Oswald Peraza

One stud prospect the Yankees should shop in trade after lockout ends

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oswald peraza, yankees

The New York Yankees have several big decisions to make after the lockout ends in the spring (we hope). General manager Brian Cashman is expected to be aggressive coming out of the gates, according to multiple player agents.

Obviously, the Yankees were rather quiet before the lockout, failing to grab any big names off the market to bolster positions of need. However, whether it be via free agency or trade, the Bombers have the necessary tools to acquire significant talent.

At some point, though, Cashman is going to have to part ways with some of his big prospect names, especially after the team struggled to develop Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres, and Luis Severino. Some have been impacted by injury, while others have watched their fundamentals disintegrate year after year.

The Yankees have an impressive amount of talent at shortstop in their minor-league affiliates. They are keen to rely on Anthony Volpe as their primary SS down the line, but he is still about two years away from becoming a Major League-level player.

However, Oswald Peraza could be a solid trade piece moving forward, coming in below Volpe in the team’s prospect rankings. Nonetheless, he is an incredible talent with a ton of upside, making him a valuable piece in a prospective deal for a big player.

MiLB.com had rave reviews for Oswald Peraza, which is why he’s one of the Yankees’ top prospects:

Peraza could have four plus tools once he’s fully developed. He has smooth actions at shortstop, the arm to make any throw necessary and a good internal clock that helps him slow the game down defensively. He makes good use of his plus speed and stole 44 bases in 54 attempts in 159 games over his first three pro seasons.

Peraza played for three minor-league teams this past year, including Hudson Valley, Somerset, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Altogether, he hit an outstanding .297 with 18 homers, 58 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases. He spent the majority of his time in AA Somerset, hitting .294 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs.

As a plus defender with obvious offensive capabilities, the Yankees would hate to pass on him as a potential long-term solution in the infield. However, it seems as Volpe has a slight edge, which could make Peraza expendable.

Going from an unranked prospect to top six by the end of 2019, the rise of Oswald has been spectacular. It is always nice to see prospects that improve year over year, which might be another sign of the Yankees’ confidence in him.

Another unique statistic revolves around his exit velocity, which finished as high as 110 mph off the bat, a solid number considering he is just 6-feet tall and weighs 185 pounds.

With such a strong minor-league crop of infielders, the Yankees have a bit of cushion in case they want to utilize one of their prospects in a trade. Peraza seems like the obvious option if a team is looking for a big name, as they would prefer to categorize Volpe and Jasson Dominguez as off-limits.

New York Yankees not doing much, how about their rivals?

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anthony volpe, yankees

After the World Series the New York Yankees created a lot of excitement, seemingly committing to spend money and sign a big name short stop to replace the failed experiment with Gleyber Torres. They also indicated that securing a number two type starter would be a priority as well. There was also plenty of talk about backup strength in centerfield.

Now weeks out from those proclamations the Yankees have done practically nothing with their priorities, even rolling back thoughts of signing a big name shortstop. They have now decided it appears that a stop gap measure might be preferable, while they wait for Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza to become major league ready. It’s beginning to sound like the 2022 Yankees may not be that much different than the team that lost division to the Tampa Bay Rays and the wild card game to the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees did replace third base coach Phil Nevin with ex-Mets manager Luis Rojas. The also made a play for starting pitcher Justin Verlander, who ended up signing with the Houston Astros, the team that turned his career around. The Yankees offered the same $25 million on a one year contract, the Astros bested that with the same amount for two years.

Boston Red Sox changes:

Luckily for the Yankees, their other rivals haven’t done much either. Possibly because a lock out seems likely when the Collective Bargaining Agreement runs out on December 1st. The Red Sox lost a key pitching element when Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Back on the fifth of November the Sox scooped up Yankees Tim Locastro off waivers. Kyle Schwarber elected for free agency and the Sox as of now have not resigned him. He was big for the Sox going down the stretch with his 31 home runs on the season.

Tampa Bay Rays changes:

From a Yankee perspective it was not good news when the Rays inked an 11-year contract with their star infielder Wander Franco. The Rays will now have there cornerstone for the rest of the decade. Earlier in the month the Rays exercised Mike Zunino’s contract option, keeping him as their primary catcher.

Toronto Blue Jay changes:

The Blue Jays only big splash is that they signed starting pitcher Jose Berrios to a seven year contract extension, keeping him with the Blue Jays through the 2028 season. They also acquired Off Waivers From San Diego right hand pitcher Shawn Anderson.

Baltimore Orioles changes:

After a 110 game losing season and sitting at the bottom of the American League, the Orioles have done nearly nothing, other then acquire to two players off waivers. They selected right hand pitcher Cionel Perez from the Reds and shortstop Lucius Fox from the Kansas City Royals.

If there is no owner lock out after December first, expect the hot stove to heat up.

Two Yankees shortstops are shining in minor league ball

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oswald peraza, yankees

The New York Yankees have Gleyber Torres, who is still considered as part of the team future despite his struggles this year, and rightfully so. However, they do have a couple of exciting names in the position down the farm that could make things very interesting in a year or two.

By now, every Yankees fan who follows the team’s minor league affiliates is familiarized with Oswald Peraza. The young infielder received some fantastic piece of news on Monday, as the organization promoted him from High-A to Double-A Somerset.

The jump in skill level is considerable given that Double-A is, together with Triple-A, considered the ‘high minors’. But the Yankees feel that Peraza has made enough strides offensively to handle it like a pro.

Peraza has been so good in High-A that Baseball America recently included him in its updated list of top 100 prospects in MLB. In 28 games at the category, Peraza hit .306 with 16 stolen bases and five homers. The power is a nice surprise, as he was always viewed as a glove-first infielder.

Peraza’s overall line in High-A, the one that has the Yankees dreaming, was .306/.386/.532, with 20 runs, 34 hits, 10 doubles, five dingers, 16 RBI, 16 steals, 12 walks y 24 strikeouts.

Anthony Volpe is also impressing in the Yankees farm

Another top name making a huge impression in 2021 is Anthony Volpe. A former first-round pick by the Yankees, the shortstop is finally justifying such a high selection with excellent play in Low-A.

Volpe was selected in MLB’s Prospect Team of the Week as the shortstop, after hitting .435/.519/1.000 in six games.

Volpe scored six runs last week, with two doubles, a triple, and three home runs. He also stole three bags.

Overall, he is hitting .278/.400/.539 with a 24/23 K/BB ratio through 27 games. He is still very, very far from making an impact in the Major Leagues, but it’s nice to see progress.

New York Yankees: The Yankees minor league system is thriving (video)

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

All the attention this week is on the New York Yankees series with the Texas Rangers and their hope to advance to first place in the AL East. Last night’s loss in the first game of the 4 game series did not advance that hope.  The Yankees got off to a slow start this season but have been playing better recently, taking the last seven series, which has seen them rise from the bottom of the AL East to a tie for the third spot. The Yankees’ loss last night was without three key players; hopefully, that will resolve itself sooner than later.

As the minor league system is going into the third week of play, the Yankee affiliates are doing pretty well. In some cases showing that some of the players major league-ready or close to it.  Some stats are pretty inspiring.

The Scranton Wilkes/Barre Rail Riders:

The Rail Riders are on a roll; they are 9-3 for first place in the Triple-A northeast. Chris Gittens continues to impress, is major league-ready; unfortunately, the Yankees have no place to put him now that Luke Voit is back. He, in nine games, is hitting .333/.556/.917. He has two doubles and four home runs while walking 11 times, showing his patience at the plate. Four home runs are pretty amazing in just nine games.

New York Yankee prospect Deivi Garcia is staying major league ready if there is an injury, and the Yankees need him. He has pitched 10 innings striking out 16  while allowing just 5 hits and walking two in his first two games of the season. He has not allowed a run and was named the Triple-A East pitcher of the week. In other RR news, Estevan Florial was promoted to Scranton after the Hicks injury. In three games at AA and two at AAA, he is hitting just .095/.174/.190.

Low-A Tampa Yankee Tarpons

The Tarpons to start the season have the same winning record as the Rail Riders; they are 9-3 and 1st place in the Low-A Southeast. The only difference here is that the player’s names are not as recognizable. Standouts are pitcher Nelvin Correa. In four games and across 9.2 innings striking out nine opponents and allowing only 4 hits without allowing a run.

Max Burt, the 24-year-old out of Northeastern University, is playing great this season and may be his time to break out. In eight games, he is hitting .364/.400/.545, with 3 home runs and 3 doubles. He was playing so well that he is no longer with the Tarpons; he has been promoted to AA Somerset Patriots.

Double-A Somerset Patriots

The Somerset Patriots (the old Trenton Thunder) are 7-5 on the season and are tied for first place in the Double-A (Northeast) North.  The Patriots’ next game is in Hartford, CT, with the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies affiliate).

The Patriots have some outstanding players, and Ron Marinaccio is one of them as he has quickly become a pitcher to watch, as he’s impressed out of the bullpen early this season. In 4 relief appearances and 7.2 innings pitched, he has struck out 12 while allowing just two hits and no runs. The Patriots’ star hitter is Oswaldo Cabrera. In 8 games, he is hitting .321/.441/with a homer and two double. He is a very patient hitter at the plate; he has walked six times.

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

The Renegades are the only New York Yankees affiliate that doesn’t have a winning record; they are 6-6, Tied for 2nd place in the High-A East (Northern). That may improve this week as they play the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) that are 4-7.

The standout Renegade is a name many Yankee fans will recognize; Oswald Peraza, he has now hit as many home runs in the last eight games as he had in his minor league career entering the season. He is coming off four straight homers in as many plate appearances. He also leads the league in stolen bases. In eight games, he is hitting .484/.556/1.000, hitting 5 home runs with 2 double baggers and seven stolen bases, and was High-A East player of the week.

Pitcher Ken Waldichuk is starting to make a name for himself. In his first start, he went 3.1 innings striking out 10. He backed that up with a second start when he struck out 7 across four innings. In both starts, he has not allowed a run.

My picks for the best Yankees minor league prospects for the first two weeks are Chris Gittens, Deivi Garcias, and Oswald Peraza.

New York Yankees News: More Covid, all the Yankee news in one place

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New York Yankees outfielder, Clint Frazier.

New York Yankees identify a ninth Covid case

It’s no secret that the New York Yankees have a serious situation with the Covid virus. It all started last Sunday night when Phil Nevin the Yankee third base coach was diagnosed as a “breakthrough” case of the virus, thats when a fully vaccinated person contracts the virus.

In the following days, the virus spread to seven coaches and support staff, all of which were vaccinated. On Wednesday the Yankees got the news that the first player, Gleyber Torres tested positive. Now the Yankees have announced that a ninth staff member on in the traveling party has tested positive. The staff member was not identified but is among the support staff. The first infectees including Torres are quarantined in Tampa and this ninth member will be quarantined in Baltimore.

Yankees pitched poorly in failure to sweep the Baltimore Orioles

The New York Yankees pitching completely collapsed in yesterday’s finale in Baltimore. Starter Jordan Montgomery seemed uncomfortable on the mound, giving up five runs in just three innings of work. and for the Yankees, the bullpen was just as bad giving up an additional five runs. Micheal King in two innings of work gave up a run. Wandy Peralta gave up another two runs, followed by Luis Cessa allowing another two runs for the 10-6 Yankee loss.

Aaron Hicks heads to the IL

Aaron Hicks has a torn tendon sheath and will head back to New York to have it evaluated by the team doctor. He is headed to the 10 day IL and will not travel with the team to Texas for the 4 game Rangers series.

When the injury was identified on Friday manager Aaron Boone said it could just be rest or the IL or he could need surgery. Now it is evident that rest will not solve the problem and ultimately will require surgery sooner than later. After today we should have a clearer picture of what the future holds for the centerfielder.

In good injury news, DH Giancarlo Stanton and second baseman Rougned Odor will travel with the team to Texas and play in the Ranger Series. Odor’s chance to play against his previous team may be a bit optimistic, time will tell.

It’s a bird it’s a plane, no it’s Clint Frazier

It’s no secret that Clint Frazier has been struggling mightily behind the plate and his batting average is the lowest of any regular lineup hitter. But during this time Frazier is making a name for himself defensively. He has become the teams flying, diving outfielder making at least three flying through the air diving catches. Last night was no different, he flew through the air crashing down on his chest and face stealing a hit from Trey Mancini in the seventh. In the dive, he destroyed his sunglasses breaking them into several pieces.

“I think that was my best catch so far,” Frazier said. “I think people think that I dive for some balls that I don’t have to. That one, we can all agree that I needed to dive for it.”

On the other side of the plate, Frazier may be ready to break out. He hit a back-to-back homer and got a single in the Yankee loss.

It’s not Florial, it’s Ryan LaMarre

The injury to Aaron Hicks left a hole in the outfield. His absence assures Brett Gardner of more playing time, but without Tauchman on the team, there is no backup, so the Yankees had to call someone up to sit on the bench. Many thought it would be Estevan Florial but just being called up to Scranton he had to be there for 72 hours before he could be called up to the Stadium, so the Yankees went for Ryan LaMarre instead. LaMarre went hitless in 3 at-bats last night but made some nice plays in the field.

LaMarre is a six-year veteran of the major leagues, playing with six different teams after suffering a number of injuries. Now with the Yankees, he has the opportunity to play in the majors again. His best year was in 2018 when he had a batting average of .303 in 33 games with the White Sox.

Oswald Peraza, Deivi Garcia turning heads

Oswald Peraza is the up-and-coming New York Yankee shortstop prospect that is presently playing for the Hudson Valley Renegades. Last night he hit a homer, the only run scored in the Renegade loss to the Iron Birds. A home run is not that remarkable, but in Peraza’s case, it is. It was his third straight homer in as many at-bats. He has now hit five long balls in his last four games.

In other prospect news, Deivi Garcia is major league-ready. He is pitching well and staying in form. In last night’s RailRider’s win, Garcia went five innings not allowing a run while striking out 9 Lehigh Valley hitters.

 

Yankees’ top prospect is taking a major step forward in his development

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oswald peraza, yankees

The New York Yankees are sold on Gleyber Torres’ offensive abilities, even if he has struggled this season and only has one home run. They know what he is capable of, as he bopped 38 round-trippers just a couple of seasons ago. Yet, they aren’t convinced he can be their shortstop of the future when it comes to the glove.

Torres has made strides this year on the field after a rocky start, but down on the farm, the Yankees have a natural, smooth fielder whose offensive stock is going way up if we consider his blistering start to the season.

Oswald Peraza, by most accounts a top-five prospect in the Yankees system, is tearing the cover off the ball in Class A-Advanced so far in 2021.

The 20-year-old shortstop has taken a major step forward in his development as a batter. In his first ten games, Peraza is hitting a robust .308/.400/.667 with four home runs, nine stolen bases, a .464 weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) and a 191 weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+.

The Yankees are excited about his potential

He is taking a more aggressive approach that is resulting in a rather high, but still manageable 22.2 strikeout percentage, but it has come with loads of power. The Yankees are certainly welcoming the change, as any development as a batter will put the slick fielding shortstop in the elite of the prospects rankings.

Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone had already praised Peraza in early March after seeing him in spring training. “He’s a guy, from a future standpoint, we’re about as excited as you could be,’’ Boone said of Peraza. “He looks like a guy who’s gonna be an everyday shortstop in this league.”

The Yankees’ skipper was impressed with three aspects of Peraza’s game back in March: his swing, his smooth hands at short, and his athleticism. Judging by the early 2021 performance, the arrow is pointing way up for Peraza.

The Yankees are in love with Oswald Peraza’s swing, athleticism, and defense

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oswald peraza, yankees

Gleyber Torres is, as things stand right now, the New York Yankees’ shortstop of the future, especially now that he worked on his conditioning during the offseason and looks lighter on his feet. The team is willing to give him every opportunity to show that he has the defensive range to play the position at least for the next five years or so.

However, the Yankees also know that they have to be prepared should Gleyber fail to defend his position adequately. Fortunately, they have a very promising teenager in the minor leagues that is shaping up as a future option at shortstop.

Currently rated as the fourth-best prospect on the Yankees by MLB Pipeline, Oswald Peraza’s arrow is pointing up.

Peraza went 0-for-2 in a little cameo during Grapefruit League play for the Yankees this week.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said to NJ Advance Media that he is “still a little ways away, but he’s a guy from a future standpoint that we’re about as excited as you can be.”

The Yankees’ glove-first shortstop of the future

Peraza’s profile is different than Gleyber. Torres is a bat-first, plus-power shortstop, whereas Peraza’s strength is his glove. He is considered a plus defender at a premium position, so the chances of him being an everyday player someday are quite high.

“He’s going to be able to stay as shortstop,” a pro scout told NJ Advance Media. “And the ball comes off his bat. In 2019, I saw the raw power in batting practice. But just the poise and the way that he carries himself and plays shortstop for a young kid. I like Peraza a lot.”

Boone explained that the Yankees are in love with Peraza. “His swing, his athleticism, his hands in the field,” he said. “I mean, he looks like an everyday shortstop. And he’s acquitted himself. He carries himself really well. I’m excited about him.”

He figures to start the season at High-A ball, but the Yankees are hoping he can make it to Double-A this season and be called up next year.

New York Yankees Analysis: Is there an heir apparent for Gleyber Torres?

by
oswald peraza, yankees

There are four big stories in an offseason for the New York Yankees that has been filled with inaction. One is hardly a secret; the Yankees have put all moves to improve the team for the 2021 season while they wait out negotiations with second baseman and batting champ DJ LeMahieu. The team wants a contract for three years, and DJ wants the security of a five-year contract. Meanwhile, the Yankee’s need for pitching both starting and in the bullpen sits awaiting action. The Yankees have pretty well decided that Gary Sanchez will again be their starting catcher when they awarded him a contract for the season. But today, we talk about that fourth need, an upgrade at shortstop.

Like Sanchez, the Yankees seem to be going with Gleyber Torres again at shortstop. They feel he can bounce back from a subpar hitting season and return to form. However, on the defensive end, they are most hopeful he can improve. The reality is that the Yankees do not see Torres as their long term answer that Derek Jeter was. Torres just doesn’t get to the ball fast enough, and his throwing arm from short has not been as accurate as it needs to be.

The Yankees were very interested in obtaining Francisco Lindor, baseball’s best shortstop. However, with their desire to stay below the luxury tax threshold, they didn’t feel comfortable parting with too many assets in a trade; meanwhile, the crosstown New York Mets, flush with money from new owner Steve Cohen swooped up both Lindor and pitching veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco. The Yankees still have an interest in Andrelton Simmon, also a highly rated shortstop. But here again, that acquisition likely won’t happen if the Yankees sign LeMahieu.

Although fans will probably not see a change at short this season, there is hope for the future. Sitting in the minors is one of the best up and coming shortstops out there. His name is Oswald Peraza. He could be the Yankee’s long-term solution for the shortstop of the future. MLB.com list Peraza as the New York Yankees number four prospect. But they also list him as their choice for the Yankees break out prospect in 2021.

The Yankees signed the then 17-year-old Venezualan after the 2016 season for $175K as an international free agent. He has worked his way up through the New York Yankee’s minor league system ending up in Charleston with the River Dogs in 2019. His pluses are that he is Tyler Wade fast on the basepaths, has good bat speed, and is an excellent defender at short with an accurate arm. He ended the 2019 season with two teams hitting .263 while stealing 23 bases in just 65 games.  Now at age 20, he is still developing and getting stronger. He will likely spend the 2021 season with the Somerset Patriots, just a two-hour drive from Scranton Wilkes/Barre, where he will probably end up.  The Yankees protected him from the Rule 5 draft this year, adding him to the 40 man roster.

There were no Minor League games due to COVID-19 in. However, Peraza played winter ball in Venezuela for the Cardenales de Lara. He played in six games, hitting .250 with a .713 OPS.

Peraza probably won’t see any action at Yankee Stadium during the 2021 season, but if he continues to advance like he has, he could have an impact during the 2022 season when he will still only be 22 years old. Scouts see Peraza’s hitting ability improve as he is seeing the ball better and not striking out as frequently. Make no mistake; he is still developing but could very well be an impact player for the Yankees for many years to come.

 

New York Yankees: Scouts not heaping praise on Gleyber Torres’s defense, check it out

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New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankees decided after the last season not to take up the options for any players, and that included shortstop Didi Gregorius.  After an injury season, the Yankees didn’t make an aggressive attempt to sign him to a new contract, and he remained a free agent until mid-December when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $14 million on a one-year contract deal.

At the same time, the Yankees, along with many other teams, put together an offer to acquire star shortstop Francisco Lindor from the Indians.  The Indians did not accept the offer, and the details of the proposal were never released.   At that point, the Yankees decided on using Gleyber Torres.

Near the end of last season, New York Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman answered questions about Torres and his sophomore year.  Both media and fans alike wondered if he would suffer from a sophomore jinx.  Cashman said he was having a tremendous year, which he was, ending the season with 38 home runs and a batting average of .278.

“I think he’s answered in a resounding way. And he’s displayed his versatility, too. His sophomore season started with him having to fill in for Didi (Gregorius) at shortstop and then swing over to second and, at the same time, still not miss a beat, still thrive with a much better year than last year. It’s pretty impressive.”

The only thing Cashman was leaving out of his rosy assessment was the downside.  He committed 9 errors at 2nd and 11 at shortstop, those aren’t horrible, but they are also not what you want to see from an infielder, especially a shortstop. The eleven figure is for just 77 games played at short.  In comparison, Lindor had 32 homers while batting .286.  Lindor had 10 errors in 312 assists compared to Torres’s 11 errors in only 180 assists.

Enter the 2020 spring training season.  New York Yankee scouts were not thrilled with his performance at short, although he was above average at the plate.  He hit three home runs and batted .320 in seven partial games.  But at shortstop in seven partial games, he committed five errors looking very uncomfortable at his position.  He even missed choppers and overthrew his returns.  One scout said:

“It’s a concern,” said the scout, who requested anonymity so that he could give an honest opinion. “I don’t think it’s a concern that Torres can get routine ground balls or get to the ball and throw the ball. But when you look at a quality shortstop – balls in the hole, choppers that come in, arm with range – when I see Torres play shortstop, I see an adequate defender at best.”

What is odd about this, is that short is his natural position.  But, what happens in the minor leagues doesn’t always translate to the major leagues.  So, now what do the New York Yankees do if Torres can’t field his position.  There are some options, an obvious one would be to move DJ LeMahieu to short and slide Torres over to second where he is a better defender.  DJ has had limited experience at short but is a more versatile athlete.

Other than DJ, the Yankees only have Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe.  Peraza is 19 years old, famous Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter made his major league debut at age 21.  Peraza in 44 games with Charleston hit 2 home runs while batting .273.  He has good defensive skills at short.  The other Anthony Volpe was just signed this year he is very smooth at short but can’t hit.  Volpe is probably a few years off, while Peraza might have to fill in at some point this year.  The Yankees certainly don’t want to lose Gleyber Torres’s bat, but if he’s a flop at short, the negatives might outway the positives.

New York Yankees Prospects: Oswald Peraza

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Well, there’s not going to be any New York Yankees baseball to talk about for a while due to opening day being pushed back due to COVID-19. However, just because the baseball has temporarily stopped, doesn’t mean we have to stop with the content here on ESM. With that in mind, I’ve decided to take a dive into a lot of the Yankees top prospects and will be releasing a number of articles over the next couple of weeks discussing the Yankees farm system. While there are certainly some names that stand out to most Yankees fans (Jasson Dominguez, Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, etc) there are a number of really talented guys that Yankees fans should be keeping their eyes on. Many Yankees fans have been worried lately about the ability of Gleyber Torres when it comes to the shortstop position. There is no questioning Gleyber’s ability at the plate, but more his ability to make the defensive plays expected out of a top shortstop. Well, there’s a prospect that is coming up the Yankees system currently that would be a great long-term shortstop for the New York Yankees. A prospect that could slide into the SS position in a couple of years which would allow Gleyber to switch to the position he’s clearly more comfortable in, second. That prospect’s name is Oswad Peraza.

Outlook on Peraza

Peraza was signed as an international free agent by the Yankees back in 2016, and he made his pro debut back in 2017. Since making his debut, Peraza has shown a lot of scouts why he’s now currently ranked as the fourth best prospect in the Yankees system. The smooth shortstop from Venezuela impacts the game on all sides of the ball. He’s very quick and stole 23 bases in just 65 games in 2019. Peraza is very smooth on the defensive side of the ball as well. He’s got solid range and can deliver easy and smooth throws from deep in the position. Peraza also swings the bat very well, and has a good amount of pop from the shortstop position. Many think Peraza could be a guy who could hit about 20-25 HRs a year in the big leagues if he continues down the path that he’s currently going. On big thing for me in watching Peraza last year was seeing his strikeout numbers go down. In 29 more games last year, Peraza struck out four fewer times. He’s seeing the ball better, and I think you’ll see his offensive numbers continue to tick up. Peraza has all the tools to be an impact player at the MLB level, but he’s still got a lot of developing to do before we see him there. Whenever we start playing games this year, Peraza is going to be a prospect that a lot of fans need to keep their eyes on.

Shortstop Moving Forward

The New York Yankees are going to be looking at long-term solutions at Shortstop. I really do not think the organization envisions Gleyber Torres there long-term. Maybe the Yankees go out and make a big splash when it comes to their future SS, say a Francisco Lindor. Or maybe they try to keep their cost down and produce their next SS internally which would likely mean Peraza will eventually get a shot. Time will tell on that front, but Peraza is definitely a prospect I have my eyes on.