The Yankees have just returned after the conquest of the West Coast and are set to begin the series against the White Sox on Tuesday. While many see the current lineup as one of the best considering their record in May, WFAN host Boomer Esiason has urged the Yankees for a radical change.
Boomer’s suggestion stems from the fact growing discussion about Anthony Volpe‘s slowdown after a good start.
The Boomer formula for the Yankees
In what has been a challenging rookie season for Anthony Volpe, with a league-leading 61 games played, the Yankees shortstop has struggled at the plate, currently batting a meager .193. This even led many to talk about his potential demotion.
Boomer presents a possible solution to optimize the Yankees‘ infield and pave the way for future success. The first step in his proposed plan is to promote the impressive Oswald Peraza and appoint him as the primary shortstop. His suggested approach involves placing Peraza in the Yankees shortstop position, shifting Anthony Volpe to second base, and exploring the possibility of trading Gleyber Torres.
There is anticipation that Volpe could transition into the Yankees’ permanent second baseman role, given his defensive capabilities, if Peraza can demonstrate his offensive prowess at the major league level. Peraza had a promising late-season call-up last year, maintaining an average around .300, but faced difficulties this season before being sidelined due to injury. However, his recent performance in Triple-A has been impressive, boasting a .324 batting average and hitting 10 home runs.
But Anthony Volpe has the capability
Despite some speculation about his potential demotion, Anthony Volpe silenced doubters on Sunday by delivering a crucial single and a monumental home run in the ninth inning, expanding the Yankees’ narrow 2-1 lead to a comfortable 4-1 advantage.
After the game, Boone praised Anthony Volpe for his unwavering resilience in bouncing back from setbacks. He emphasized Anthony Volpe’s remarkable tally of nine home runs and acknowledged his pivotal contributions both defensively and on the bases. Boone expressed great satisfaction in observing Volpe’s growth and advancement as a player.
Irrespective of the implications for Anthony Volpe in Peraza’s potential role, the radio show host concurred that the rookie shortstop deserves some leniency and the comparisons to Derek Jeter should be tempered.
Boomer expressed his opinion, stating that it would be unfair to not give Anthony Volpe a chance when he is playing for the Yankees in his debut season.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
The real issue is DJ hitting 75 points below what we all hoped for and somewhat expected, and we are without Benintendi. We need contact hitting. Homers won’t do in the playoffs against primo pitching. If Torres is to be trade bait we need a 310+ hitter. Where is that?
Volpe will come along fine WITH PATIENCE but we can’t expect a 2nd Jeter either. Kubek level hitting will be fine.
If Peraza is the contact hitter we need, send someone down with options and reduce DJ’s time. Or McDonald.