Jose Iglesias comps @MikeSilvermanBB

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Just in case Jose Iglesias does become the Red Sox’s starting shortstop this year, here are the most recent guys to play sat least 100 games at SS in their Age 22 season:

Rk	Player	Year	OPS+	Tm	G	PA	AB	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Elvis Andrus	2011	87	TEX	150	665	587	27	3	5	60	56	74	.279	.347	.361	.708
2	Everth Cabrera	2009	95	SDP	103	438	377	18	8	2	31	46	88	.255	.342	.361	.703
3	Troy Tulowitzki	2007	109	COL	155	682	609	33	5	24	99	57	130	.291	.359	.479	.838
4	Hanley Ramirez	2006	116	FLA	158	700	633	46	11	17	59	56	128	.292	.353	.480	.833
5	J.J. Hardy	2005	86	MIL	124	427	372	22	1	9	50	44	48	.247	.327	.384	.711
6	Jose Reyes	2005	81	NYM	161	733	696	24	17	7	58	27	78	.273	.300	.386	.687
7	Cesar Izturis	2002	51	LAD	135	468	439	24	2	1	31	14	39	.232	.253	.303	.556
8	Juan Uribe	2002	55	COL	155	618	566	25	7	6	49	34	120	.240	.286	.341	.627
9	Jimmy Rollins	2001	92	PHI	158	720	656	29	12	14	54	48	108	.274	.323	.419	.743
10	Cristian Guzman	2000	70	MIN	156	690	631	25	20	8	54	46	101	.247	.299	.388	.687
11	Rafael Furcal	2000	97	ATL	131	542	455	20	4	4	37	73	80	.295	.394	.382	.776
12	Alex Gonzalez	1999	91	FLA	136	591	560	28	8	14	59	15	113	.277	.308	.430	.739
13	Mike Caruso	1999	47	CHW	136	564	529	11	4	2	35	20	36	.250	.280	.297	.577
14	Edgar Renteria	1999	84	STL	154	653	585	36	2	11	63	53	82	.275	.334	.400	.734
15	Alex Rodriguez	1998	136	SEA	161	748	686	35	5	42	124	45	121	.310	.360	.560	.919
16	Derek Jeter	1996	101	NYY	157	654	582	25	6	10	78	48	102	.314	.370	.430	.800
17	Benji Gil	1995	57	TEX	130	454	415	20	3	9	46	26	147	.219	.266	.347	.613
18	Wil Cordero	1994	119	MON	110	467	415	30	3	15	63	41	62	.294	.363	.489	.853
19	Mark Lewis	1992	86	CLE	122	446	413	21	0	5	30	25	69	.264	.308	.351	.659
20	Omar Vizquel	1989	50	SEA	143	431	387	7	3	1	20	28	40	.220	.273	.261	.534
21	Ozzie Guillen	1986	54	CHW	159	577	547	19	4	2	47	12	52	.250	.265	.311	.576
22	Dick Schofield	1985	69	CAL	147	496	438	19	3	8	41	35	70	.219	.287	.331	.618
23	Mariano Duncan	1985	79	LAD	142	620	562	24	6	6	39	38	113	.244	.293	.340	.633
24	Cal Ripken	1983	144	BAL	162	726	663	47	2	27	102	58	97	.318	.371	.517	.888
25	Alfredo Griffin	1980	69	TOR	155	696	653	26	15	2	41	24	58	.254	.283	.349	.632
26	Alan Trammell	1980	113	DET	146	652	560	21	5	9	65	69	63	.300	.376	.404	.779
27	Garry Templeton	1978	91	STL	155	675	647	31	13	2	47	22	87	.280	.303	.377	.680
28	Robin Yount	1978	110	MIL	127	545	502	23	9	9	71	24	43	.293	.323	.428	.752
29	Tom Veryzer	1975	74	DET	128	439	404	13	1	5	48	23	76	.252	.297	.327	.624
30	Bucky Dent	1974	89	CHW	154	552	496	15	3	5	45	28	48	.274	.316	.347	.662

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 3/10/2012.

Some really good players on there, and a few not-so-good ones.

Iglesias has struggled badly with the bat, but so did a few others guys on here (such as Omar Vizquel and Ozzie Guillen) who put together great careers.

For you Sox fans, I carried the list all the way back to Bucky “Bleepin'” Dent.

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Doug

12 years ago

Caruso had -2.1 WAR in that age 22 season, after placing 3rd in RoY the year before. Had only 12 more MLB games after his sophomore swoon.

Dr. Doom

12 years ago

The last and third-from-last people on this are connected due to one of the most infamous All-Star votes in history, which I actually didn’t know about until last year, so I’ll share in case others don’t know. As most people know, Robin Yount won the AL MVP in 1982. In the process, he posted one of the greatest seasons ever by a shortstop – perhaps the best season by someone not named “Honus.” Anyway, at the halfway point of the season, Yount was not chosen by the fans to start the All-Star game. He was hitting .327/.363/.585 at this point,… Read more »

MikeD

12 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

I blame Brewers fans. Seriously, it wasn’t just Yankees fans who weren’t voting for him in 1982; it appears that all fans weren’t voting for him at any point during his career. Yount only appeared in three All-Star teams over 20 seasons. He didn’t even make the team the second time he won the MVP as an OFer. Strange for someone of his stature who created a bit of splash from the start of his career, making the majors as a starting SS at 18.

Dr. Doom

12 years ago

Reply to MikeD

Some truth to that, although there were clearly fans in other cities voting for Dent, as well. But also, it’s part of the whole Zeitgeist of the pre-internet era. I don’t doubt that, good as the Brewers were in 1981 and 1982, the Yankees still drew more fans (albeit narrowly). My guess is that it’s mostly that Dent was, at the time, probably the more recognizable player (and had the more colorful “middle name”), and thus got the lion’s share of the votes. But access to data was more limited, the number of voters was more limited: everything was more… Read more »

Voomo Zanzibar

12 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

Yount won the MVP in 1989 without making the All-Star team. He did have a monster second half (.964 ops), but was sitting at a very nice .299 .369 .468 .837 going into the break. Starting outfielders were 1. Kirby (.336 .381 .474 .855) 2. Ruben (.330 .372 .581 .953) and, the cult of personality known as 3. Vincent Jackson (.263 .307 .522 .829) (21 homers and 96 K) Bo led off the game with a 450 foot moonball off of 66.3 WAR Big Daddy, and went on to win the MVP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR-8GRmbY8w __________ Okay, makes sense. But surely Yount… Read more »

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

The year before Yount, Kirk Gibson won the MVP while not making the All-Star team. In fact, Gibson never made the all-star team at any point in his career. The two seasons were similar in that there were no dominant offensive performances, at least in terms of the traditional batting categories. Not sure if any other MVPs have failed to make the All-Star team.

MikeD

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

I’m less surprised by Gibson not making an All-Star team than Yount. A very talented athlete, it took him several years to hit his peak, and then when he did he was pretty injury prone. Prior to that MVP season, he only had two seasons where he played in more than 140 games, so I don’t think most fans viewed him as an elite player. There wasn’t one amazing standout player that year in the NL, but I do remember thinking Strawberry was the clear choice for MVP that season. I wonder if Straw’s problems were known by some in… Read more »

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

I agree with what you wrote re: Gibson. At the same time, it is a bit surprising that a guy with 1st, 6th, 12th and 18th place finishes in the MVP balloting never made an All-Star team. As for the 1988 balloting, I suspect that Kevin McRoynolds (who finished 3rd) “stole” a lot of votes from Strawberry. That being said, Gibson did lead the league in WAR barely edging out Brett Butler and Will Clark (Straw was 6th).

Editor

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

@14, Ed.

I didn’t check them all, but Terry Pendleton and Juan Gonzalez also missed the ASG in years they won MVP.

bstar

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Chipper Jones didn’t make the All-Star game in ’99 despite winning the MVP, even though he had a +1.000 OPS at the break. Matt Williams was in ahead of him, and somebody else made it as a reserve that year but I can’t remember who.

MikeD

12 years ago

One take away for the future is if we see a young SS come up who can score an OPS+ or 100 or better in his age-22 season, then we are watching a likely HOFer. Out of the 30 seasons, eight meet the qualification: Yount — HOFer Ripken — HOFer A-Rod — Future HOFer Jeter — Future HOFer Trammell — Should be a HOFer Tulowitzki — Too early to say, but HOF-caliber talent. Ramirez — Too early to say, but HOF-caliber talent. Cordero — Okay, there’s always one to mess up the narrative, but he’s only one! Seven of the… Read more »

Darien

12 years ago

Possibly worth noting is that Starlin Castro has appeared in 125 and 158 games the last two years, and is not yet 22 years old (with OPS+ of 100 and 111, respectively). There is, of course, some question of Castro’s ability to remain at short, since he’s been a regular butcher of Blaviken in the field, but there he remains for now.

Wine Curmudgeon

12 years ago

Reply to Darien

Castro adds to the legend of Cubs’ shortstops who can’t play shortstop, such as Roy Smalley the elder and his 51 errors in 1950. It’s good to be a Cubs fan.

Dr. Remulak

12 years ago

Iglesias’ .554 OPS at AAA last year does not bode well for him as major league ready. As a Yankee fan, I say: pleeeeeze start him this year!

Voomo Zanzibar

12 years ago

Is Iglesias really a possibility?
Here’s his slash from a full year at AAA in ’11:

.235 .285 .269 .554

Other SS in camp for Boston:

William Middlebrooks
Nick Punto
Moises Oscar Tejeda
Pedro Ciriaco

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Andy

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Mike Aviles is the named starter.

Voomo Zanzibar

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

Right, somehow I omitted him.
Seems like too good a utility man to plug into the same spot every day.
But, really, the problem for Boston with Aviles is that he went to college in Bronxville, NY (Division II Player of the Year).

Lawrence Azrin

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

There’s been a lot of talk lately amongst Red Sox fans if Iglesias should be the Opening Day shortstop, over Punto and Aviles, or if he should be on the Red Sox roster . I don’t see it, he’s just not hitting enough yet to play regularly. He’d be much better off playing regularly in Pawtucket, working at improving his batting skills. An Avilas/ Punto platoon is probably better right now for total value, offense+defense. Anectodal evidense from spring training so far is that he’s hitting the ball hard (a couple nice long shots to the OF), but doesn’t have… Read more »

MikeD

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Wow, those numbers are pretty bad. The .235 BA is liveable if he was delivering stronger secondary numbers, which he’s not.

Question is, can he hit much worse on the MLB level? .210/.250/.240? That’s in the general range of what Ozzie Smith did in his second season (1979) in MLB. Smith, most likely the greatest defensive SS ever, barely produced positive rWARs and fWARs that year (.06 and .08), and that was during a lower offensive time. Based on that, it’s hard to see Iglesias being a regular in 2012 since he projects to a negative WAR.

bstar

12 years ago

I’m not sure why we’re not talking about Tyler Pastornicky, who we KNOW is going to be the Braves’ full-time SS at age 22. Here’s his stats from AA/AAA last year:

.314/.359/.414/.773 27 steals

He does have some speed, very little power, an average glove, and it will be interesting to see where his batting average ends up for the Braves.