The New York Yankees' outfield might be congested at the moment, but manager Aaron Boone hasn't ignored what Jake Bauers is currently doing in Triple-A Scranton.
A former top prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays, Bauers is absolutely raking, hitting .333 with nine home runs and 20 RBI in just 19 games. That's opened Boone's eyes. Via Chris Kirschner:
“He’s definitely caught our eye. A lot of us are paying attention to that. We’ll see what happens.”
Bauers initially came up to the Majors in 2018 with Tampa before also spending time with the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners. But, in nearly 1,000 at-bats in the big leagues, he hit just .213.
After playing briefly in the minors with the Cincinnati Reds, they ultimately traded him to the Yankees last summer for cash. Bauers barely played in 2022 because of an injury, but the 27-year-old has hit the ground running in 23′.
In all honesty, he could come up and get innings over Willie Calhoun and Franchy Cordero, who are both batting well under .200. If Bauers struggles, you can also send him down again. He also has a ton of versatility position-wise and can play in the outfield, first base, or even DH.
Who knows, perhaps Boone will give Bauers a chance. If the Yankees' outfield continues to struggle with the bats, he's going to force New York's hand, especially if the power numbers continue to trend in the right direction. Plus, being left-handed, Bauers could very well benefit from the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
We'll see if Jake Bauers gets another shot at the MLB level.
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