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Patriot primed for spring
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Tyler Austin was more than a regular for the Heritage baseball team until his graduation in 2010, and now he has a chance to be a regular for the most iconic team in baseball.

According to the latest top prospect list presented by MLB.com not only is Austin considered one of the top 100 prospects in the game but also has said of him that, "It's not often 13th-round picks turn into big league regulars, but this one has a chance to do just that," according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.

A big step in making a Major League lineup starts 10 days from Saturday, when Austin will attend spring training after being invited to big-league camp for the first time by the New York Yankees.

Austin was selected 415th overall by the Yankees in 2010 and was converted from a catcher to right field, where he is now excelling and ranked as the Yankees' No. 3 prospect.

After getting acclimated in his first season, Austin hit .354 in 2011, before having a breakout year in 2012, reaching the AA level and being selected to the Futures Game.

In 2012 Austin hit .322 with 17 home runs, 80 RI and a .400 on-base percentage.

He missed the game with a concussion but made a big enough impression to catch the eyes of prospect-graders such as Mayo.

On MLB.com, Austin grades out as a five in hitting, six for the future, four in power, five for the future, five in running, five in arm, five in fielding and five overall and six in the future.