A Smooth and Easy Motion
Bird, as a reminder, has been called the best hitter in the system since at least 2014. Here is GM Brian Cashman saying just that, as relayed back then by John Harper of the Daily News:
"“That’s wrong,” Cashman said. “Greg Bird’s by far the best hitter (among prospects) in the organization.” Bird, whose power separates him from Pirela, is the Yankees’ first baseman of the future. He’s part of a prospect blueprint for, say, 2017 that could include Aaron Judge in right field, Luis Severino in the starting rotation and either Rob Refsnyder or Pirela at second base."
Now that is seeing things clearly; well, mostly. Still, when healthy, Bird has as dangerous a bat as that of Gary Sanchez, and that’s saying something.
He won the Arizona Fall League’s MVP back in 2014, capping what turned out to be his last full season in the minors. The next season saw him hit 23 home runs and 32 doubles between the majors and minors in just 129 games.
Bird was only 22 years old then, well before players develop their power.
Pre and Post
The possible production of Bird’s bat became even more evident in the postseason. Seven Yankees hit home runs during the playoffs, but only four hit more than one, including Judge with four, and Didi, Sanchez, and Bird with three apiece.
Yet, because of an improperly diagnosed foot injury sustained days before the opening of the 2017 season, Bird was a shell of himself as a hitter when he played in April. He finally returned to form right before the end of the regular season, but still only managed to account for nine of the Yankees 241 bombs.
This year, chiseled and determined, Bird is healthy.
If he plays most of the season, he is likely to have at least one of those six-week hot streaks he put up in last year’s spring training (.451/556/1.098 with eight home runs and seven doubles). And he certainly seems likely to hit more than nine home runs for the season.
Bird looks likely to do a lot of damage this year and that the Bronx Bombers have added two middle of the order power bats. That’s a tantalizing sight to Yankees fans…as is their revamped infield.