Yankees: Could Jake Bauers help offense?

The Yankees may have broken their offensive slump on Wednesday in Minnesota, but it likely won’t calm the nerves of anxious fans of the Bronx Bombers until there is some sustained success. Before Wednesday’s win, New York hadn’t scored more than three runs in a game since April 20.

But the offensive issues have gone on long before that and before Giancarlo Stanton hit the injury list, which has forced the Yanks to scramble yet again. It’s what’s drawn some to the idea of giving Jake Bauers a shot in the big leagues.

The 27-year-old has been tearing it up in Triple-A in the early season for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. So far this year, Bauers is batting .333 with a .481 OBP and 1.364 OPS.

Add on top of the nine home runs he’s hit as well and Bauers is certainly making a case for himself to get a call-up to the big leagues. It seemed as though the Yankees’ brass has already taken notice as well, with manager Aaron Boone seeming to hint at a call-up in the future.

“Oh yeah, he’s definitely caught our eye,” Boone told reporters on Wednesday morning, according to Newsday. “Certainly a lot of us paying attention to that. See what happens.”

Bauers’ explosion in the minors comes at a time when the Yankees are in serious need of a change in left field. They’ve used a variation of Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero in left, which hasn’t worked out the way it needed to.

Big Bat Bauers DELIVERED! 💪
Jake Bauers reclaims the team-lead for home runs with nine, following a three-run homer by Andrés Chaparro two batters prior. #EverythingMajor #RepBX pic.twitter.com/JKAowtdv27

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) April 26, 2023

Cordero had a hot start, but has since come back to earth hitting 1-for-25 since his last home run. Hicks’ struggles have been well documented and his defensive play has been a challenge as well at times.

Cabrera has been the ultimate utility man for the Yankees and his fielding has been solid, but the at-bats just haven’t been there. This season Cabrera has batted .216 and owns a .244 OBP with just seven RBIs.

The Yankees’ win on Wednesday in which they drove in 12 runs, a season-high, may have cooled the panic a little. Still the Bombers will need some sustained offense moving forward

And Boone had acknowledged the need for New York’s left fielders before the game.

“We need to get more out of it, no question,” Boone said. “That’s where there is that opportunity that exists right now. Who wants to grab it, take it.”

Bauer isn’t on the Yankees’ 40-man roster and a corresponding move would have to be made in order to bring him up.