Jake Bauers isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. He’s just the latest in a long line of fringe corner outfielders who the Yankees have employed in recent years in an attempt to bridge the shortfall left by Brett Gardner’s decline and departure from the Bronx stage, as well as Aaron Hicks’ deep struggles since the start of 2021.
Is Bauers any different than Mike Tauchman, or Greg Allen, or Marwin Gonzalez, or Tim Locastro, or Franchy Cordero, or Willie Calhoun? Probably not. Still, there’s a little promise that there might actually be something there, after a few weeks of major league play.