5 Greatest New York Yankees Shortstops of All Time

It's a tall order to succeed "Mr. Yankee" Derek Jeter, but Gregorius, a soft-spoken native of Curaçao, rose to the occasion after coming up through the Arizona Diamondbacks system.

Gregorius, who was acquired by the Yankees shortly after Jeter's retirement in 2014, showed no signs of being affected by the pressure of being Jeter's successor. He was a finalist for the AL Gold Glove award in his first season in New York, slugged to .447 clip with 20 home runs in the Yankees' 2016 retool season, and hit 25 home runs the next year to break Jeter's single-season home run record. To this day, Gregorius leads all Yankee shortstops with a career .446 slugging percentage.

Gregorius' success in 2017 didn't stop in the regular season, as he was a key piece in the Yankees' surprise run to Game 7 of the ALCS, blasting two home runs in the Yankees' decisive win over the largely favored Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the ALDS.

The Yankees decided to move on from Gregorius after the 2019 season following two injury-laden seasons that included a late-2018 Tommy John surgery. Gregorius' career wasn't the same after he left New York, as "Sir Didi" bounced between the Phillies, Mariners, and played stints in the Mexican League and Dubai's Baseball United.

3. Frank Crosetti

Crosetti, who played in the big leagues from 1932-1948, was a fixture at the Yankees' leadoff position and a staple of some of the more dominant Yankees teams in the mid-20th century.

The two-time All-Star had his best numbers in 1936, slashing .288/.387/.437 with 15 homers and 78 RBIs.

Crosetti, also known as "The Crow," was part of 17 World Series championships and 23 AL-pennant winning teams across a 36-year Yankee career that culminated in 22 years as the Yankees' third base coach following his playing days.

Crosetti ranks second among Yankees shortstops in runs (1,006), doubles (260), homers (98), RBIs (649), and walks (792).

2. Phil Rizzuto

During his 13 seasons in the big leagues, "The Scooter" won nine AL pennants and seven World Series titles, serving as a central piece to one of the more prolific Yankee dynasties.

A sure-handed shortstop with a natural leadership ability, Rizzuto won an MVP in 1950, served for three years in the United States Navy and made five All-Star teams. His 1,588 career hits and 149 stolen bases are both second among Yankee shortstops.

1. Derek Jeter

No player better symbolizes the Yankees than Jeter, a consummate professional whose storybook career is a tall order to summarize in brief.

Jeter's 99.75% vote percentage in 2020 represented the highest vote total ever given to a position player, with "Mr. Yankee" falling one vote shy of joining fellow Yankee icon Mariano Rivera as the only players ever unanimously elected to Cooperstown.

Jeter's 19-year career saw him win five World Series titles, five Gold Glove awards, and collect 3,465 hits, the sixth most of any player in history. Jeter, a career .310/.377/.440 hitter, also mashed 260 homers, 544 doubles, scored 1,923 runs, and drove in 1,311 RBIs as a staple at the top of the Yankees order in their late-1990s dynastic runs.

Beyond the stat book, Jeter is the face of some of the most iconic moments in Yankees history, including the leadoff home run in the 2000 World Series against the Mets, the 2001 "Flip Play" against the Athletics, and his dive into the seats against the Red Sox in 2004 that rendered him bloodied but not shaken.

And most importantly, Jeter's final at-bat at Yankee Stadium ended the only way that it could have, with a walk-off home run against the Orioles that symbolized his slapstick, old school approach. It was the demeanor of Jeter, the 15th captain of the Yankees, and his storybook career, that rightfully earns him the number one spot on this list.