The Yankees haven’t had a captain since Derek Jeter retired, and they probably won’t for quite some time. Aaron Judge is the team’s best player and lead-by-example kind of guy, while Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia provide the veteran presence and are more vocal leaders. Didi Gregorius falls somewhere in the middle. Not only is he immensely important on the field, but he also plays a huge role in the clubhouse.
He may not be a “captain,” but when Gregorius injured his heel against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees lost an irreplaceable part of his team.