New York Yankees: All-time best shortstops in franchise history

New York Yankees all-time best shortstops – No. 1: Derek Jeter

71.3 WAR

SURPRISE! It’s Derek Jeter! All kidding aside, everyone knew where this list was heading. Jeter’s WAR is more than Rizzuto’s and Peckinpaugh’s combined.

The Captian’s incredible 20-years career included 14 all-star bids, five Gold Gloves, and five Silver Sluggers. He ranks tenth all-time in plate appearances, ninth in at-bats, 6th in hits, fifth in singles, and 11th in runs scored.

He is, without a doubt, one of the top few shortstops ever, and one of the top tier players at any position all time. He fell just one vote short of being a unanimous Hall of Fame selection.

He also did things like this:

Ironically, defensive metrics weren’t kind to Jeter over the years. According to Fangraphs, since they started using Ultimate Zone Rating, he only recorded a positive in this metric one season in 2009. Overall, he accumulated a -66.1 UZR since 2002.

Defensive Runs Saved was another metric that didn’t treat Jeter well. Again, only in 2009 did he earn a positive mark in this metric, and his DFS for his career was -162.

As far as where Jeter stands as an all-time Yankee, he is fifth in WAR, first in games, first in plate appearances, second in runs scored, sixth in RBI, and eighth in RBI.

He is, hands down, one of the best six or seven position players ever to don the pinstripes, and he is firmly rooted at number one as the best shortstop in New York Yankee history.