A Veteran MLB Scout Once Vowed to Jump the New York Yankees After Witnessing Derek Jeter’s Greatness

Derek Jeter is one of baseball’s greatest icons. Over the course of a 20-year career with the New York Yankees, Jeter collected accolades and built a legendary legacy. Furthermore, his dedication to winning championships earned him a fantastic reputation. Jeter garnered a massive fanbase over the years who praised his loyalty and commitment to the Yankees.

But Jeter’s career could have very easily been with another team. Prior to being drafted, the Yankee star was scouted by multiple teams and many scouts praised him. One Colorado Rockies scout’s report recently resurfaced and gave us a look at what scouts saw in him.

Derek Jeter was scouted extensively by a Rockies scout and received a lot of praise

Prior to the 1992 MLB Draft, Derek Jeter was scouted by a number of teams while still in high school. One of the teams that scouted him was none other than the Colorado Rockies. A report by one of their longtime scouts Ed Santa has recently resurfaced on Twitter and was shared by the former Minor League player Michael Schlact. 

In the tweet, Schlact said, “A cool look at one of Derek Jeter’s scouting reports.” In the report, Santa praised a lot of Jeter’s physical attributes such as his throwing motion and running speed. Furthermore, Santa also praised Jeter’s body type and stated that he was perfect for playing the shortstop position. But the biggest praise came in the short summary at the bottom of the report. Santa called Jeter a special player and stated that he had All-Star potential at the MLB level. 

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The Rockies were not the only team that scouted Jeter as the Houston Astros also sent a scout to evaluate him. The Astros scout, Hal Newhouser, believed Jeter would achieve great things. When the team didn’t select Jeter with the first overall pick in the 1992 Draft, he quit in protest. The Yankees eventually picked a young prospect from Kalamazoo, Michigan who would become an icon for their franchise.

The Yankees scouts loved Jeter from the get-go and their choice was proven right

Dick Groch was one of the Yankees scouts who evaluated Derek Jeter. When there were concerns that Jeter would choose college over playing in the MLB, Groch made a prophetic statement. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Groch said this while on a call with the Yankees, “He’s not going to the University of Michigan. The only place Derek Jeter is going is Cooperstown.”

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The Yankees ended up drafting Jeter with the 6th pick in the 1992 MLB Draft, a historic move. He would go on to prove every single scouting report right and ended up becoming one of the greatest MLB players ever.

What do you think of the Colorado Rockies scouting report on Derek Jeter in high school? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.