The New York Yankees are where players go to make or break their careers.
Playing in front of Yankees fans can make you either a hero or a villain, and there are dozens of examples on each side.
Nick Swisher is one of the heroes.
A huge piece in the 2009 Yankees team that won the World Series for the last time, fans love Swisher for his outgoing personality and great on-field results.
You can almost feel like something similar is happening with current outfielder Harrison Bader.
“Nick Swisher was one of the unheralded stars of the ‘09 Yanks team. Plus, his personality and charisma made it SO easy to root for him. In my opinion, Harrison Bader gives off such Swishy vibes,” Fireside Yankees tweeted.
Nick Swisher was one of the unheralded stars of the ‘09 Yanks team. Plus, his personality and charisma made it SO easy to root for him.
In my opinion, Harrison Bader gives off such Swishy vibes 😎 pic.twitter.com/Zlb95NJpcl
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) January 17, 2023
Acquired in a true last-minute deadline deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, Bader didn’t play until September because of a case of plantar fasciitis.
His regular season performance – .250/.294/.356 between the Cards and Yanks, with five homers and 17 steals in 313 plate appearances – was probably nothing to write home about.
However, Bader was saving the best for the postseason.
There, he hit five homers in just nine games, with a 1.262 OPS and excellent defensive performance as usual.
He has a positive energy that he tries to pass to his teammates in the dugout, he has been spotted at public events in New York with some teammates, and he loves being a Yankee.
The 2023 campaign will be his last of team control, and he will hit the market after the World Series if the Yankees don’t extend him.
Will the Yanks try to negotiate an extension with him?
