Jeter tops MLB jersey sales in his final season
Yankees' captain followed by Posey, Kershaw, Ortiz and Pedroia in top five
MINNEAPOLIS -- Derek Jeter is going out in style.
Not only is the Yankees captain headed for his 14th All-Star Game in this final season, but his No. 2 jersey that has been worn by a generation of fans goes out on top of the annual list of most popular jerseys in Major League Baseball.
MLB and the MLB Players Association on Wednesday announced the 20 best-selling player jerseys based on Majestic Athletic sales at the MLB.com Shop since Opening Day. It is a list that Jeter used to dominate, and this is testament to fans' interest in paying tribute at the ballparks with his shirt on their back.
"It always feels good any time the fans respect how you play," Jeter said after a previous top ranking. "It's never something you think about, but you definitely take it as a huge compliment."
Following closely in the top 10 are Buster Posey of the Giants, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, David Ortiz of the Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, Yadier Molina of the Cardinals, Mike Trout of the Angels, David Wright of the Mets, Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers.
Rounding out the list are Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, Freddie Freeman of the Braves, Robinson Cano of the Mariners, Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, Manny Machado of the Orioles, Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers, Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Yu Darvish of the Rangers.
Twelve of the top 20 are 27 years old or younger, tied for the most since MLB began publishing these rankings in 2010. Three players -- Freeman, Tanaka and Rizzo -- appear on the list for the first time. For the month of June alone, Jeter, Kershaw and Posey topped the list, while young stars Puig (fourth) and Trout (fifth) vaulted into the top five.
The full-season list features players representing 15 clubs -- including eight clubs in the top 10. Only the Dodgers (Kershaw, Puig and Ryu) have as many as three players on the list.
It is an international list, with nine of the 20 from outside of the United States, including three from Asia. The list also features eight infielders, five pitchers, four outfielders, two catchers and a sole DH in Ortiz.
The MLB.com Shop includes a full Jeter collection featuring the No. 2 pinstriped jersey with a commemorative retirement patch. While you are there, you also can find the full collection of authentic All-Star Game merchandise.