An early end to the Yankees’ workout on Friday gave way to Harrison Bader becoming Harrison Vader.
After Steinbrenner Field had cleared following batting practice, Bader came back out with a Darth Vader mask on, stepping up to home plate with his bat in hand to film a future video scoreboard bit.
Bader-turned-Vader hopes to keep his edge with the Force this upcoming season in The Bronx. In the 2022 postseason, Bader was the bright spot among the withering Yankees offense, crushing five homers in nine games.
The center fielder came to Yankees from St. Louis weighed down by heel pain, which placed him in the dugout from June to September. Once he made his Yankees debut on Sept. 20, Bader struggled at the plate, hitting .217 in 14 regular-season games before flipping the script in the playoffs.
Bader also proved he was a Gold Glove defender while at center field. He made a number of diving catches to keep the Bombers competitive.
The 28-year-old also became the first Yankee in history to hit his first home run for the franchise in the playoffs and made history again by becoming the first Bomber ever to hit four homers in his first six postseason matchups.
Bader’s fifth and final season in St. Louis was not entirely smooth, as he battled forearm and rib injuries at the start until July. Nevertheless, he made up for it in three months of solid play, which earned him the NL Gold Glove even though he only appeared in 103 games.
Despite not having a regular healthy track record, Bader managed to be one of the top players Yankees fans and beyond will have their eyes on this year.
Following the humorous bit on Monday, Bader and the Yankees then got the afternoon off for a team bonding event before their Grapefruit League schedule begins on Saturday. Bader is set to be in the lineup against the Phillies.