Ryan Zimmerman's 2009 was the most underrated season of the century

If you're looking for an objective summary of Ryan Zimmerman's career, this will not be that. I grew up with a Zim jersey in my closet, I learned my footwork at third base at a Nats camp when Ryan was nice enough to take ten minutes to teach me and a group of teammates the subtleties of the hot corner, and when Ryan Zimmerman field was built, I was on the mound for the inaugural game. This is a study of the best season in an underrated career, how it was forgotten by MVP voters, and how we can learn to appreciate his career better through it.

Zimmerman had a great career, 116 OPS+, close to 300 HRs, 1000 RBI, and just shy of 4 digits in runs scored, but one season sticks out, a 7.3 rWAR/6.6 fWAR monstrosity. What I find interesting is just how balanced he was, sure he raked, putting out a .292/.364/.525 triple slash with 31 HRs, but he paired that with a 2.6 dWAR which won him a gold glove.

In fact, Zimmerman accomplished a feat that has only been repeated 4 other times this century; only Chase Utley, Nolan Arenado, Scott Rolen, and Trevor Story have posted a .880 OPS, 30 HRs, and a 2.6 dWAR in a season since 2000, though the closest season to Zim's maybe Cal Ripken Jr's 1983 campaign. Ripken had an .888 OPS to Zimmerman's .889, 27 HRs, and a 2.3 dWAR. What happened to Ripken that season? He won MVP. What happened to Zimmerman?

Zimmerman didn't finish in voting in the top 5, or top 10, or top 20, 28th in MVP voting. Should he have won? of course not, Albert Pujol, Hanley Ramirez, deserved their top 2 positions, with Pujols generating an absurd 1.100 OPS, but Ryan Zimmerman had the 5th highest WAR of NL MVP candidates that season (behind the aforementioned Pujols, Utley, and Ramirez along with Tim Lincecum

Ripken won MVP, while Ryan Zimmerman had a 0% share in the vote, why? Well, the 2009 Nationals lost over 100 games, while the '83 O's took the east with 98 wins, before going on to win the World Series. This doesn't completely excuse the ignorance of his season, in 2010, Joe Mauer of the last place Twins placed 8th in MVP voting despite a .871 OPS, 9 HRs, and far less defensive value than Zimmerman.

This is indicative of Ryan Zimmerman over his whole career. While he is beloved in Washington, he fails to gather the respect he deserves, part of the problem is his best years were while the Nationals were at their lowest, but another part of this is that he hasn't been the biggest bat in the Nats lineup over most of his career, with Murphy, Harper, Rendon, Turner, and Soto all being bigger stars at the time.

This also should be a lesson in how we appreciate players while they're still here, comparing Ryan Zimmerman to Pujols and Ripken (and for that matter Harper, and Soto) is pointless. When we see 531st in career WAR, don't think about the 530 players ahead of him, but the 98% of all MLB players sitting behind him, most of whom haven't even come close to scratching his mark. I don't think we understand how rare a 17-year career is, I know I didn't before writing this. For those of you who have a player willing to stick around your organization for nearly two decades, cherish them, appreciate them, and don't let the BBWAA get away with putting them in 28th place for MVP in a 7.3 WAR,30 homer season.