Derek Jeter‘s story of how he was drafted is unique in a way that it was untraditional for the Yankees to draft players right out of high school. What was so special about Jeter at the time that the Yankees had to break tradition and forego all their concerns to scout him?

Brian Sabean, who was the vice president of player development and scouting while drafting Jeter, in an interview with the Athletic, said he still remembers watching Jeter play. Sabean was struck by Jeter’s poise and determination, even at such a young age. Sabean recognized Jeter’s potential and created a baseball legend in the process.

Brian Sabean was in awe of Derek Jeter 

As Sabean looked back on those early days, he couldn’t help but marvel at how Jeter transformed into one of baseball’s most reliable and enduring stars. Sabean reflected on the 1992 draft and his firsthand experiences with Jeter. Sabean, who is the current executive advisor to the Yankees GM Brian Cashman, could see that even in high school Jeter had the intelligence and athleticism to go far.

Jeter’s standout attributes in high school, as narrated by Brian Sabean, “Well, his agility, hand-eye coordination, a very adjustable arm.” he continued. “But just his movements. You’d watch him in pregame and it stood out. And the other two things that were off the charts were the work ethic and the baseball IQ. But… superb athlete playing baseball.”

The famous story about Dick Groch 

As the 1992 draft approached, the New York Yankees’ scouting team huddled to finalize their draft board. The scouts were all unanimous in their decision to scout Jeter even though George Steinbrenner was definitely not high school oriented. Yet, they took a leap of faith since they had all the consensus that Jeter was the guy for them. 

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The particularly strong consensus came from Dick Groch, a scout for the Yankees who had been following Jeter’s high school career. From the moment he saw Jeter on the baseball field, Groch knew he was witnessing a genius in the making. The passionate advocacy from Groch was one of the main reasons that Brian Sabean drafted Jeter to the Yankees. 

As it turned out, the scouts were right. Jeter went on to have a notable career with the Yankees, earning his place in Cooperstown and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time. 

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