Forgotten Yankees: Garrett Cooper

2017 was the first season since 2012 where the New York Yankees were able to play some meaningful baseball and get back into that ‘contender’ category. Everyone remembers 2017 as the birth of Aaron Judge’s MVP-caliber talents.

The Yankees made playoff baseball for the first year since 2015 and went to the ALCS, ending a four-year drought, which felt like 100.

You could say that the Yankees over achieved in 2017, and in some ways that statement is correct. No-one expected New York to be a deep playoff contender and come within one win from a World Series appearance. 

One of the players on the 2017 Yankees was Garrett Cooper, who broke into the majors after five years in the minor leagues for the Brewers. Cooper was picked up by New York on July 13th, 2017, via trade where the Yankees sent southpaw Tyler Webb to Milwaukee. 

Cooper was promoted to the majors the next day, making his debut against Boston. The right-handed-hitter notched his first MLB hit off of Red Sox pitcher David Price on July 16th.

Overall, Garrett Cooper’s Yankees career was a short one. Only playing 13 games in the majors, Cooper batted an impressive .326 with an .822 OPS, while sending in 6 runs off of 14 hits.

The Yankees would then send Cooper down to the minors after his very short, but impactful stint in the bigs. Cooper would spend time in both Double and Triple-A  for New York before eventually being traded off in the offseason to Miami for Michael King.

Cooper would then spend time with four-different teams following his Yankees departure. The .265 career hitting first baseman is currently awaiting a call as a free agent after posting his career-worst season in 2024 between the Cubs and Red Sox.

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