Skip to content

Bench play could be a strength for the 2017 New York Yankees

Bench play could be a strength for the 2017 New York Yankees
Sep 27, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin (26) celebrates hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Austin

If Tyler Austin doesn’t snag a starting job this spring, perhaps it’s a good thing because he’s just too valuable to fasten into one position.

The ability to DH, play first, right field, left field and even some third base will prove to be beneficial for Bird (who’s recovering from shoulder surgery) Aaron Judge (who still needs adjustments), Sanchez and more.

Not to mention the production you may see from him.


[sc name=”Yankees Center 2″ ]

The 25-year old smacked five home runs in 31 games following a promotion on August 13, 2016, a 26 home run total when proportioned to 162 games.

In addition to that, all of his homers were driven the opposite field while he also demonstrated a superb clutch gene (highest FanGraphs clutch rating among Yankees hitters) and went 6-for-12 (.500) with two home runs over his last five games.

With Austin, you’ll get a guy who could not only produce and play a ton of positions around the diamond, but who’s handy for a late-game, pinch-hit situation.

[sc name=”Yankees Link Slideshow” link=”elitesportsny.com/2017/01/14/bench-play-could-be-a-strength-of-the-2017-new-york-yankees/3″ text=”Austin Romine” ]
Christian Kouroupakis
Christian Kouroupakis

Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and is the Editorial Director for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.