, and he finished 10th in two of those years.

All-Star voting favored Jeter, the big-market star.  The combined number of precious metal awards favors Jeter, 10-8.  Both players were chosen as their league’s top first-year player.  And Jeter had better teammates more often, capturing three more championships.

But having better teammates really says nothing about the quality of these two players.  The individual superiority of Pujols is demonstrated by those three MVPs, who twice came in second behind Barry Bonds.

Conclusion

Whether it’s East Coast/Yankees media bias, a couple of awe-inspiring plays that will be featured in MLB highlight reels until the end of time, World Series titles, or some combination of all these factors and more, ESPN’s writers determined Derek Jeter is a better player than Albert Pujols.

That’s their prerogative, of course.  Inevitably, voting for something like this has a personal slant to it, much more so than Hall of Fame voting, and we all know how contentious that can be.  But when the intangible, inexplicable factors are taken out of the equation and the numbers and facts are examined, the answer is clear: Pujols has been a better major-league baseball player than Derek Jeter.  To try to argue differently is to ignore reality.