If you’re thinking, “Wait, who?” don’t worry. That’s the whole point of depth signings. They’re like spare tires—you don’t always think about them, but you’re real glad they’re around when things go flat.
Hummel, 30, spent last season and this spring with the Houston Astros. Though he didn’t make the team out of camp, he did make an impression: in 46 plate appearances this spring, he hit a smooth .316/.435/.447, with seven walks and a healthy OBP that suggests he’s not just up there hacking.
No, he’s not going to send balls flying into the upper deck every night—he’s more brains than brawn at the plate—but for a switch-hitting bench option who knows how to grind out at-bats? Not bad. Not bad at all.
And speaking of Hummels—because we know some of you just Googled “Who is Cooper Hummel?” and found yourself learning about German porcelain figurines instead—here’s your fun fact of the day. Back in the 1930s, an artist named Maria Innocentia Hummel started sketching whimsical kids in pastoral scenes. These sketches caught the eye of German porcelain maker Franz Goebel (great name), who turned them into collectible figurines. The first ones hit shelves in 1935 and have since become the kind of thing your grandma tells you to never touch because they're worth more than your car.
So yes, the photo at the top of the article was a joke. That little ceramic kid with the umbrella on his shoulder isn’t patrolling left field in Scranton—but Cooper Hummel will be soon.
Bottom line: Hummel’s a switch-hitter with a sharp eye and positional versatility. For a Yankees team always in need of glue guys to hold together the roster while waiting for stars to get healthy, this signing might just pay off. If not, well… at least now you know what a Hummel figurine is.
Welcome to the Bronx, Cooper. Don’t chip.
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