Yankees farm report: Power hitter Tyler Hardman wants perfect swing
Tyler Hardman is an infield prospect in the Yankee farm system, currently playing with Somerset of the Eastern League. Credit: Somerset Patriots
Player: Tyler Hardman.
Age: 24 (born January 27, 1999).
Team: Somerset (Eastern League).
Position: 3B/1B.
Bats/throws: R/R.
Height/weight: 6-2 / 204.
Acquired: 2021 Amateur draft, Round 5, 153rd pick.
Background: The Southern California native attended Oklahoma University [2018-21] despite being selected in the 37th round of the 2017 draft by the Rockies. As a redshirt junior in 2021, Hardman hit .397 to win the Big 12 Conference batting title. After being drafted by the Yankees in 2021, he was assigned to Gulf Coast Yankees for three games before moving to Tampa [Class A], where he played 30 games and finished the year. Hardman started 2022 at Hudson Valley [High-A], where he hit 22 home runs with an .808 OPS in 107 games before ending the year with four games at Somerset [Double-A].
2023 update: Hardman is batting .222 with 20 home runs, 41 RBIs and an .832 OPS in 239 at-bats this season, entering play Saturday. He hit five home runs in four games to be named the Eastern League Player of the Week (June 26 – July 2), including a three-homer game on July 1.
What he’s saying: “My job is to play a complete game. I want people to know that while I’m hitting homers, I’m going to have the stolen bases, I’m going to play good defense, and do my best to lower my strikeouts and get on base for my teammates to drive me in.”
Scouting report: The Yankees’ No. 18 prospect has great power, but the home runs this season have come with a 30.9% strikeout rate. Hardman isn’t known for speed, but he has eight stolen bases this year and swiped 14 bags at Hudson Valley last year. He has played both corner infield positions throughout his career, but has exclusively played third base this season.
What he’s working on: “Swing decision has always been a big thing for me. Swinging at better pitches and trying to hit the ball hard… A perfect swing for us is when the ball leaves the yard, so just trying to find those pitches more often and not miss them is the key.”
Probable MLB promotion: Possible call-up by the end of 2024 season.
On three-homer game: “Weirdly enough, the games where you aren’t trying [to hit home runs] are the ones where you have the most success. It felt really good, but I got out my fourth at-bat and everyone was giving me crap for it. But it was all fun and lighthearted.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
More Yankees headlines
