Tyler Austin, a former Yankee once referred to by Brian Cashman as a “mega prospect,” is back in the majors.
The first baseman signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal, including incentives, with the Chicago Cubs, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
Austin, 34, has spent the past half-decade-plus in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, evolving into one of the league’s most prolific hitters.
In six seasons with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars, the two-time NPB All-Star slashed .293/.377/.568 with 85 homers and 236 RBIs.
Austin posted his best NPB campaign in 2024, leading the league in batting average (.316) and OPS (.983) and finishing third in homers (25) over 106 games.
That same season, he suffered a freak injury while changing his jersey.
Since 2020, Austin’s three seasons with a slugging percentage of .600 or better are the most in NPB, ahead of slugger Munetaka Murakami (two), who is expected to sign with an MLB team ahead of his posting window expiring this coming Monday.
“Baseball fans all across Japan are incredible!” Austin wrote in a 2023 essay for the Players’ Tribune, noting former Yankees teammate Masahiro Tanaka played a role in convincing him to play in the country. “They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen or experienced before in all my years in baseball.”
Austin’s career resurgence came after a lackluster four-year run in the majors.
A 13th-round pick by the Yankees in 2010, Austin toiled in the minors for six years before debuting in the majors on August 13, 2016 — the same day as Aaron Judge.
Remarkably, Austin and Judge hit back-to-back home runs — both in their first MLB at-bats.
“These are exciting young guys who have to now prove themselves here,” general manager Brian Cashman said at the time. “Some will do a better job of that than others. Some will struggle.”
Judge became arguably the best hitter in baseball and a multiple-time MVP while Austin struggled with the bat.
Aside from his involvement in a wild brawl with the Red Sox at Fenway Park in April 2018, Austin struggled to consistently connect against opposing pitchers, hitting a meager .235 in 85 career games with New York.
He was traded to the Minnesota Twins later that year as part of a package for veteran pitcher Lance Lynn.
After being designated for assignment by the Twins in April 2019, Austin latched on with the Giants and the Brewers the rest of the season.
Austin enjoyed a standout run with Team USA during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a fitting prelude to his NPB success.
All told, Austin’s career MLB slash line stands at .219/.292/.451 with 33 HRs and 91 RBIs across 209 games.
