Yankees Pros and Cons: Spring training week one

Welcome to the Yankees Pros and Cons, a new weekly column at Pinstripe Alley!

Each Monday we will point out a series of players who either impressed or underperformed. This installment has a small sample size to work with, as the Yankees only played three Grapefruit League games to date. That shouldn’t matter too much, however, as it’s meant to be a snapshot of a given week.

Now, to the list:

Pro: Troy Tulowitzki

When Tulowitzki signed with the Yankees, I wondered if he had anything left in his bat. His first game for the Bombers showed that he still has some pop. The shortstop took Marcus Stroman deep on just the second pitch he saw. Pretty cool, right?

Con: Joe Harvey

The Yankees raised some eyebrows when they added Harvey to the 40-man roster in order to protect him in the Rule 5 Draft. He struggled on Saturday afternoon against the Red Sox, allowing two runs on three hits in just two-thirds of an inning.

Pro: Luke Voit and Greg Bird

The Yankees love a spring training competition, but a lot of times the showdowns have a ready-made answer. The battle for first base, however, may be the most interesting story of the spring. Both Bird and Voit had huge games to start Grapefruit League play. Bird went 2-for-2 with a double on Saturday, and 0-for-1 with a walk on Monday. Meanwhile Voit went 2-for-3 with a home run. I hope they both rake all spring long.

Con: Trevor Stephan

According to MLB Pipeline, Stephan ranks as the number eight prospect in the Yankees’ system. That’s good! He also allowed three solo home runs against the Rays on Sunday. That’s bad! His prospect status, however, helps keep perspective.

Pro: Tyler Wade

Does anybody love February as much as Wade does? The 24-year-old collected four hits in five at-bats over the weekend. Three of those hits went for doubles. Wade certainly impressed and kept his name in the mix for a role on the big league bench.

Con: Drew Hutchison

Believe it or not, but Hutchison served as the Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter four years ago. Now, at age-28, he latched on to the Yankees with a minor league deal. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits in an inning of work against the Red Sox. His path to the big leagues was tenuous at best, and this showing did him no favors.

Do you agree with this list? Have any pros and cons of your own? Let us know in the comment section!