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NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: Didi Gregorius #18 of the New York Yankees looks on in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on June 22, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Didi Gregorius is coming into his own

When the Yankees acquired Didi Gregorius, they viewed him as a project. He was a guy with a lot of potential, who hadn’t played full-time yet in the majors. The verdict was out on whether he could be an adequate replacement for Derek Jeter.

Well, if the first half of 2016 is any indication, Didi is here to stay. He’s coming into his own as a player, and it’s been really fun to watch.

The 26-year-old shortstop is hitting .298/.328/.468 with 11 homers (career high) and 41 RBI, and has established himself as one of the best hitters on the team. His average is good for sixth amongst all shortstops in the majors. With his 10th homer on July 7th, Didi became just the fourth Yankee shortstop to hit double digit round-trippers before the All-Star break. The other three? Derek Jeter (six times), Roy Smalley (1983), and Frankie Crosetti (1936).

One year ago today, Didi was hitting .232/.288/.304 with two homers and 13 RBI. One of the main differences in his game is his ability to hit lefties. This season, he’s hitting .360 (!) against southpaws compared to .247 in 2015.

On the defensive side, Didi has been his usual self – making highlight reel plays with ease and handling the routine plays. He does have 12 errors on the season, which includes a three-error game against the White Sox this month, but otherwise he’s shown improvement from the beginning of last season.

What’s impressive about Didi is that he can spray the ball all over the field. Throw him outside and he’ll flick the ball to left field. Try to jam him in and he’ll turn on it and pull with authority, sometimes out of the park. Make a mistake down the middle and he’ll send it right back where it come from. You can see his confidence growing, and with more confidence comes more success.

He’s also not striking out at a high rate, which in today’s game, is almost unheard of. He’s K’d just 35 times in 299 at-bats. Would you like to see Didi walk more? Sure, but that hasn’t really been his game so far in his young career.

In my opinion, Didi deserved a spot in the All-Star game this year. If he continues to play like he has in 2016, we should be seeing him represent the Yankees in the Mid-Summer Classic soon.

As for now, enjoy seeing a player realize his potential.