Ranking Derek Jeter's 5 Best MLB Seasons
3. 1998
WAR: 6.2
1998 represented a year of firsts for Mr. Jeter: It was the first time he hit more than 10 home runs (19), the first time he exceeded 80 RBI (84), and the first time he put up a WAR of at least 5.
On his way to 203 hits, Jeter hit .324 with an on-base percentage of .384 and a slugging percentage of .481. In 149 games, he accumulated 29.0 offensive runs above replacement with 10.1 coming on the defensive half of innings.
Across a total of 1,340.2 innings, Jeter totaled just 9 errors in 625 chances. He had 393 assists and 82 double plays on the year and played his way to the first of many All-Star bids.
He finished just third in MVP voting, but he still got the last laugh. In 1998, the Yankees won 114 regular season games and their first ring during Jeter's tenure in the Big Apple.