Greg Bird, New York Yankees
Following an impressive 178-plate-appearance performance as a rookie in 2015, the Yankees are still waiting for Greg Bird to breakout and stay healthy for a prolonged period of time. His power potential — especially as a left-handed hitter at Yankee Stadium — remains intriguing. Although he couldn’t turn it into real production, Bird did post a 39.9% hard-hit rate and 49.5% fly-ball rate in limited time.
Unfortunately for him, his struggles have opened the door for others to take advantages of their own opportunities to play. The prime example is Bird’s likely competition to play first base in Luke Voit. He only accumulated 148 plate appearances with New York after getting acquired from the Cardinals but took advantage by slugging 14 homers with a 194 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR.
On a team with championship aspirations and a deep roster, this will undoubtedly be one of the more intriguing position battles to watch unfold prior to Opening Day.
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