Tyler Wade said that he feels "like a different player" than the reserve who spent most of his big league time anchored to the bench last season, while manager Aaron Boone raves that he has proven to be "a better player than I thought" over the course of camp.
Should Wade open the season as the second baseman, as appears likely, the Yankees will owe a debt of gratitude to Albert Pujols. The Angels slugger worked out with Wade this past offseason in California, suggesting tweaks to the 23-year-old's batting stance that have helped his spring bid for a job.
"He's been around the game for 20-plus years, so seeing his expressions and how excited he gets talking about hitting with younger guys and the younger generation, it was pretty special," Wade said. "He probably doesn't even know who I am, so to go out of his way and invite me to hit with him privately, it meant a lot to me."
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