With the start of Spring Training approaching, anticipation is building for the 2018 season. MLB.com is going around the horn to break down each area of the Yankees' roster, continuing this week with the middle infielders.
Didi Gregorius arrived in New York in December of 2014, prompting seemingly endless comparisons to his predecessor at shortstop. Replacing the recently-retired Derek Jeter in the hearts and minds of Yankees fans would be impossible, the young shortstop recognized.
Yet, three years and two months later, those questions have subsided. Overcoming a perceived inability to hit left-handed pitching, Gregorius has established himself as the Yankees' present and future at the position, coming off a 25-homer campaign in which he shattered Jeter's 1999 record for blasts by a Bombers shortstop (24).