Yankees' Veterans Very Impressed By Didi Gregorius, In Awe Of His Potential
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- He's taking over for a legend, but so far has given no indication that he's not up to the task.
Didi Gregorius has commanded the attention of everyone associated with the Yankees this spring -- from the manager to the veterans to the scouts and executives. While he's yet to even prove he's an adequate next step following the retirement of eventual Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, there are a lot of people who have watched him who have said they'd be shocked if he fails.
"Didi is unbelievable, as good a shortstop as I've seen," first baseman Mark Teixeira told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal on Wednesday. "And I'm not overexaggerating."
That's incredible praise when you consider Teixeira is one of the best defensive players at his position in the game and witnessed Jeter's exploits both in the field and at the plate for many years.
Acquired in a three-team trade back on Dec. 5, Gregorius has been a bit of a mystery man. While he had made a name for himself in Arizona as a very good defensive player, the jury was out on whether he could be a shortstop a team could trust in all facets over 155-plus starts.
Alex Rodriguez, another player who knows left side of the infield defense, said the sky's the limit for the 25-year-old Gregorius.
"He has a rare combination of speed and explosiveness. But what you don't see is an incredibly strong arm that is so accurate. That combination is lethal," Rodriguez said.
"(Gregorius) has made plays from the hole, from his back foot, throwing the ball 90 mph across the diamond from his back foot. You don't see that. It also makes it a lot easier for your third baseman to play third base."
What many wonder is whether Gregorius will hit enough in a division that features teams that pile up runs. Due to growing pains and some injuries, Gregorius found himself shuffling between Triple-A, the bench and the field during his two seasons with Arizona. In 183 games with the big club he hit .241 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI.
So far this spring with the Yankees, Gregorius is hitting .308 (12-for-39) with six RBI in 16 games. Though many believe he has work to do to become a well-round player, Teixeira says he'll get a very long honeymoon due to what he does so exceptionally well already.
"When you're that good defensively and you're going to save that many runs, you can be much more patient with the bat," Teixeira said.
And, of course, there's the pressure of not only playing in New York, but also being the guy that took over for Jeter, a task that won't be so easily graded by the fans.
"He's got the perfect personality to do what's taking place, with him replacing a legend. He's a happy-go-lucky, smile-on-his face-all-the-time kind of guy," manager Joe Girardi said.