He's the most invisible top-5 player over the course of a decade guy maybe ever.
The case could be made, anyway.
So over the past decade he is #6 in WAR among position players, behind Betts, Trout, Lindor, Freeman and Altuve. I think you can argue he's top 5 considering how high Lindor's defensive WAR is, based on position.
Going back decade one year at a time, searching for guys in the top 6 who would be "surprising"
Josh Donaldson #6 from 2013-22
Russell Martin #2 from 2007-16 (#5 from 2006-15)
David Wright #4 from 2005-14 (#6 from 2004-13)
Lance Berkman #6 from 2002-11, 2001-10, and 2000-09
Jim Edmonds #6 from 1997-2006 and 1996-2005
I went a decade back, and there is nobody even borderline, so I'm not looking any further. I think the all time WAR leaderboards favor recent players, because they played in an era where we taught the effiencies that WAR values. But the top players are always the top players, and honestly, the farther back you go, the more it aligns with what you think. Jim Edmonds was the last "surprising" player, but a decade prior (1986-1995), here is your leaderboard. I stopped when I found someone I didn't consider an all time great. So WAR may have its issues generation to generation, but the greatest players have always been the greatest by any metric. And actually there are fewer "computer trickers" in an era where dudes just played
- Barry Bonds
- Wade Boggs
- Rickey Henderson
- Cal Ripken Jr.
- Ozzie Smith
- Tony Gwynn
- Barry Larkin
- Fred McGriff
- Paul Molitor
- Will Clark
- Kirby Puckett
- Ryne Sandburg
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- Lou Whitaker
- Lenny Dykstra
- Tim Raines
- Frank Thomas
- Rafael Palmeiro
- Alan Trammell
- Andy Van Slyke
I love me some Andy Van Slyke, and being #20 in that period is awesome, and appropriate. But the 19 guys above him all HOFers
