‘Special in a Number of Categories’- The Inside Story of How New York Yankees Drafted Derek Jeter

It has been over eight years since Derek Jeter retired from baseball. But the New York Yankees are yet to find a player of his caliber. Jeter was a once-in-a-lifetime player for the Pinstripes. There have been many great players in MLB. But when it comes down to a leader of the game, no one is even close to Jeter.

But how did the Yankees manage to sign a generational leader? Did the Yankees know Jeter will go on to become one of the greatest ever to play in the Bronx? Well, the Yankees drafted Jeter in the 1992 season (when he was just 18). But it was not as easy as it sounds.

The Yankees were tracking Jeter when he was not even eligible for a draft pick. After their 1978 World Series victory, the Yankees went trophyless for over 15 years. Their domination was fading away in Major League Baseball. And that is when Derek Jeter came into the scene.

The Yankees scout secretly analyzed Derek Jeter in his high school days

Per a recent report of MLB.com, Dick Groch — the Yankees scout — was in awe of Jeter’s performance in the ballparks. He was not a clean hitter of the game. Instead, Jeter was more of a team player. He would also contribute while fielding. After watching him play for a while, Groch found the player he was looking for a long time. 

“He ran 4.1 to first base, which was much above average in terms of our grading system,” Groch said. “I knew he could field, he could throw and he could run; that became very apparent very quickly.”

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Groch secretly started analyzing Jeter’s play. The Yankees scout would go to watch Jeter play without letting him know. 

“My philosophy is once I get a good feel for the player, I did not like for him to know that I was at the park,” Groch said. “I’m at the park, but he can’t see me.”

Yankees drafted Jeter as their 6th pick in 1992

After scouting him for more than a year, the Yankees were sure to go after Derek Jeter. During the 1992 MLB draft, the Pinstripes picked him as their 6th overall pick. And what followed next is only greatness. Groch knew Jeter will write a new chapter in the Bronx.

“I was overjoyed obviously, because the type of player and the category that I put him in, I thought he was going to be special, special, special in a number of categories,” Groch said. “I was elated.”

Jeter made his MLB debut in the 1995 season, and he helped the Yankees end their 17-year title drought in the Bronx. By the time Jeter retired, he had five World Series titles in his name. Will the Yankees ever find a leader as good as Jeter?

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