Is Francisco Lindor The Next Derek Jeter?
By Joe Russo
Francisco Lindor may be the next Derek Jeter, as the stats of the Cleveland Indians shortstop are very similar to those of the Yankees’ former captain when he was 22 years old.
It only took 99 games in 2015 for Indians fans to realize just how special Francisco Lindor is. As the best shortstop to play in Cleveland since Omar Vizquel, Lindor is the new face of the franchise.
So how does he compare at this point in his career to another face of the franchise at shortstop? Derek Jeter is a legend in New York and will assuredly make his way to Cooperstown in a few years. If we look at the numbers, Lindor looks pretty darn good.
To start off, we skipped past Jeter’s brief cameo in 1995. Through Sunday, Lindor had 647 plate appearances at the major league level.
To match up, I took a look at Jeter’s 1996 Rookie of the Year season, which came over 654 plate appearances. The handful of plate appearances missing between the two is negligible, especially considering it is also the equivalent of a full season.
Lindor’s 99 games in 2015 balances out the fact we threw out the handful of games Jeter played in 1995. Admittingly, This number of plate appearances only covers 137 games for Lindor, but for 157 for Jeter. But, it’s fun to look at the numbers anyways.
Derek Jeter (1996, age 22 season)
.314 / .370 / .430, .800 OPS, 183 total hits, 10 HR, 78 RBI, 25 2B, 104 R, 14 SB, 102 SO, 48 BB
Francisco Lindor (2015 age 21, 2016 age 22 season)
.313 / .362 / .454, .816 OPS, 182 total hits, 16 HR, 73 RBI, 31 2B, 83 R, 22 SB, 98 SO, 44 BB
At first glance, the numbers are eerily similar, with very little fluctuation between either players line. I’ll admit that I was surprised to see Lindor have 6 more home runs than Jeter over the time period we are looking at. I assumed Jeter would be the leader there given the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium. Instead, it looks more and more like Lindor has an advantage in most meaningful categories.
In spirit of @cavs making Finals, @Lindor12BC gets an alley-oop from @Indians teammate to put @DreKnott on a posterhttps://t.co/EElPhhLXjx
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) May 29, 2016
Lindor trails by a single point in batting average and a single hit, as well as slightly in on base percentage. Lindor holds a comfortable lead in slugging, OPS, and doubles. He also has more stolen bases.
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The real gap for Lindor is in runs scored. Keep in mind though that the 1995 Yankees lineup featured Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, Bernie Williams, and Paul O’Neill. that team also made the playoffs, so it wasn’t as if the roster was devoid of talent the way it was when Lindor was called up right before the All-Star Break in 2015. That Yankees team didn’t have a single starter in the lineup with a negative Offensive WAR. That’s quite the accomplishment.
Speaking of WAR, Derek Jeter put up only a -0.3 WAR in a Rookie of the Year campaign. Over the timeframe that we are comparing, Lindor’s WAR is a + 6.8. If any stat should jump out, it’s that one. Lindor crushes Jeter over nearly the same number of plate appearances in total Wins Above Replacement, making Lindor worth 6.5 MORE wins than a guy that won Rookie of the Year and is considered a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Next: Sean Doolittle Fit For The Tribe?
If this is what Lindor has accomplished already, imagine what he can do in the next few years.