Yankees Farm Report Part Four: Triple-A Scranton RailRiders

Tyler Austin

It is hard to imagine a bigger career reversal than the one Tyler has gone through in the last 12 months. Early 2016 saw Austin climbing down the ladder of success, moving from Triple-A to Double-A. There he slashed only .260/.367/.395; his batting average was low, and his power was non-existent.

But then the world began to bend for Tyler Austin. First, 1B Greg Bird had to miss the season due to a shoulder injury. Next, Mark Teixeira showed from the beginning of 2016 that he was a shot player. The resulting call-ups created an opening in Scranton, which Tyler filled only because he was the next man up.

He responded in a career saving way and improved all his numbers.

Slashing His way Back to the Bronx

Austin slashed .323/.415/.637 and re-established himself as a prospect. Then, in August, he got his chance in the majors. He showed the power but was ultimately not successful and finished with a .241/.300/.458 slash with five home runs in 31 games. But it was enough for the Yankees to imagine he could be what he once was believed to be, a high-average power hitter.

Tyler was injured to start the 2017 Yankees season and is currently on a rehab assignment at Scranton. Safe to say he is making the most of his renaissance, slashing 343./.370/.500.

Chris Carter is currently playing like Chris Carter for the Yankees, and it’s a race between Bird and Austin to see who can replace him faster. Right now, Austin is in the lead. Bird is still the better player, though, and Austin might be playing his way into either the backup role or a trade.