ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 02: Oswald Peraza #91 of the New York Yankees looks on during batting practice before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 02, 2022 in St Petersburg, Florida. MLB Rumors (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
MLB Rumors: What’s the latest with Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza?
Anthony Volpe has the worst on-base percentage of any regular in baseball. The Yankees rookie shortstop has struggled to adapt at the major-league level, and some fans want him sent down. By no means would this signal the Yankees giving up on their prized shortstop of the future, but it would allow them to call up another top prospect, Oswald Peraza, who is playing far better than Volpe at Triple-A.
Peraza is stuck between a rock and a hard place, wanting to be the ultimate team player but also stuck in the minors when he could absolutely help the big-league club. It’s a delicate matter for Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office. How they handle these two prized prospects could very well determine the near future, and perhaps even their jobs.
Manager Aaron Boone has defended Volpe despite his struggles, which include notching the team lead in strikeouts.
“(Volpe) has still had productive at-bats,” Boone said, per The Athletic. “He’s got nine homers. He’s gotten a lot of big hits for us. He’s done a lot of big things. He’s done a lot of winning things, even though he’s hitting under .200. Just offensively right now, he’s in the middle of a lot of winning games. While he’s taking his lumps and had his struggles, he’s also had some massive successes, too.”
Since May 19, Peraza has an OPS of 1.124 in 19 games. He’s arguably the hottest hitter in minor-league baseball, which makes the Yankees insistence to keep him down all the more confusing. If not in a clean swap for Volpe, then perhaps the team could find another use for Peraza on the roster?
“We all feel very highly about who he is as a player and who he’s going to be as a player,” Boone said of Peraza. “To his credit, I’ve been in his shoes, where I’ve gotten a taste of the big leagues off of a really good Triple-A season and had to go back for an extended period, and that’s not the easiest thing. He’s handled that really well. That’s a credit to him and the player he is and the character he shows.”
New York runs the risk of stunting the growth of their two best young players at the same time. That’s not something the front office can take lightly.