Top 5 teammates Derek Jeter played with in his MLB career
In the the 2000s and early 2010s, no name was more synonymous with New York baseball than Derek Jeter. He was the most recognizable face to don the Yankee pinstripes and arguaby over all of baseball during that era. Jeter spent 20 years with the Bombers, won five World Series titles and was selected to 14 All-Star teams.
Carrying and wearing the Yankees uniform is no easy task as it is always expected to win the American League Pennant and the World Series each year. With that being said, some of the greatest players of each generation have worn Yankee pinstripes. From the great Bernie Williams to Andy Pettitte, we take a look at the Who's Who of Derek Jeter's teammates and rank the top five players he played with.
Derek Jeter's Top 5 Teammates
#5 Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams won the World Series in 1996 with Derek Jeter in the latter's rookie year. During that time, he batted .305/.391/.535 and scored 29 homers with 102 RBIs on his way to an American League Championship Series MVP award. Bernie was a vital part of the three-peat World Series-winning Yankees teams from 1998-2000.
He was honored by the Yankees in 2015 when they retired his number 51. During the 11 seasons spent with Jeter, he ammassed a total of 237 homers, 990 RBIs, five All-Star selections, and four World Series titles.
#4 Andy Pettitte
The first pitcher on this list and the first member of the "Core Four," Andy Eugene Pettitte spent all but three of his 18 career years with the Yankees. During his sophomore campaign in 1996 — and Derek Jeter's rookie year — Pettitte had the winningest season of his career with 21 wins before he repeated the feat in 2003.
He won five world titles with Derek Jeter in 1996, 1998-2000, and the Yankees' last World Series win in 2009. He still leads the league in all-time postseason wins with 19. His number 46 jersey was retired by the Yankees in 2015.
#3 Jorge Posada
Another stalwart of the ball club, Jorge Posada spent the entirety of his 17-year career with the Yankees. Posada has five World Series rings, but, technically, he has won four. The controversy arose in the history books as Posada played just eight games for the Yankees during the 1996 regular season and none in the postseason. He became a regular starter when his soon-to-be-boss Joe Girardi left the Yankees in 1999.
Nonetheless, this shouldn't take away from the accomplishments of the brilliant switch-hitting catcher as winning one championship is hard enough in itself. Posada has been selected to five All-Star teams and has won the same number of Silver Slugger awards. His number 20 was retired by the Yankees in 2015 just a day before they honored and retired Andy Pettitte's number.
#2 Alex Rodriguez
The relationship and comparisons between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter have been well-documented and publicized. But you can't take away that when they're clicking, they can steamroll the opposition. Case in point was Rodriguez' sole World Series title win and Jeter's last in 2009. They beat teams left, right, and center for a league-leading 103 regular season wins on their way to a dominant World Series win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Love him or hate him, A-Rod was a generational talent, and he, along with Jeter, carried the Yankees teams during the latter part of the 2000s and early part of the 2010s. Although mired in controversy, Rodriguez compiled 302 homers and 960 RBIs with an OPS of .925 during the 10 years he spent with Jeter.
#1 Mariano Rivera
It had to be The Sandman. The final member of the Core Four on this list (not including Jeter), Mariano Rivera's impact on the Yankees organization is arguably unmatchable. He was as important to the organization as Derek Jeter was during his playing days. A five-time World Series champion and 13-time All-Star, Mo leads the all-time MLB list in saves with 652 and games finished with 952.
Rivera's number 42 was retired by the Yankees in 2013. In 2019, Rivera was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and became the first player in history to be elected unanimously.