MLB’s best expansion-era shortstop: Jeter, Ripken or Other?

Cumulative career OPS+

This category, which is simply the sum of each shortstop’s OPS+ values, is different from the standard career OPS+, which is essentially the player’s career average. Cumulative career OPS+ is designed to reward longevity. It is a counter-balance to the first, peak-performance oriented, category.

Here’s the top 10.

Rank      Shortstop                      Cumulative OPS+

1              Alex Rodriguez                  2,806

2              Robin Yount                        2,259

3              Cal Ripken                           2,247

4              Barry Larkin                       2,172

5              Derek Jeter                         2,123

6              Alan Trammell                   2,020

7              Omar Vizquel                     1,869

8              Shawon Dunston             1,660

9              Dave Concepcion             1,625

10           Ozzie Smith                        1,620

There are two clear distinctions in this category. The first is between Rodriguez and everybody else. The second, a 200-point gap, separates Yount, Ripken, Larkin, Jeter, Trammell and Vizquel from the field.

Rodriguez’s primacy is no surprise. He produced six seasons with an OPS+ of  150 or better, topping out at 176 in 2007.

As would be expected, shortstops who are still active are effectively penalized in this category since they continue to compile OPS+. There are six of them in this list of 30, and they form a cluster at the bottom of the category. Andrus, at 1,009, ranks highest, and he’s only 23rd.

Story, at a cumulative OPS+ of just 570, currently stands last amongst MLB shortstops. That will change with time.