“Happy Harrison Bader day to those who celebrate” “Aaron Hicks who?” - New York Yankees fans greet newest center fielder Harrison Bader with a flurry of mixed reactions

Harrison Bader is now a New York Yankee. The former Gold Glover and New York area native grew up just miles from Yankee Stadium and grew up following the team. The Yankees' acquisition of Bader is leading many to believe that the team is gearing up for a deep postseason run.

St. Louis Cardinals v Chicago Cubs

Harrison Bader will find himself playing between two of the heaviest hitters in the entire game - Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Fans have also expressed doubts about the future of the current center fielder, Aaron Hicks, as Bader looks poised to take his role.

Harrison Bader gears up for his Bronx debut

Harrison Bader was traded to the Yankees from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline for pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Bader is seen as an excellent fielder, earlier this season he hit the first inside-the-park homer for the Cards in 37 years.

Bader has battled foot problems for most of the season and has only appeared in about half of the scheduled games. That is why, despite joining the Yankees in early August, he is only being activated today against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Fans are excited about the prospect of having Bader in their center field. Bader is known for his air-tight fielding abilities. He has committed among the fewest errors in the NL over the past few seasons and has not committed a single on in 2022 so far.

Questions are also swirling around the future of Aaron Hicks, the existing center fielder for the New York Yankees. Hicks has become a fan favorite, but due to his advancing age, feels other options are being considered.

Hicks has long been requesting more playing time. Although he has played for the Yankees for 6 years, he has only played 2 seasons where he has made more than 100 appearances. He only played 32 games for the Bombers last year.

Now, many believe that the arrival of Harrison Bader will push Aaron Hicks even further to the periphery. Remarking on the arrival of Bader, Hicks said "“I expect [Bader] to come in and start playing every day, as he should.”

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the Hicks-Bader dilemma. Boone said of Hicks "“He could be a very important player for us now and into the playoffs. The more we can get him rolling and give us a good option there, the better."

For the moment, it looks as though Harrison Bader is the most sensible choice in center field. His average this season has been .256, a full forty points better than Hicks' lackluster .216.