Yankees' Teixeira on Gregorius: 'As good a shortstop as I've seen'

Defensive metrics aren't too fond of New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, but his teammates can hardly contain their excitement.

Gregorius, saddled with the unenviable task of replacing Derek Jeter, is drawing praise from veterans Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez this spring as he attempts to fill the shoes of one of the most accomplished Yankees of all time.

So far, so great.

"Didi is unbelievable, as good a shortstop as I've seen," Teixeira told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “And I'm not overexaggerating."

Teixeria's endorsement carries extra weight given the fact he played with Rodriguez during his defensive prime in Texas. 

For his part, Rodriguez said Gregorius's combination of speed and explosiveness - and especially accuracy - is rare for a player that young at that position.

"(Gregorius) has made plays from the hole, from his back foot, throwing the ball 90 mph across the diamond from his back foot," Rodriguez observed of the 25-year-old. "You don't see that. It also makes it a lot easier for your third baseman to play third base."

The left-handed hitting Gregorius was acquired this winter in a three-team trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he developed a reputation as a solid defender with favorable splits against opposite-handed pitchers. 

Judging by the early returns this spring, one would never know Gregorius ranked among the bottom of MLB shortstops last year in advanced fielding metrics. He's been so good, says Teixeira, that his struggles at the plate - a career OPS of .680 - are negated by his value in the field.

"When you're that good defensively and you're going to save that many runs," Teixeira said, "you can be much more patient with the bat."