New York Yankees, Didi Gregorius, Derek Jeter
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Didi Gregorius has made waves for the New York Yankees at shortstop. However, his impact on the team is greater when he’s not on the infield dirt.

Brian Cashman made the most peculiar trade to nab Didi Gregorius for the New York Yankees and the fan base went insane. Years later, those same fans are now fawning over the robbery of the century.

The swift shortstop has impressed on the diamond this season. Gregorius is batting .285/.317/.479 and has already knocked a career-high in home runs (25).

Not only that, but Gregorius is only five hits short of his career-high from last season in 19 fewer games. Plus, his defense has been outstanding, serving as arguably the best defensive shortstop the Yankees have seen in a long time.

All of that is fine and dandy but Gregorius’ impact on the team is shown beyond the chalk lines of the ball field.

We’ve seen the antics in the dugout, the youthful exuberance demonstrated by even the most learned of veterans. All of that is thanks to Didi Gregorius, who brings a special attitude that has been missing from the dugout in the Bronx for years.

Think about it. When was the last time you really saw the entire team actually have fun? Not just because they were winning, but because they were truly enjoying every moment of the game.

And who is at the helm of this newfound enthusiasm movement? Who else?

The guy with the emojis. Those emoji messages after each game also show just how influential his attitude is on the entire team. He gives credit to everyone and never, ever boasts about his own accomplishments, no matter how impressive they are.

That kind of selfless attitude is contagious, especially when it comes from a guy as convincing as Gregorius. He brings his own sunshine to the dugout and with him around, his teammates can’t help but smile.

He was the one that started the oh-so-popular emoji tweets following victories. He was also the one who gave birth to the latest craze in interviewing his own teammates following a home run.

Everything he does is out of pure fun and love for the game. He demonstrates every day the importance of comradery by bringing out the fun side to each and every teammate.

He shows them that sometimes, it’s okay to have fun. It’s okay to not be serious 100 percent of the time. Sometimes, it’s important to have a little fun.

And it shows. The Yankees are having a fabulous season, hitting 90 wins with yesterday’s convincing victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. They are still just two games out of the AL East with two games to play.

Is it solely because of Gregorius? Probably not. However, it goes to show that attitude can bring a lot to a team.

And Didi has that attitude. That attitude has made this year’s team a cohesive unit that is working together playing the game they love at the highest level.

And ultimately, that’s what these players are: adults who are playing the game they grew up loving as children. And that is exactly what it looks like.

Didi Gregorius brought all that back to the game. He is helping this team become closer than ever, one emoji tweet and ridiculous antic at a time.


Allison is just a girl with an enormous passion for the game of baseball and the written word. Based in Upstate New York, her life-long relationship with the New York Yankees is something that she developed through close relationships with her mother and grandfather. An aspiring sports writer, she graduated with a journalism degree and is finding places to share her excitement about the sporting world and how it affects us all.