TAMPA, FL.,— The New York Yankees need a good shortstop to make a push for the championship in 2023. However, the position remains open and last year’s unsuccessful shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa has to compete with Oswald Peraza and top rookie Anthony Volpe.
But it is more likely that Oswald Peraza may end up as the team’s Opening Day shortstop. The newbie on the team roster also said that he was the legitimate contender for the post.
“You have a legit opportunity right in front of you, reachable,” the 22-year-old said. “At the same time, the mentality and the work is the same.”
Oswald Peraza is focusing on the little things, like his routine, his film work, and anything else that can help him keep his glove and bat in good shape.
“My goal is to make the team, so really focusing on the work that needs to be done,” Peraza said Thursday through interpreter Marlon Abreu.
Oswald Peraza said that this was his third big league camp, but that this one was different. In 2020, when he was left out of the alternate site, he was not a big priority for the Yankees. In 2021, he started at High-A and moved all the way up to Triple-A by the end of the season. This was his big break.
Last year, Oswald Peraza was seen as a good prospect, but the Yankees traded for Kiner-Falefa in the spring to make him their shortstop position stronger. Peraza can now see that a strong spring could lead to a season that changes his life.
Last season, Oswald Peraza, who started at Double-A Somerset and was a step ahead of Volpe, who had a top-class performance with the Triple-A Rail Riders. Pereza was a star from the middle of June until the end of August. He was called up in September, which made him even more interesting because Kiner-Falefa, who was having trouble at the plate and in the field, still hadn’t nailed down shortstop.
Oswald Peraza hit right away, which was different from the stories of many other prospects. In his first 18 games and 57 at-bats in the big leagues, he hit .306/.404/.429, including a home run, and stole two bases. Kiner-Falefa kept his job for the most part, but Oswald Peraza did well enough to start ALCS Game 2.
“He really impressed me, getting to be around him, just with how he handled everything,” manager Aaron Boone told to the reporters earlier this week. “From the call-up to getting some sparing opportunities, taking advantage of those opportunities, and then being ready when his number was called, even in the postseason. It was an encouraging year for him.”
And Oswald Peraza wants to keep going after a year that went well. He said that his preparation and the amount of video work he had to watch to feel ready at the plate helped him adjust quickly to major league pitchers. Gleyber Torres spoke up from a few lockers away when Peraza was asked which veterans were the most helpful. The two Venezuelans could work together to make a strong double-play.
Oswald Peraza said, “Just being around these guys was a blessing.”
Oswald Peraza and Volpe can play in the minor leagues, so it will be hard for them to take the job away from Kiner-Falefa. The key for Peraza might be to show that he is better at making contact. At Triple-A last year, he struck out 100 times (23.3%) and walked 34 times. Boone said that he would like the right-handed batter to have better control over the strike zone.
“I think he has a good chance of being a top shortstop for a long time in this game,” the manager said.
Oswald Peraza also said, “The front office will make a choice. All I have to do is focus on my job and do it well.”
What do you think, leave a comment below?
