Bill Kostroun / AP file

The Rays' Justin Ruggiano, right, slides into second base with a stolen base as Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter can't handle the throw.

updated 12:16 p.m. ET Nov. 4, 2008

Derek Jeter is the worst fielder in baseball, according to a panel of statisticians that includes "Baseball Abstract" author Bill James, the New York Post reports.

The 10 panelists who reviewed every ball hit in the majors this season ranked Jeter 22nd among shortstops. One called him "the least effective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position." Ranking 22nd wouldn't place Jeter as last, but James said of panel member Baseball Info Solutions, "They had analyzed the outcomes to determine who was best at turning hit balls into outs. One of their conclusions was that Jeter was probably the least effective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position."

James gave this assessment of the process behind the balloting for the 2008 Fielding Bible Awards: "They watched film of every major-league game, and had recorded every ball off the bat by the direction in which it was hit [the vector], the type of hit [groundball, flyball, line-drive, popup, etc.] and by how hard the ball was hit [softly hit, medium, hard hit]."

World Series champion Jimmy Rollins topped the list as the best-fielding shortstop, followed by J.J. Hardy (Brewers), Yunel Escobar (Braves), Erick Aybar (Angels), Jack Wilson (Pirates), Orlando Cabrera (White Sox), Cesar Iztruis (Cardinals), Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies), the Omar Vizquel (Giants) and Jose Reyes (Mets).

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