How Important is Harrison Bader to the Yankees?

A major factor of this success with Bader in the lineup is his unexpected offensive production, in addition to his Gold Glove-caliber defense.

With Aaron Judge’s injury, the Yankee lineup as a whole has sputtered. However, Bader had a major hand in two comeback wins, delivering the game-winning hit in the eighth inning of both games.

On June 25, the Yankees trailed the Texas Rangers 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning before beginning to rally, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base for Bader. He slammed a double into the left-center field gap to drive in both runners, which wound up being the decisive blow in a 5-3 win.

More heroics followed on Monday against the division rival Baltimore Orioles. After the Yankees battled back from an early 3-0 deficit, they opened up the bottom of the eighth with two straight singles to bring up Bader.

Bader was initially ordered to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but after a first attempt failed and he showed his hand for a second attempt, he was allowed to swing away. He promptly launched a go-ahead three-run home run that served as the winning margin in a 6-3 victory, allowing the Yankees to make up ground in the Wild Card race.

At this point, the only knock against Bader is his injury trouble, as the Yankees have significantly benefited from his play since acquiring him. Bader will be a free agent at the end of the season, but general manager Brian Cashman shouldn’t hesitate to give Bader a new contract to stay in his hometown.

With key players such as DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo, and Giancarlo Stanton struggling offensively, the production from Bader has been a godsend that has helped the team stay above water. If Bader can continue producing at his current level, the Yankees should remain in the playoff hunt by the time Judge returns.