WBN’s International Player of the Week is Melbourne Aces first baseman Greg Bird in the Australian Baseball League. The former New York Yankee Bird has gotten off to a rapid start in the ABL with a league-leading four home runs and six RBI in the first four games. Bird, 32, is a lefty power bat who has played in the ABL for the Melbourne Aces for two seasons.
Bird has an OPS of 2,000 this season, and last year, he had 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and an OPS of .887 in 141 at-bats for the Melbourne Aces. On November 16, he launched three home runs and drove in four in the Aces’ 5-1 win against the Canberra Cavalry at Melbourne Ballpark in Altona, Australia.
Bird has also played internationally in Mexico with Charros de Jalisco in Ligá Méxicana de Baseball. He hit 18 home runs and drove 51 for Charros de Jalisco in 2024. His slash line was .317/399/.580 in 262 at-bats.
Bird was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th round of the MLB Draft in 2011. He was ranked 4th as a prospect with the Yankees in 2015 and showed promise in his rookie season with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 178 at-bats. His slash line was .261/.343/.529 in 2015. Bird injured his shoulder, which cost him the end of the 2015 season and the entire 2016 season.
Bird returned to the Yankees in 2017 and had a Postseason moment that everyone still remembers. In game three, he hit a solo home run against Cleveland Guardians left-handed reliever Andrew Miller, with the Yankees trailing the best-of-five ALDS 2-0. His home run was the only run in the Yankees’ 1-0 victory in game three.
In 2018, the injury bug bit Bird again with ankle surgery, and he returned to hit 11 home runs but only had a batting average of .199. He lost his starting job to Luke Voit and never got back on track with the Yankees. Bird was designated for assignment by the Yankees after the 2019 season.
Bird will look to have a strong season in the ABL and perhaps win the home run crown.
