Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Mike Tauchman Embracing Work at First Base: 'So Far, So Good'

New York Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman has been working to improve his defense at first base as a way to potentially earn some extra at-bats on offense

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — We may never see Mike Tauchman at first base in a game this season, but the outfielder is embracing his work at the position.

Addressing the media on Saturday, for the first time since he was spotted taking ground balls at first base earlier in the week, Tauchman revealed why he's been so open to expanding his defensive versatility this spring. 

"I can only play four positions, so I might as well play all four," Tauchman said in a Zoom call before New York's first win of the regular season. "If that's something that can lead to a couple more at-bats, then it's something that I want to do. And so far, so good. We'll see what happens."

Tauchman is known for his elite defense at all three outfield positions, a big reason why the left-handed hitter wound up making the Yankees' Opening Day roster. With first baseman Luke Voit starting the season on the injured list—recuperating from left knee surgery—New York doesn't have too many players available that are capable of filling in at the position.

Veteran Jay Bruce is starting in Voit's place and infielder DJ LeMahieu is often moved from second base over to first late in games, as he was on Saturday. The challenge for Tauchman to put his name in the discussion for playing time there, however, is his footwork.

"There are some guys that can hit the ball really hard and instead of being 300 feet away, I'm like 110," Tauchman said. "So, just getting used to the game speed and the kind of the transition into the movements of the infield versus the outfield. I feel like whereas in the outfield, you want long, fluid movements, where you're covering a lot of ground and it's a lot shorter and quicker and choppier in the infield."

Brian Cashman: Yankees Have Turned Down Plenty of Calls For Mike Tauchman

The 30-year-old explained that other than a brief stint at first in summer ball when he was in college, Tauchman has played outfield exclusively since he was 13 years old. Consistent reps this spring behind the scenes are preparing him to be available at the position going forward, just in case.

"Whether I put him in there or not, we'll see," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Wednesday. "It's just trying as much as we can with our guys, and a tip of the cap to them, of just trying to create as much versatility as possible because you never know what situations pop up over the course of the year."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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