2023 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup: Harrison Bader Heating Up With Giancarlo Stanton On IL!
The Yankees finished last season by making a sixth straight playoff appearance but failed to qualify for the World Series again. That disappointed most fans as the Yankees had a very strong team in 2022, and the same can be said for 2023. Early season projections have the Yankees winning 90 games this year and qualifying for the postseason. However, they are not considered favorites in a strong AL East division.
The Yankees have a very strong team led by Aaron Judge. However, beyond the boost that Judge gives to the roster on a nightly basis, this is also supplemented by power hitters such as Anthony Rizzo and D.J. LeMahieu. While the Yankees are very strong offensively, they also feature one of the league’s best pitching rotations. Gerrit Cole leads the rotation and also features Nestor Cortes while having a very formidable bullpen.
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As the Yankees have a well-built roster offensively and defensively, the acquisition of the speed threat Harrison Bader is paying off dividends for the Pinstripes. Bader is off to a red-hot start with a hot streak at the plate. That appears to be the case, as he has driven in 7 runs over the last 3 games for the Yankees. Over this period, Bader is hitting an average of .440 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI. It is quite evident that he seems to be playing with a little more jump to his game, and the Yankees are hoping that this flying start could translate into even bigger gains for Bader and the entire squad. While he is getting things done for the Yankees early in the season, he is also getting it done for fantasy owners and is owned at an alarming rate of 53%.
Harrison Bader is a Gold Glove winner who started his St Louis Cardinals career. Bader made his debut in 2017 after being drafted in 2015. He was called up to the majors halfway through the season and wasted no time showing off his great speed while making solid defensive plays in center field. In his first rookie campaign in 2018, he hit .264 with 12 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. While he struggled at the plate early on in his career, he continued to make solid plays on defense which earned him multiple forms of recognition, such as Baseball America’s NL Best Outfielder award by having eight outfield assists, four of them leading to double plays. In 2021, during his gold glove season, he enjoyed a decent amount of success at the plate. During the 2021 season, he hit for .267 with 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, 21 Doubles, and 9 stolen bases. He won the gold glove because he led NL Outfielders in runs prevented and runs saved.
Late last season, The Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for Harrison Bader. Bader welcomed the trade and instantly started making solid plays for the Yankees in center field. By doing so, Bader transformed the Yankees' outfield from adequate to superior. More importantly, with the acquisition of Bader, the Yankees can regulate Aaron Judge to right field or DH, thus giving him a much easier assignment and keeping him healthy to produce with his bat. Harrison Bader is a dual threat in the MLB that can get it done offensively and defensively. Now in his 5th full season, he shows off his superior defense and supplements it with his complementary offense. While Bader is not a power hitter but rather hits for contact, he has changed his approach at the plate. With this new approach at the plate, he has cut down on his strikeouts and has added the element of swinging for the fences more recently into his game. More importantly, his style of play defensively and offensively has drawn comparisons to another exciting outfielder in the form of Kevin Keirmaier.
Many experts and fans believe that the Yankees should lock Bader up to a multi-year contract. That appears to be the case since the Yankees have a better outfield with him in the lineup. Moreover, signing Bader to a multi-year contract ahead of free agency would be a massive win for both sides. Many expect Bader to get a contract worth $60 million over 4 years. With a new 4 year contract, Bader can focus solely on baseball and improve his hitting while continuing to deliver solid defensive gems on a nightly basis while patrolling center field. Finally, the duration of Bader’s new contract will allow the Yankees prospects in the system, such as Everson Pereira, to fully develop and be ready to make the jump once Bader’s contract expires with the Yankees. In the meantime, Aaron Boone and the Yankees can sit back and marvel at the speed, hustle, grit, and determination Harrison Bader showcases on defense, at the plate, and, more importantly, along the base paths!
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