In a June issue of Sports Illustrated, MLB athletes were asked, “Whom would you pick to build a team around?” The results showed Alex Rodriguez ranked first and Derek Jeter second. In another issue printed a week later, SI surveyed 495 Major League Baseball players asking them, “Who was the most overrated baseball player? Surprisingly, Derek Jeter was on top of that list. The players voted him the most overrated player in the game, holding ten percent of the overall tally. His Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez was tied for third in the poll with seven percent. Are Derek Jeter and his Yankees running-mate really overrated or simply over hated for being so talented?
How can Jeter be the most overrated player in the league, yet be such an important building block for a great team? The Yanks have made the playoffs for thirteen consecutive seasons, and went on to the World Series six of those thirteen times. Jeter has won the World Series four times with New York. He was the AL Rookie of the Year and has not missed out on the playoffs in his entire MLB career. If that does not make him a great asset to a team, what does? DJ is a great player and would be an asset to any team he plays on.
He does not have the explosive numbers like that of A-Rod, but he plays a crucial role on defense and is a clutch hitter in the playoffs. Is Jeter really an overrated player or do the Yankees just have that many haters out there? Jeter reportedly dated 6 girls on Maxim’s top ten, not to mention Jessica Biel…how bad can he be? Do you agree with the SI survey? Who do you think is the most overrated player in the MLB?