The Yankees must love what they're seeing from Greg Bird this spring
Greg Bird has already hit four home runs after missing 2016 with shoulder surgery
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
For most players, spring training performance means nothing. They go through the motions and get their work in, and that’s it. There is so much noise in spring training -- pitchers tinker during their starts, there are minor leaguers in every game, etc. -- that’s it difficult to read too much into stats one way or another. There is basically zero correlation between spring training and regular season performance.
That said, spring training numbers do matter to some players. Guys trying to make the team, for example. If you’re looking to grab a bench spot or the final bullpen spot, a poor showing in camp could mean landing back in Triple-A to start the season. Many teams will make a decision on an open roster spot based on spring training. It’s silly, but it happens, year after year after year. That’s baseball.
For others, spring training is important for a different reason, and in the case of Yankees first baseman Greg Bird, it’s because he’s coming back from major injury. Bird missed the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery, and while he was healthy enough to get some at-bats in the Arizona Fall League last year, this spring is New York’s first real chance to see him in game action since the procedure. And so far, Bird has thrived.
Wednesday night the 24-year-old Bird smacked his fourth home run of the spring, and he later added a single for good measure. Here’s video of the dinger:
That performance raised Bird’s spring batting line to .452/.514/1.065 in 35 plate appearances. In addition to the four home runs he’s ripped five doubles, one triple, drawn four walks, and struck out only six times. His 10 extra-base hits lead all players this spring.
Now, does this mean Bird is ready to rake during the regular season and put up an MVP caliber performance? Of course not. His dominant performance this spring does indicate his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy, however. Bird is swinging free and easy, and his power has returned. A lot of times it can take a player several months to regain his power stroke after shoulder surgery.
During his MLB debut in 2015, Bird authored a .261/.343/.529 (135 OPS+) batting line with 11 home runs in 46 games with the Yankees. He took over as the team’s starting first baseman when Mark Teixeira went down with a leg injury. Bird hurt his shoulder during an offseason workout in February, and prior to that the plan was to have him share first base and DH time with Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez in 2016.
This year the plan is to have Bird play first base full-time. Teixeira is retired and the job is wide open. The Yankees signed Chris Carter for first base depth in case Bird needs time in Triple-A to regain his strength and/or timing, but right now, he sure looks good to go. He along with catcher Gary Sanchez, right fielder Aaron Judge, and high-end prospects like Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier are at the center of New York’s youth movement.
No, Bird won’t repeat his spring numbers during the regular season, but the fact he looks very much like the pre-injury version of himself during Grapefruit League play should excite the Yankees.
