Former Yankees top prospect, brawler resurfaces with Cubs after 7 years away from MLB

Tyler Austin's arrival in the big leagues could not have been more memorable. Hitting back-to-back with Aaron Judge. Going belly-to-belly with him against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, the sun shining. The 1996 Yankees looking on after their 30th anniversary title-winning celebration. How could it ever get better than that?

One Joe Kelly headlock and myriad stops later, and Austin's first day with the Yankees is either his most or second-most memorable moment in the game, depending on how fondly you remember the Yanks laying punches on the 2018 Red Sox. Personally? Not my favorite highlight; Boston stomped the Yankees out for the remainder of the year. Kelly got to fire the crowd up at Bruins playoff games like some kind of conquering hero, even though he got absolutely bodied by the beefy first baseman. So it goes. Boston always "wins," even when they don't.

Austin slammed eight homers for the 2018 Yankees after crashing the big-league party as a 24-year-old two years prior. He had tremendous raw pop and seemed so silky smooth when he connected. His numbers are better than you think — .751 OPS in 34 games with the Yanks that season — but he still never stuck. He was dealt to the Twins in exchange for Lance Lynn that July. The Twins flipped him to the Giants when the season wrapped; San Francisco sent him to Milwaukee, and so on.

Or so we thought. Because, as the pandemic halted baseball and the world as we know it in 2020, Austin went silent. When he returned, it was overseas with the Yokohama Bay Stars. In parts of six seasons in Japan, he never stopped slugging, tearing the cover off the ball with a .293 average and 85 homers in NPB action.

And now, he's going straight back to the big leagues. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Chicago Cubs have signed the 34-year-old Austin to an MLB contract. He'll be given every opportunity to earn playing time from a Cubs team that is seeking thump at the position.

Former Yankees top prospect Tyler Austin jumps from Japan to Chicago Cubs

We never thought we'd hear from Austin again, but it's a total pleasure to get a chance to celebrate his unique legacy. If he takes the field on Opening Day, it'll be seven seasons after his most recent stint. After years of watching pitchers rebuild their portfolios overseas and get tens of millions to come back to the USA, Austin will get a shot at redemption, too.

Most importantly, he outlasted Joe Kelly.