One day when he was a boy, Cody Bellinger slipped inside a batting cage with his father. Clay Bellinger spent parts of three seasons with the New York Yankees, which granted his eldest son access to areas designated only for those in pinstripes. Cody was kindergarten age but already treating the ballpark as his playground.

Inside the cage, Cody swung and he swung and he swung, his prowess drawing the attention of Derek Jeter, the iconic shortstop. Beneath his sleek exterior, Jeter wielded a wit sharper than a scythe. Jeter regarded the boy’s father, a grinder who spent a decade in the minor leagues. Then he turned back to the kid.