Top 30 MLB breakout stars in 2017

New York Yankees

2017 MLB Breakout Pick: Greg Bird

It’s a new era of Yankees baseball, and there’s an exciting young group of players capable of building New York’s next dynasty. Well, maybe just New York’s next playoff team.

First baseman Greg Bird is on of several talented players expected to see significant playing time in 2017. Bird missed all of 2016 due to shoulder surgery, but the retirement of Mark Teixeira and a strong rookie performance in 2015 means the 24-year old slugger won’t have to compete for the everyday job.

In 2015, Bird launched 11 home runs in 178 plate appearances. He hit .261/.343/.529 across 46 games, including nine doubles, drove in 31 runs and scored 26 with a 137 wRC+.

Recently, Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs ran the numbers on Bird’s exit velocity, launch angle and contact rate for Bird’s 2015 season and found a set of players he compared to, which includes superstars Kris Bryant and Andrew McCutchen, as well as 2016 AL home run champ Mark Trumbo, NL MVP candidate Freddie Freeman, sluggers Justin Upton, J.D. Martinez and Adam Duvall, and fellow young studs like Trevor Story and Kyle Schwarber.

Bird also hasn’t shown any rust from missing a year. Through his first 50 plate appearances this spring, the left-handed hitter amassed a dominant .429/.500/.971 slash with six home runs, seven doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and nine runs scored. It’s important not to get too worked up about a small sample of spring training stats, but Bird has been so hot there’s plenty of reason to be confident he will be one of the Yankees top run producers in 2017.

Another Name to Know: RF Aaron Judge

One More for the Future: SS Gleyber Torres