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Yankees Hot Corner – Didi Gregorius makes Yankee fans euphorious

The New York Yankees went streaking during the month of April, winning nine in a row.  The hitting woke up, the starting pitching was much improved and the bullpen was serviceable, but there was one man who stood above the rest.  His name is Didi Gregorius and he is the leading candidate for AL MVP right now.

Once thought of as a good defensive shortstop with little pop in his bat, Didi has flourished in front of our eyes into a bonafide superstar.  He is charismatic, clutch and about as good of a clubhouse guy as you can have, but his stylish plays in the field and his knack for the big moment is what makes him special.

I could have told you after an abysmal start to last season that Didi would become something special, but I didn’t think he had it in him to be this good.  His three run home run in the Wild Card Game against the Twins cemented him as a fan favorite around these parts, and he’s looking to repeat that postseason with an even better performance and a World Series ring.

Entering play Tuesday, Didi was batting . 327 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI.  He is on pace for an unrealistic amount of home runs but he can easily get to a .315/30/110 stat line when all is said and done.  He is the most qualified member of this lineup to be MVP right now and he is still somehow the most overlooked superstar on the Yankees.

The most endearing part about Didi’s journey from short term replacement to superstar is that he was never supposed to be in this position.  When he took over for Derek Jeter at shortstop he was awful, and looked even worse as the days went on.  No one really knows what changed, but a few years later and he is here to stay.  The Manny Machado talk should be squashed because we already have a top tier shortstop.

People may throw around Francisco Lindor and Machado’s names as the top shortstops in the league, but right now I would put Gregorius just below Carlos Correa.  Didi is a very special player in a very special lineup and will only get better. If he continues to hit like this we may see him someday in Monument Park.  It’s putting the cart before the horse but for now us Yankee fans should just enjoy the ride and hope Didi’s magical season continues.

With Didi playing the way he is, the sky is the limit for this year’s Yankees.  They lost on Monday in Houston, but they just came off a nine game winning streak and started off their long road trip with a sweep of the AL West powerhouse Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Can Gregorius keep up this pace?  Who knows, but in a loaded lineup like this he doesn’t need to be the MVP.  It’s just icing on the cake that he turned out to be one of the best shortstops in the game.

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