Yankees: 8 players unable to live up to the hype

Sometimes, the bright lights of New York are too much for some Major League players. Here’s a look at eight former Yankees who were unable to live up to the hype of putting on the pinstripes.

Pressure and hype are two factors every Major League Baseball player must cope with, but it’s a completely different animal when wearing the pinstripes of the New York Yankees.

Over the past 10 years, a number of former Yankees were simply unable to live up to the hype that was behind them. Whether they were homegrown or heading to town with a Brinks truck full of cash behind them, their time in New York would not be remembered well.

For some, injuries led to the demise. Think of once-promising first baseman Greg Bird who helped lift the Yankees to the postseason in 2015 and even performed some playoff heroics a few years later but was never able to live up to the expectations as the first baseman of the future.

High-priced free agents or highly-valued trade acquisitions have also flopped of late in the Bronx. As the Yankees were prepping for deep playoff runs, additions that looked like the final piece to championship teams were unable to hold up their end of the bargain.

Although the Yankees fan base can absolutely fall in love with a player (think Derek Jeter or Aaron Judge) it leads to great expectations which can be dangerous. For these players, those expectations ended up being too great to live up to.