Top 100 Right Now, the MLB Network series that shines a light on the fascinating world of extreme hoarding ranks the best players in baseball, recently ended its 2013 run. I’m not sure who does the ranking, but it’s said to be based on the following criteria:
Snubbing Ben Zobrist
• Emphasized stats from the last three seasons, weighting 2012
• Projected 2013 performance
• Defensive position
• Accolades
• Intangibles
Here’s the complete list. See if you can pick out the obvious snub.
100. Ryan Howard - 1B - Phillies99. Sergio Romo - RP - Giants98. Yu Darvish - SP - Rangers97. Elvis Andrus - SS - Rangers96. Chase Utley - 2B - Phillies95. Adrian Gonzalez - 1B - Dodgers94. Jacoby Ellsbury - OF - Red Sox93. Victor Martinez - C/DH - Tigers92. Jordan Zimmermann - SP - Nationals91. Michael Bourn - CF - Indians90. Aroldis Chapman - P - Reds89. Adam Wainwright - SP - Cardinals88. Jon Lester - SP - Red Sox87. Mike Moustakas - 3B - Royals86. Brett Lawrie - 3B - Blue Jays85. Michael Morse - 1B/LF - Mariners84. Allen Craig - 1B - Cardinals83. Torii Hunter - RF - Tigers82. Carlos Beltran - RF - Cardinals81. Carlos Ruiz - C - Phillies80. Brian McCann - C - Braves79. Miguel Montero - C - Diamondbacks78. Curtis Granderson - CF - Yankees77. Jim Johnson - RP - Orioles76. Jason Motte - RP - Cardinals75. Ian Desmond - SS - Nationals74. Chase Headley - 3B - Padres73. Adam LaRoche - 1B - Nationals72. Yovani Gallardo - SP - Brewers71. Madison Bumgarner - SP - Giants70. Alex Gordon - LF - Royals69. B.J. Upton - CF - Braves68. James Shields - SP - Royals67. David Freese - 3B - Cardinals66. J.J. Hardy - SS - Orioles65. Kyle Lohse - SP - (FREE AGENT)64. Wade Miley - SP - Diamondbacks63. Johnny Cueto - SP - Reds62. Jonathan Papelbon - RP - Phillies61. Mariano Rivera - RP - Yankees60. David Ortiz - DH - Red Sox59. Jason Heyward - RF - Braves58. Austin Jackson - CF - Tigers57. Zack Greinke - SP - Dodgers56. Chris Sale - SP - White Sox55. Billy Butler - DH - Royals54. Bryce Harper - LF - Nationals53. Derek Jeter - SS - Yankees52. Starlin Castro - SS - Cubs51. Troy Tulowitzki - SS - Rockies50. R.A. Dickey - SP - Blue Jays49. Gio Gonzalez - SP - Nationals48. Matt Wieters - C - Orioles47. A.J. Pierzynski - C- Rangers46. Roy Halladay - SP - Phillies45. Matt Cain - SP - Giants44. Pablo Sandoval - 3B - Giants43. Josh Willingham - LF - Twins42. Yoenis Cespedes - LF - Athletics41. Matt Holliday - LF - Cardinals40. Ian Kinsler - 2B - Rangers39. Edwin Encarnacion - 1B - Blue Jays38. Joe Mauer - C - Twins37. Jered Weaver - SP - Angels 36. Jay Bruce - RF - Reds35. Justin Upton - LF - Braves34. Dustin Pedroia - 2B - Red Sox33. Paul Konerko - 1B - White Sox32. Aramis Ramirez - 3B - Brewers31. Brandon Phillips - 2B - Reds30. Carlos Gonzalez - LF - Rockies29. Ryan Zimmerman - 3B - Nationals28. Jose Bautista - RF - Blue Jays27. Craig Kimbrel - RP - Braves26. Stephen Strasburg - SP - Nationals25. Jose Reyes - SS - Blue Jays24. Yadier Molina - C - Cardinals23. Adam Jones - CF - Orioles22. David Wright - 3B - Mets21. Buster Posey - C - Giants20. Cole Hamels - SP - Phillies19. Cliff Lee - SP - Phillies18. CC Sabathia - SP - Yankees17. Andrew McCutchen - CF - Pirates16. Evan Longoria - 3B - Rays15. Giancarlo Stanton - RF - Marlins14. Albert Pujols - 1B - Angels 13. Adrian Beltre - 3B - Rangers12. David Price - SP - Rays11. Prince Fielder - 1B - Tigers10. Josh Hamilton - RF - Angels 9. Joey Votto - 1B - Reds8. Robinson Cano - 2B - Yankees7. Felix Hernandez - SP - Mariners6. Ryan Braun - LF - Brewers5. Clayton Kershaw - SP - Dodgers4. Matt Kemp - CF - Dodgers3. Miguel Cabrera - 3B - Tigers2. Justin Verlander - SP - Tiger1. Mike Trout - LF - Angels
I used to think Ben Zobrist was so underrated that he was in danger of becoming overrated. Now I think he’s so underrated he’s gone past overrated and back to underrated again. There aren’t thirty players on that list I’d rather have on my team than Ben Zobrist. Derek Jeter? He’s a million years old and a lousy defender. Carlos Ruiz? The thirty-four-year-old catcher who has to serve a 25-game suspension to start the season? That Carlos Ruiz?! Ryan Howard?!?! There aren’t enough interrobangs in the world to describe my incredulity at the notion that Ryan Howard is a better ballplayer than Ben Zobrist.
What were those criteria again?
• Emphasized stats from the last three seasons, weighting 2012
Among position players, Zobrist ranks 10th in combined WAR, 2010-2012. Tied with Albert Pujols.
• Projected 2013 performance
ZiPs and PECOTA both project Zobrist to be worth more than 4 wins over a replacement player this season, better than Josh Hamilton, Jose Reyes, and Adam Jones, to pick three people at random from the top quartile of the Top 100 Right Now list.
• Accolades
Zobrist was voted team MVP the season he played for the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Also, he leads all of MLB in Valvano Count. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.
• Intangibles
On the episode of Top 100 Right Now I saw, “postseason performance” was offered as an example of “intangibles.” Because nobody keeps stats for World Series games, you see.
• Defensive position
Now we’re getting at why the Zorilla is underrated. If Zobrist played just one position, he wouldn’t be so overlooked. But as a second baseman-cum-right fielder-cum-shortstop-in-a-pinch, he’s hard to pin down. Bill James said that anything that breaks up a player’s career, changing teams, or positions, makes him harder to see. Zobrist, playing all over the diamond in baseball’s forgotten city, is the hardest player to see.
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