1996 Yankees 20th Anniversary Retrospective: Derek Jeter

The perfect rookie year for the perfect Yankee career.Background

This story has become a stock narrative when discussing the great Derek Jeter's career, but each time it's told, it's still a little jarring to hear. On the eve of the 1992 MLB Draft, Hal Newhouser, a scout for the Houston Astros, had his eyes fixed on Jeter for their first overall pick, and he was absolutely convinced that he would be the future centerpiece of the Astros' franchise. Instead, the Astros chose outfielder Phil Nevin. Nevin did play until 2006 and put up a decent 114 OPS+ and 15.8 rWAR, but none of that was to the benefit of the Astros, who traded him on August 15, 1995 for Mike Henneman, who pitched a grand total…