Boone on Oswald Peraza: "I think he’s got a chance to have a long career in this game as a frontline shortstop"
After a strong finish to last season, Oswald Peraza has emerged as the leading candidate for the New York Yankees’ shortstop position. The 22-year-old has 21 MLB games under his belt and also impressed the organization in spring training. During that short stint, Peraza has looked the part and could find himself starting on Opening Day.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Anthony Volpe and Peraza are all in the running for the starting job. The Yankees tried several players at shortstop last year, including DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres.
Aaron Boone has been impressed with Peraza's development over the last six months. He said:
"I think he’s got a chance to have a long career in this game as a frontline shortstop"
Per a recent article in NJ, the Yankees manager touched on the young Venezuelan's progress.
"Very natural shortstop actions. He’s athletic. Good throwing arm. He looks the part picking up a ground ball"
The Yankees invested heavily in the offseason to retain the core of their stars and also added veteran starting pitcher Carlos Rodon.
Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe sign some baseballs ✍️ https://t.co/6y9jsTZ9Kp
"Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe sign some baseballs" - Yankees Videos
The club, however, resisted jumping into the market as a big-name shortstop. Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson were all free agents this offseason. With plenty of in-house talent on the roster, the team will most probably promote someone from within the organization.
Oswald Peraza will compete with Isiah Kiner Falefa and Anthony Volpe for the starting shortstop position
Last season, Peraza finished with an impressive .306/.404/.429 slash line and an .833 OPS. In just 49 at-bats, the righty recorded 15 hits, eight runs, two RBIs and a home run.
Perhaps more impressive than his ability with the bat was how comfortable he looked in the infield, especially at shortstop. Boone trusted the youngster in one of the game's most difficult positions and Peraza passed with flying colors.
Oswald Peraza's first career home run! https://t.co/zoLDcyf4C9
"Oswald Peraza's first career home run!" - Talkin' Yanks
The New York Yankees have failed to fill the void at shortstop since the departure of Derek Jeter. It has been a problem area for the club over the last few seasons and Peraza will look to stake his claim in 2023.
If he starts well, expect to see Peraza as a fixture in the lineup for the foreseeable future.