Is Andruw Jones the most overrated center fielder of all time?

Question

Jayson Stark is coming out with a new book in which he says Andruw Jones is overrated. Is he right or wrong?

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/4675?eref=nbc_sports

Answer 1

Stark is basing his statements on the way Atlanta Braves fans rave about Andruw Jones. What does he expect? They love Andruw Jones in Atlanta and the fact he's a 9 time gold glove winner with amazing defensive skills. He's one of the best out fielders in Braves history and from that stand point he's not over rated at all.

Answer 2

Andruw is not overrated, he is one of the best center fielders defensively since the say hey kid Willy Mays. He has outstanding range, incredible ups, (just look at the home run he robbed a couple of nights ago), if he gets leather on the ball he's gonna catch it, and he you never want to try to stretch out a triple or score from first or even go for a inside the park homerun on him. Basically defensively the guy is as good as they get, besides willy Mays.

Offensively he is what he is, he has some pop in his bat,but he also has some holes in his swing, on an average year he will bat .280 with 35 hr's, and 100 rbi's. He doesn't walk that much but does know how to read pitches.

I guess what I'm trying to say is it would be tough to name 5 better centerfielders in each year that andruw jones has been playing so overall he is a solid major leaguer and should flirt with the hall of fame depending on how long he plays and how high his gold glove and home run totals get pushed up.

Answer 3

OverRated? Haha, very funny. Jayson Starks doesn't know what he is talking about.

You see how Andruw Jones makes hard catches look easy? He is one of the best center fielders still playing baseball today. Not many have a glove like Andruw Jones does.

He has 9 Gold Glove Awards, and he is saying he is over-rated? That's all I got to say.

Answer 4

The Rangers and Andruw need each other. The Rangers are disappointed that the Angels swooped in and signed him. Andruw had a horrible free agent season. Andruw should sign with the Rangers for 1 year and in that stadium, his homerun total should come back near his 2006 total. Then Andruw can re enter the free agent market where mostl likely he will get better offers than the ones hes getting now

Answer 5

Some of these people don't know what they are talking about. Jayson Stark is right. Andrew Jones turns routine plays into adventures which gets him on ESPN which gives him much, much, more credit then he deserves. Not saying he's a bad player, he's a soild everyday player but I have believed ever since I remember watching him in the 96 world series that he was overhyped. His carrer fielding percentage isn't bad at .991 but less known CF's(Coco Crisp, Grady Sizemore, Ryan Church, Ichiro,Vernon Wells,etc,etc...)His fielding is overrated but that is nothing compared to his hitting. The way people talk about him you'd think he hits .320 and knocks 50 out of the park. He has batted over .277 once in his carrer and has hit more than 36 homers only twice in his carrer. Saying that he has struck out at least 100 times in every full season he has played in. As for the most overrrated of all time, no way. there have been way, way to many people to make him the most overrated of all time. So yes he's overrated, but not the most of all time.

Answer 6

He is amongst the best glovemen EVER at CF. When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me how Joe DiMaggio used to "glide" in the outfield, how smooth he was when he made catches. I never saw anything like that until I saw Andruw Jones play. As far as his bat goes, he will never be a great hitter for average, but he has 349 HRs and hes only 30. He already has 9 gold gloves(and deserves them all), so you figure that at the end of his career, he'll have who-knows-how-many-gold gloves, 500 HRs , over 1500 RBIs, and a plaque in the Hall. Only his batting average is pedestrian, but Kiner and Killebrew got in because of their power hitting. Andruw can hit em' out and is an all time great gloveman.

Answer 7

Not of all time, no way. ok so he bats .260 but he hits 30 - 40 hrs and plays great D, fact is I would want him on my team so he is not overrated. I dont know what Stark's problem is, Jones is entering a contract year and trying to get paid and now this guy comes out with a book basically ripping Jones' career. I'm surprised Jones doesn' try and sue for libel because there is a lot of money on the table.

Answer 8

He is vastly overrated as a defensive center fielder. The past 5 seasons(02-06) his range factor was below the ML average. It was for this season too, at least as of last week when I checked. A Jones is slow for a CF and does not get to balls that other CF get to easily.

Jones offense fills a niche, he's a power guy who drives in a lot of runs, most teams could use that type player.

Answer 9

No he's not overrated. He's a great defensive centerfielder and one of the best all time. He's just never been a really dominant hitter on a consistent basis. I would say he's a solid offensive player but not great. He's had a few really good offensive seasons and one great one when he hit the 51 homers but that's about it. His career .265 BA, .345 OB%, .503 SLG % are not very impressive, but solid nevertheless. Because he started playing so young I think he will accumulate a lot of stats like 3000 hits, 2000 rbis 600 hrs if he stays healthy, but won't really be remembered as a "great seasons" player and will quietly make the hall. I still think he is one of the best players.

Answer 10

Defensively no. Andruw has won 9 straight gold gloves.

I could see his agrument offensively. Andruw is a career .265 hitter and still has very little bat discipline even after 12 years in the league. He strikes out well over 100+ times a year.