Should There Be Worry About Derek Jeter?

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Jeter has had an awful spring so far and that’s being nice. After The Yankees 3-1 loss on Sunday afternoon, Jeter’s average dipped to .114.

Jeter also has no home runs and just two RBI to go along with that average. Is it anything to really worry about? Some scouts along with manager Joe Girardi are not the least bit worried about the shortstop’s struggles.

“He looks OK,” one NL scout said.  “He hasn’t been out there consistently in a long time, so you can’t expect him to be himself yet.”

Many people around the game who have watched Jeter over the years believe there’s no reason to think he won’t be himself. Of course, last year was an awful year but the captain was not healthy. You can’t emphasize that enough.

“Look, all I know is he’s 19-for-19,” another scout said of Jeter having good years when healthy. “He says he feels good and it doesn’t look like there’s anything wrong with him, so it should come.”

Some statistics don’t always give a clear picture of how a guy is doing. For example, Jeter is hitting .114 but has looked good at the plate and has hit balls hard with nothing to show for it. As long as the 39-year-old looks good at the plate and can stay on the field like he has so far, there shouldn’t be too many red flags.

“I’ve seen him look better and I’ve seen him look worse, even before he got hurt last year,” another scout said.

The people making these comments aren’t just anybody. They’re around the game every single day and follow the sport like the best fan you can think of. One man who has followed Jeter even closer the last few years is his skipper.

“I’m not really too worried about it,” Joe Grirardi said. “It is spring training. He missed almost a year and a half. He feels better at the plate. He says his timing he feels is closer. I’m not too worried.”

Some people thought this reflected some concern on the manager’s part. However, Girardi insists, he has no worries at all regarding the 13-time All-Star.

“I don’t get worked up about spring training for veterans. With what he’s accomplished and what he’s done, guys have been through spring trainings like this before.”

Derek Jeter is having one of the worst preseasons of his career. If there was anyone to point out flaws they see in Jeter this spring, it would be the scouts. The fact that scouts don’t seem too flustered by his awful start is a great sign for the Yankees and their fans.