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TAMPA, Fla. — Tyler Wade has surprised people at spring training.
And that includes New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
“Yeah, he’s a better player than I thought,” the first-year manager said. “I came in, I think, with some expectations, and the organization thinks very highly of him. But getting to see him and just seeing, almost on a daily basis, something he does with his athleticism and his instincts, I think, have been impressive.”
The 23-year-old Wade, who is batting .310 in 29 at-bats this spring, continued his impressive play in Thursday’s 9-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 2017 International League All-Star was 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. But Wade’s highlights of the day came in the field when he made a pair of impressive plays with his glove.
The first diving stop came in the top of the third inning, when the second baseman dove behind first base to stop a hard-hit grounder from Pirates third baseman Colin Moran. With men on the corners, Wade threw the ball to first for the second out of the frame.
Wade was tested again in the fourth inning with two Pirates in scoring position. He slid to his right — behind the second-base bag — to pick a would-be two-run Josh Harrison single and instead threw the lead-off hitter out to end the inning.
“Another kind of one of those days where he kind of just opens your eyes with the dynamic he brings,” Boone said. “The range he showed on the ball in the hole to his left, I mean, that’s a leap. The ball that’s smoked up the middle from Harrison — that’s not an easy play. To go to the ground, to kind of create and handle an in-between hop — his clock is really good.
“Then you go up there against one of the elite relievers in the game from the left side (in Felipe Rivero), he throws one up at your face and you dig right in there, stick your nose in there and work a walk. That’s a big-time at-bat. That’s not easy to do.”
This time last spring, Wade’s future in pinstripes looked more like as an uber-utility man — similar to Chicago Cub Ben Zobrist — than an everyday player. And he would go on to join the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders out of camp.
Fast-forward a year later, the 23-year-old has already made his big-league debut, and now he has taken the reins as the front-runner for the Yankees’ starting second-base job.
While things can still change — especially after Monday’s signing of free-agent infielder Neil Walker — Wade’s future looks to include Yankees pinstripes, not the RailRiders’.
“It’s going well. I’m learning a lot. Came into camp ready to go. It’s good to be around the guys again,” Wade said. “I’m just trying to win a job. I came in here, worked hard in the offseason. Just came in trying to compete.”
Wade is using his time this spring to soak up as much knowledge as possible.
Even in the signing of Walker, who could be seen as a threat to Wade’s playing time, he just views the addition as another avenue learn and improve.
“Neil’s going to be a great bat for us — adds a lot of versatility. Talking to (Brett Gardner), talking to Aaron (Judge), we couldn’t have a better clubhouse right now. It’s good to have guys that have been around the game with a lot of success.”
One of those players he has the opportunity to soak knowledge from has been shortstop Didi Gregorius.
Even though the time working together has been somewhat limited for the two, Gregorius says that chemistry has never been an issue.
“He’s been playing good. That’s what you see in him — guy’s hustling and I liked today’s energy. That’s what you want to see from all the young guys who come here and play,” Gregorius said. “I think he brings something really good to the team.
“There’s no doubt that he can play defense and hit — there’s nothing wrong with that — and he’s ready to go. I think that’s what he’s showing out here.”
Wade’s play in camp has given the Yankees the flexibility to already option top prospect Gleyber Torres to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre prior to the start of Friday’s minor league spring training and release free-agent signee Danny Espinosa.
Now, all that stands between Wade and that starting job he’s always coveted is Ronald Torreyes and the newly-signed Walker.
Wade is outplaying Torreyes this spring — Torreyes is batting .296 in 27 at-bats — and Walker will make his spring-training debut on Friday against the Houston Astros.
Boone said that Walker will get the starting nod at first base against the defending World Series champions and will likely play between five and seven innings and three at-bats. Walker will get some looks at second and third base this spring as well.
“I look at it as we have two really good players there that can impact our club in different ways,” Boone said of Wade and Walker. “The versatility of both guys, I think, adds to our dynamic, hopefully.”
