"It’s been an incredible arc" - Alex Rodriguez offers rare glimpse into his relationship dynamic with former Yankees 'Captain' Derek Jeter

Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter have attained legendary status among the natives in the Bronx. While A-Rod won his sole World Series title with the New York Yankees, Captain Clutch won five with the Bronx Bombers, including three consecutive titles from 1998 to 2000.

During their time as teammates for ten seasons with the Yankees, Jeter and Rodriguez created some unforgettable moments both on and off the diamond.

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, while promoting his new partnership with Lysol, A-Rod shed light on his relationship dynamics with the former Yankees captain and how their friendship flourished off the field.

"It’s been an incredible arc with Derek and I. We’ve been friends for more than 30 years now and we played together for a long time," he said.

"The arc of our relationship, I’m really proud of where it is right now. I’m really proud of him and all the work he’s doing both in media, his business, and also he’s always given back to the community so much. So, I think we’re both in a good place and I think we’re both very happy to be working together."

Derek Jeter, 49, and Alex Rodriguez, 48, became friends when they were teenagers playing the minor league. They both went professional almost in tandem, as Jeter joined the Yankees and A-Rod was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1993 MLB draft and made his big stage debut the following year.

Today, both the Yankees legends are TV broadcasters with FOX Sports, where they share that panel with former Red Sox legend David Ortiz inside the studios. Their friendship over the years has long fascinated fans.

Derek Jeter voiced his discontent over Alex Rodriguez's 2001 comments via ESPN docuseries 'The Captain'

When Derek Jeter had already won four World Series titles with the New York Yankees, a wild comment by then-Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez erupted like wildfire in the major leagues. The hot topic of discussion at the time revolved around which shortstop was the better player in the MLB, Jeter or A-Rod.

In his 2001 interview with Esquire magazine, A-Rod said:

"Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him. So, he’s never had to lead. He doesn’t have to, he can just go and play and have fun, and hit second.

"I mean, you know, hitting second is totally different than hitting third or fourth in a lineup because you go into New York trying to stop Bernie [Williams] and [Paul] O’Neill and everybody. You never say, ‘Don’t let Derek beat you.’ That’s never your concern."

Derek Jeter, in his ESPN docuseries titled 'The Captain' (2022), voiced his discontent over Alex Rodriguez's comments from almost two decades ago, as he said:

"In my mind, he got his contract, so you’re trying to diminish what I’m doing, maybe to justify why you got paid. When you talk about statistics, mine never compared to Alex’s. I’m not blind. I understand that. But we [Yankees] won."

Despite their topsy-turvy relationship as friends in the big league and even before that, the duo currently command a strong friendship. They are often seen reminiscing about the great times they shared in the Bronx playing for the Yankees.