New York Yankees: Derek Jeter won’t get in the Hall of Fame unanimously

New York Yankees fans were ecstatic to see one of their favorite players earn his spot in the Hall of Fame – unanimously. Next year, Derek Jeter could achieve the same accomplishment. But it likely won’t happen for several reasons.

New York Yankees fans and baseball analysts showered social media with praise after learning Mariano Rivera made history Tuesday. Yet few probably recognized a similar feat could occur a year from now, as Derek Jeter will make his initial appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Like Rivera, Jeter will likely earn a spot in the coveted Hall in his first attempt. But unlike the most revered closer in the game, the shortstop will probably not receive a flawless 100 percent like his storied partner.

New York’s former captain didn’t have a career shrouded by secrets or alleged steroid use like some of his teammates. Frankly, the media loved Jeter and his post-game comments, no matter how verbose or succinct he was.

Yankees fans cherished his can-do attitude and his leadership on and off the field. Surely, most journalists during his career honored the 20-year veteran rather than criticized him.

Yet, it is highly unlikely that every voter checks his name on next year’s ballot.

Will his defense hurt him?

It’s not a surprise that baseball fans concentrate on the glamour stats when it comes to Hall of Fame voting. Home run hitters and strikeout machines earn their fair share of publicity.

And defense, while analyzed for some players, does not get taken into consideration often. But for some voters, it may be the reason Jeter fails to make their list.

Yankees fans recall the captain’s clutch off-balanced throws to gun a runner out at first. Others will remember the big moments, such as “the flip” against the A’s in 2001 or when he dove into the stands in 2004 after catching a fly ball.

Moments like those overshadowed the everyday aspect of defense and Jeter’s mediocrity. The shortstop accumulated -152 defensive runs saved during his tenure, per FanGraphs. His overall defensive war was -8.3.

It’s difficult to compare the New York legend to others in the Hall primarily because of analytics in this day and age. The in-depth statistics covered by today’s writers ultimately hurt a player like Jeter, who is typically admired as one of the best shortstops ever.

Yet, his five Gold Gloves and five World Series rings cannot completely conceal his .976 fielding percentage and other flaws. Still, his offensive numbers and accolades will trump his defensive incapabilities – for more than 90 percent of voters.

The rivalries could be the culprit

Longtime Boston sports writer Bill Ballou claimed Rivera wouldn’t get his vote. But the journalist evidently changed his status prior to sending his ballot in.

However, there are several voters on the list that could find a minuscule aspect of Jeter’s career and blow it into proportion. Ballou initially claimed Rivera’s saves were meaningless, as saves themselves are not a good measure for success and effectiveness.

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Any Red Sox fan can gripe about Jeter’s defense. Several can also bark at some of his shortcomings during the postseason as the team’s leader. Many will argue that he struck out too much.

Nevertheless, there are some holes in Jeter’s resume that will cause at least one voter to keep him off the list. Whether it be a Boston, Oakland or any other organization’s writer is insignificant.

But one or two votes won’t keep the Yankees legend out of the Hall altogether. Jeter seems to be a shoe-in for next year’s class, despite people’s disapproval in regards to his decisions as an owner.

New York will never forget Jeter nor his success in the Bronx. Yet, he will not follow in his teammate’s footsteps and earn 100 percent of the vote next year.

That still shouldn’t take away from his noteworthy career as an MLB player and as a person in general.