#25: Derek Jeter
If there was any player that could be described as a team’s “linchpin,” that player would certainly be Derek Jeter for the New York Yankees! During his 20-year run as a Yankee, Jeter was a central figure in their success through the late 90’s and early 2000’sprimarily due to his hitting, but also for his smart base running and leadership skills.
Jeter is the career leader for the Yankees with 3,465 hits, and 658 Stolen Bases and leads the team in hitting stats in 4 other areas. In addition, he won 5 Silver Slugger Awards, 5 Gold Gloves, a World Series MVP Award, was a 14x All-Star and Rookie of the Year. In 2017, Jeter’s #2 was retired by the Yankees.