Greg Bird sealed his status as the Yankees’ first baseman of the future with a promising 46-game debut as a rookie in 2015.
He unleashed a picturesque left-handed swing, seemingly engineered to own Yankee Stadium’s short right-field fence. He showcased a dependable glove, responsible for just one error in his major league career. He demonstrated the ability to play under pressure, blasting a home run off All-Star Andrew Miller in a playoff elimination game — the only run scored in Game 3 of last year’s ALDS.
Nearly three years have passed since Bird was first inserted into a major league lineup — alongside Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, and Stephen Drew — and the 25-year-old is still nearly 40 games shy of playing one full season in the majors.