With Alex Rodriguez‘s days on the New York Yankees coming to an end, the biggest question was who was in-line to replace the former star?
The decision appeared to be narrowed down to fan favorite Aaron Judge and resurgent prospect Tyler Austin. The competition was stiff, as both youngsters were having career seasons in Triple-A; and with Gary Sanchez already in the Bronx, it was clear that one of the two would be next.
We now have our answer.
It’s going to be Tyler Austin, not Aaron Judge, who replaces ARod tomorrow, per source #Yankees
— Dan Federico (@DanFederico_) August 13, 2016
While many fans wanted to see Judgement Day upon the Big Apple, it will be Austin who will continue the Yankees youth movement. Although it could be argued that Judge – the Yankees fourth-ranked prospect, per MLB.com – deserved the promotion, Austin’s ability to play all over the diamond seemed to give him the edge.
After being drafted in the 13th round back in 2010, Austin had all the makings of a future stalwart. Due to his combined .332 average in his first two seasons, he was named as Baseball America‘s 77th best prospect before the 2013 campaign.
Unfortunately, his high point was met almost immediately with a low one.
After being named an Eastern League All-Star, Austin injured his wrist, causing him to miss 60 games over the second half of the season. Injuries in 2014 and ineffectiveness in 2015 led to the Yankees designated Austin for assignment, all but signaling the end to his once-promising career in pinstripes.
Fortunately for the youngster, he wasn’t claimed on waivers. Austin must have taken that DFA to heart, as he’s playing his best baseball in his brief career.
Austin began the 2016 campaign in Double-A, where he hit a solid .260 with nine extra-base hits, eight runs batted in and an OPS of .792. Due to injury issues all across the Yankees organization at first base, he was promoted to Triple-A just 21 games into the year.
And Austin has yet to look back. Over 264 at-bats (74 games), he’s slashed a dominant .323/.415/.637 with 13 home runs, 49 RBI, 24 doubles and five stolen bases in as many tries. Bolstering his stock, Austin has played first base, third base, right field and left field with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
With the 24-year old set to join the Yankees on Saturday, he shouldn’t have a problem finding his way on the field. With a combination of Mark Teixeira and Aaron Hicks struggling at the plate and manager Joe Girardi‘s willingness to include Sanchez in the everyday lineup, Austin may very well follow suit.
The Yankees will be honoring the 1996 World Series team on Saturday while holding a ceremony on Sunday for legendary closer Mariano Rivera. Nostalgia is in the Bronx air.
But on the field, the youth movement is in full effect.
Dan Federico is the Editor in Chief and Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow and interact with him on Twitter or contact him via email here
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