text: 2008 On June 30, 2008, Gardner was called up and made his major league debut, batting last and going 0-for-3 and grounding into a triple play. On July 2, he earned both his first pop out and first hit by pitch, off fellow rookie Texas Rangers relief pitcher Warner Madrigal in the seventh inning. On July 26, 2008, Gardner was optioned back to AAA after the acquisition of Xavier Nady in order to continue to receive playing time. The Yankees again recalled Gardner in 25 days.
  On September 21, 2008, Gardner scored the final run of Major League Baseball in Yankee Stadium history as a pinch runner for Jason Giambi, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Canó in the seventh inning of an eventual 7–3 win for the Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles. Gardner finished his rookie season playing in 42 games, batting .228 with 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
  2009: World Series championship
  Gardner was named the Yankees' starting center fielder for Opening Day of the 2009 season on March 29, beating out Melky Cabrera for the position, although Cabrera would eventually replace Gardner as the starting center fielder. Gardner played 108 games during the 2009 season, batting .270 with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 26 stolen bases. Gardner was also part of the Yankees' postseason run, appearing in all but one of the Yankees postseason games and starting the final two games of the World Series, as the team won the Series for the first time since 2000 by beating the Philadelphia Phillies.