Hall of Famer Showers Praise on Former Twins Postseason Impact

The Minnesota Twins aren’t part of the postseason, but when you piece out 40% of your roster during a given year it’s likely that players with ties will make it. That has been the case and there are representatives on each of the remaining League Championship Series teams.

Thus far the Seattle Mariners have gone to Canada and absolutely hammered the Toronto Blue Jays. Even after their 15-inning Division Series win against the Detroit Tigers, it’s been Dan Wilson’s team besting baseball’s top offense.

Jorge Polanco has been at the center of all of it, and the former Twins second baseman is drawing high praise from Yankees legend Derek Jeter.

Derek Jeter fawning over Jorge Polanco’s postseason impact

Jorge Polanco was traded to the Seattle Mariners before the 2024 season with one year left on his contract. The return has largely gone belly up for the Minnesota Twins. Polanco struggled in his first season with the Mariners, but returned, and has more than made up for it this year.

Derek Jeter has seen enough of the dominance during the postseason that he made sure to specifically call out the Mariners second baseman prior to Game 2 on Monday.

Praise from one clutch player to another 🤝@DerekJeter has been impressed from what he's seen the last couple of games from @Mariners 2B Jorge Polanco. pic.twitter.com/w3MDslqT8r

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 13, 2025

“My biggest takeaway is [Jorge] Polanco. I mean, for him to come up with the two biggest RBI singles in last nights [Sunday] game. In the Division Series he had two huge home runs against Tarik Skubal. Then he had the game-winning RBI in the 15th inning to send the Seattle Mariners to the ALCS. You know, when you come into series like this, big stars is what all of us talk about. Usually it’s somebody that you may not expect, or somebody you may not have spent as much time talking about that comes up with the big moments. He is the one, for the Seattle Mariners, that is playing a huge part in their success.”

Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter certainly knows a thing or two about big moments. The five-time World Series champion, and Hall of Famer, has contributed plenty in October.

Jorge Polanco had played in 12 postseason games with the Twins. He was among the payroll cuts following a decades-ending postseason drought for Minnesota. What he is doing with Seattle has been exceptional.

In six games this postseason with the Mariners, Polanco has three runs, two homers, and five RBI. Then, following Jeter’s remarks, he put his touch on Monday night’s game as well.

HE'S DONE IT AGAIN! #SeizeTheMoment pic.twitter.com/Wb9r5Q4KH2

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 13, 2025

Facing former Twins reliever Louie Varland, Polanco went deep for the third time this October. The big fly brought in two more runs and pushed his RBI tally to eight. Despite a depleted pitching staff due to the 15-inning Game 5 against Detroit, the Blue Jays have jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the road against Toronto.

Former Minnesota Twins catcher Mitch Garver also recorded a pinch-hit triple in the contest, and Seattle will head home needing just two wins across the next five games to reach their first World Series.