MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

[Chip Douglass]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

You don't to be good in the first place to be overrated.

To be overrated, I think there needs to be a basis on which someone can rate you in the first place.

With 2011 Jeter, none exists.

[ChampN252]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

this poll was likely done with a bunch of sour bench warmers. I'd take any of those guys on the list on my team.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

this poll was likely done with a bunch of sour bench warmers. I'd take any of those guys on the list on my team.

I don't think that was ever said. "Overrated" = rating not as high as claimed, nothing more and nothing less. That "claim" can come through by majority opinion, salary, draft pick in fantasy baseball, video game overall rating, etc. That does not mean any of these players are bad.

[ComfortablyLomb]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

It seems like a lot of the voting was based off who is most overpaid rather than most overrated.

Who exactly is rating JD Drew highly? I'm not entirely convinced he was too badly overpaid over the length of his Sox contract since he had relatively big years in 2008 and 2009. He's had a DL stint or two a year and the fans and media have made attacked him over the life of his contract but it's not like he hasn't been productive. Not the worst fielder either.

Or how about Joba Chamberlain? How is he overrated? His stock has crashed and burned. He's got to be one of the biggest (*chuckle*) disappointments but overrated?

Jeter? The guy has been a hit machine his entire career. Opinions seem to vary widely regarding his defense (the stat guys think his range is awful) but based on production at the plate alone he's been pretty much tremendous for a long time. His current contract is of course a joke - he looks like he's losing it at the plate and the Yankees gave him $51M. Overpaid but probably not overrated.

Papelbon? What more is he supposed to do? He's starting to lose his fastball and his secondary stuff is at best inconsistent but he's gotten the job done in a high pressure town for several years.

Ortiz? Really? He's had a pretty great run as a DH in Boston.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

It seems like a lot of the voting was based off who is most overpaid rather than most overrated.

Who exactly is rating JD Drew highly? I'm not entirely convinced he was too badly overpaid over the length of his Sox contract since he had relatively big years in 2008 and 2009. He's had a DL stint or two a year and the fans and media have made attacked him over the life of his contract but it's not like he hasn't been productive. Not the worst fielder either.

Or how about Joba Chamberlain? How is he overrated? His stock has crashed and burned. He's got to be one of the biggest (*chuckle*) disappointments but overrated?

Jeter? The guy has been a hit machine his entire career. Opinions seem to vary widely regarding his defense (the stat guys think his range is awful) but based on production at the plate alone he's been pretty much tremendous for a long time. His current contract is of course a joke - he looks like he's losing it at the plate and the Yankees gave him $51M. Overpaid but probably not overrated.

Papelbon? What more is he supposed to do? He's starting to lose his fastball and his secondary stuff is at best inconsistent but he's gotten the job done in a high pressure town for several years.

Ortiz? Really? He's had a pretty great run as a DH in Boston.

I think the other factor I left out was overall exposure. Like I said, the AL East gets a whole lot of it, specifically Boston and New York. They're so overrated because players of their caliber are being underrated by not being exposed or valued.

And one of the biggest problems with Papelbon is that he can't hold runners, at all. If he lets the tying run reach base, he gets in trouble.

[jack1535]

Thats one of the most rediculous polls I have ever encountered. First of all, SI has some nerve asking professional athletes to disrespect their colleagues for such a trivial and unquantifiable thing as an "who's overrrated" poll. Secondly, the players who actually responded to that poll should be ashamed of themselves for being so amateur. I have no doubt that the players who responded were new to the league or less-than-mediocre athletes without a clue how to be a professional.

Consider Jeter and ARod and count their number of World Series rings, AL MVP titles, Hank Aaron awards, Babe Ruth awards, Silver Slugger awards, Gold Gloves, All-Star MVP titles, World Series MVP titles, and Rookie of the Year awards. Then take note of the fact that Jeter is days away from hitting his 3000th hit. ARod will finish this season in 5th on the alltime HR list and 7th on the alltime RBI list. Both athletes are unquestionably first-ballot Hall of Famers.

Now consider the rarity of achieving so much in a single career. Consider the effort and the durability required required. I am willing to bet that not a single one of the players who responded to that poll would ever even dream of achieving as much as Jeter and ARod have without wetting the bed. Jealousy rots a human from within.

Overpaid? yes. Overrated? absolutely not.

If the Yankees didn't have 3 players on the list you would not be ripping on the players that voted.

[ComfortablyLomb]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

And one of the biggest problems with Papelbon is that he can't hold runners, at all. If he lets the tying run reach base, he gets in trouble.

That's not a Papelbon problem, that's a Red Sox problem. Tek's arm is terrible and Salty's isn't great either. I honestly don't think teams run enough against the Sox and some are already running wild.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

That's not a Papelbon problem, that's a Red Sox problem. Tek's arm is terrible and Salty's isn't great either. I honestly don't think teams run enough against the Sox and some are already running wild.

Papelbon doesn't even look at runners when he's pitching, and he's a >1.3 to the plate. That's his problem, not his catchers'.

[ComfortablyLomb]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

Papelbon doesn't even look at runners when he's pitching, and he's a >1.3 to the plate. That's his problem, not his catchers'.

You're right that he pays little attention but even if he were quick to the plate Tek isn't going to be throwing many guys out. His arm is toast.

[JBH3]

They talked about this yesterday on Around The Horn, and as Michael Smith said, "185 people do not make A-Rod's money, and have not had Derek Jeter's life." Some weird ones. Joba? Who overrates Joba?

I think Joba is vastly overrated.

He was the heir apparent to Mo. Then supposed to be this ace in the making. Then he failed their, and was pulled back into the pen....all the while, during his transitioned to the staff he's being interviewed like he's a Cy Young hopeful, and we're hearing reports of his Methhead mom like as if we care because Joba is such an endearing figure for baseball. Please.......

[JBH3]

To further illustrate my point on Joba, ESPN, in grand fashion, as dedicated the front page of their MLB section to the aptly named report of "Joba Drama".

Where oh where will the team with all the resources in the world POSSIBLY find a replacement foe the 7th/8th inning. OMG! Its all over for the Yankees!

Really? This dude is not overrated as hell? Ok.....

[DieHardYankee26]

To further illustrate my point on Joba, ESPN, in grand fashion, as dedicated the front page of their MLB section to the aptly named report of "Joba Drama".

Where oh where will the team with all the resources in the world POSSIBLY find a replacement foe the 7th/8th inning. OMG! Its all over for the Yankees!

Really? This dude is not overrated as hell? Ok.....

What does ESPN's MLB page having him on the front have to do with him being overrated? ESPN would do the same thing if Freddy Garcia got hurt. They had it on the front page when Phil Hughes went down. This is the largest sports network in the world dramatizing (as all news stations do) the impact of a fallen asset of the most polarizing team in the sport, not acting as if Joba is the second coming.

[JBH3]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

What does ESPN's MLB page having him on the front have to do with him being overrated? ESPN would do the same thing if Freddy Garcia got hurt. They had it on the front page when Phil Hughes went down. This is the largest sports network in the world dramatizing (as all news stations do) the impact of a fallen asset of the most polarizing team in the sport, not acting as if Joba is the second coming.

Phil Hughes is a starter who ate up 176 innings last year on his way to 18 wins. I can see why his injury would be front page news.

Garcia, which is a horrible hypothetical BTW, has eaten up 58 innings, and has been a serviceable arm on the back-end of a thin rotation. His injury would be significant to some extent since the market for pitching come July will be slim.

A Joba Chamberlain can be found on the worst team in baseball's roster in the form of Glen Perkins for crying out loud - compare their production. The Yanks could probably send cash and some "to be named later" players for someone like Perkins.

Why is Joba getting some treatment like he's key piece in winning #28?

[DieHardYankee26]

Phil Hughes is a starter who ate up 176 innings last year on his way to 18 wins. I can see why his injury would be front page news.

Garcia, which is a horrible hypothetical BTW, has eaten up 58 innings, and has been a serviceable arm on the back-end of a thin rotation. His injury would be significant to some extent since the market for pitching come July will be slim.

A Joba Chamberlain can be found on the worst team in baseball's roster in the form of Glen Perkins for crying out loud - compare their production. The Yanks could probably send cash and some "to be named later" players for someone like Perkins.

Why is Joba getting some treatment like he's key piece in winning #28?

Because he's on the Yankees. Again, everyone on the team gets more publicity than usual. That's not Jobas fault, that's ESPN. And again, that's not overrating him, that's over publicizing him.

And Phil pitched awful the entire second half of this year, and was getting beat up worse this year. He is far from the missing piece of our team this year.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Players Poll: Most Overrated Player

Because he's on the Yankees. Again, everyone on the team gets more publicity than usual. That's not Jobas fault, that's ESPN.

To be fair, it's no one's fault that they are overrated. You think Alex Rodriguez put that on himself? Okay, so he has two paintings above his bed of him as a centaur, but that's besides the point.