Well, let’s just put it this way: Dodger fans have been less than impressed with Norihiro Nakamura and his .369 OPS. But Beltre hasn’t exactly been tearing it up himself. In fact, though his OPS is at least above .500, other metrics suggest that he’s closer to the futility of the former Japanese superstar.
Jose Valentin has been superior to both, posting a .722 OPS, 2.8 VORP, and 3.9 RARP. Surprisingly, however, his contributions have not come in the form of power; he only has 2 homeruns with his .164 ISO. Rather, they have come in the form of plate discipline, as his 16 walks and .364 OBP suggest. He’s also the league leader in pitches per plate appearance: 4.41. This ranking isn’t as anomalous as it may appear, since his career P/PA is just slightly under 4.0.
Update: For additional comments, see this post by the new and insightful Blue Think Tank.