Only a select few have been likened to Derek Jeter on a baseball field, the most recent of whom is the No. 1 pick from last year’s MLB Draft, Royce Lewis.
“It’s becoming clearer why the Minnesota Twins made shortstop Royce Lewis last year’s surprise No. 1 pick over pitcher Hunter Greene,” said Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal on Saturday.
“One scout who saw Lewis recently at Class A offered him the highest of praise, calling him ‘Derek Jeter incarnate.’ The scout said Lewis needs to learn that internal clock all the great ones have, but once that happens, the scout believes Lewis stands the chance of becoming elite.”
Has baseball found the next Derek Jeter?@Ken_Rosenthal explains pic.twitter.com/q3XjCwNDJI
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 2, 2018
Lewis, drafted out of his California high school ahead of Greene, Brendan McKay, a pair of players who can hit and pitch. Entering play Sunday, Lewis was hitting .299 with three homers, 26 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts at low-Class A Cedar Rapids.
Jeter was selected sixth overall by the Yankees in 1992. He made his MLB debut three years later and went on to collect 3,465 hits en route to 14 All-Star appearances in 20 seasons.
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McKay has struggled with his bat since being drafted, but on the mound he’s been really good, with a 1.51 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings.
Greene has a 7.18 ERA in nine starts but has racked up 36 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings.
Lewis and Greene and still just 18 years old while McKay is 22.
