Top Yankees prospects ready to make a big impact in 2023

Saturday November 19, 2022

The Yankees’ postseason ended disastrously. But the 2022 season gave several young Yankees prospects a chance to make an impact in the majors. This list included shortstop Oswald Peraza, who could be a big part of the team’s plans for 2023. Peraza has already done a good job. In 49 big league at-bats, he has hit .306 and hit one home run. Aaron Boone, the manager of the Yankees, said, “I was really impressed with what I saw from him in terms of his makeup, how well he was prepared, and how he was able to handle being put in some different situations.”

In a recent interview, owner Hal Steinbrenner talked about the young Yankees players Anthony Volpe, Oswaldo Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera several times. This season, Peraza and Cabrera played in the Major Leagues for the first time, while Volpe finished the year in Triple-A. All three players could be in the running for the shortstop position in the spring.

“We’ll see how they do in spring training and how everything shakes out,” Steinbrenner added, “But like I said in March, it’s certainly my intent to see those two guys [Volpe and Peraza] in the middle of the infield and now we have Cabrera as well who came up this year when we needed him and did a great job overall.”

Oswaldo Cabrera, who plays both infield and outfield, also showed how deep the MLB talent runs among Yankees prospects. His performance can catapult him to be a big-league regular the next season. On Friday, he also confirmed to become the Yankees catcher if required.

Anthony Volpe, a shortstop, had a big year in 2022. He played so well that he was moved up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and could play in the Major Leagues the following year. The 21-year-old Volpe is the No. 5 of all Yankees prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. He has a great body and good instincts that seem to point to him becoming a big-league star. Volpe played in 132 games for Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In those games, he hit .249/.342/.460 with 35 doubles, 21 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases. Considering his great season, it won’t take much time before he gets his MLB cap.

Talent scouts are also praising “The Martian,” Jasson Dominguez, who played for Single-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley before extending his season in the Arizona Fall League.

Everson Pereira was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster in November and ranks among top 5 Yankees prospects. He played well for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. The right-handed hitting outfielder batted well. In 102 games, he hit .277/.350/.469 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.

Greg Weissert was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Year and Reliever of the Year. He pitched for the RailRiders’ bullpen and had a 1.69 earned run average (ERA). The right-handed pitcher, who is 27 years old, gave up only three home runs and nine earned runs in 48 innings. He struck out 70 batters, walked 19 times, and held his opponents to a .149 average. In 2022, Weissert played in 12 games in the major leagues for the first time. He may be the first among Yankees prospects to get an MLB break.

Austin Wells had a good second year as a pro, and if the Yankees don’t re-sign catcher Kyle Higashioka in 2023, Wells could make his Major League debut that year. MLB Pipeline ranks Wells as the No. 4 of Yankees prospects. In 92 games at Single-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley, and Double-A Somerset, Wells hit .277/.385/.512 with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Andres Chaparro, the Venezuelan corner infielder who hits for a lot of power, has kept impressing since he played in the Arizona Fall League last year. This past season, Chaparro was a star at Double-A Somerset. He played in 64 games and hit .289/.369/.594 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs. Chaparro was hurt for about two months, but he came back strong at the end of the year topping the list of Yankees prospects. Chaparro was part of the Yankees’ “taxi squad” during the postseason, and the team could add him to its 40-man roster this winter.

Spencer Jones was the first player the Yankees picked in the 2022 MLB Draft (No. 25 overall, from Vanderbilt). His 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame made him look like a left-handed hitting version of Aaron Judge right away. The likely American League MVP has a big physical and figurative shadow, but the 21-year-old Jones is expected to do big things for the Yankees. Jones hit .344/.425/.538 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in his first 25 professional games. According to MLB Pipeline, he is already the Yankees’ No. 7 prospect.

How do see the future with these top Yankees prospects ready to make an impact?