Harrison Bader is now playing much closer to home following last week’s trade to the Yankees. But the New York native will never forget where his MLB journey began.

On Wednesday, the center fielder released a thank-you letter and video message to Cardinals fans via The Players’ Tribune.

“Being a Cardinal in St. Louis is just special,” Bader said in the video. “I just want to make sure all the fans understand how much I enjoyed playing in front of you guys every single second. The passion involved with it all was for you guys.”

Bader was selected by St. Louis in the third round of the 2015 Draft and debuted a little more than two years later. He received NL Rookie of the Year votes in 2018 and recorded 52 homers, 55 steals and a 99 OPS+ across six seasons with the Cardinals.

But Bader made his most significant impact in the outfield. The 2021 Gold Glover leads all outfielders with 53 Outs Above Average since the start of 2018. That total is fourth best in the Majors during that span.

“All parts of my game were constantly cheered for, which I just, I could not thank you guys more,” Bader said. “I want to be happy about the journey; not that it’s ending – that it happened. That’s the whole point.”

Bader isn’t sporting only a new uniform; he also has a new haircut. Although his golden locks have been shorn, his smile remains when thinking back on his memories with the Cardinals. He hopes the fans don’t forget that smile.

“The origin of this smile for me in St. Louis, it wasn’t the diving catches or the home runs or the winning runs, whatever it was,” Bader said. “The smile was the reaction to the fans cheering that that just happened on the field.”

Bader is currently on the injured list with right foot plantar fasciitis. The Yankees expect him to return in September.