Fansided · Jan 13, 2017
Tyler Austin’s Shot as Yankees Starting First Baseman
If Tyler Austin truly believes he’s better suited for the Yankees everyday first base job than Greg Bird, he’ll have to impress in a big way during Spring Training.
It’s not that Tyler Austin isn’t as good as Greg Bird, the two simply have different skill sets. From what we remember about Bird’s show-stopping performances back in 2015 for the Yankees is that the sweet-swinging lefty is built for the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium. His approach at the plate lends itself to a higher rate of contact — better discipline equals a significant OBP and therefore more chance to drive in runs.