The New York Yankees have two young shortstops climbing through the minor-league system, being Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe.
Peraza may be a bit closer to making his MLB debut if the Yankees don’t view him as a trade piece this upcoming off-season after the lockout ends, but Volpe isn’t close behind as he prepares to make the jump to Double-A ball.
In fact, the Watchung, NJ-born shortstop is already gaining serious momentum as one of the top prospects in baseball with his performance in 2021.
MLB Pipeline has Yankees’ Anthony Volpe as the No. 1 shortstop prospect by the end of 2022:
“I don’t think there’s any way Anthony Volpe gets to the big leagues this year. At least not enough to release his rookie status. … This is a guy who just had an unbelievable year. Among the Minor League leaders in just about every category: 27 homers, 33 steals. I think he could wind up having that year again, very similar to what Bobby Witt Jr. just had … and he might be in the running for Pipeline Hitter of the Year, too.”
“I’ve gotten a little peek into some of those intangible things, the way he carries himself, the way he communicates, the way he talks,” Boone said, per NJ Advance Media. “Obviously, there’s an incredible work ethic there. There’s this confidence with humility mixed in. I’m really excited about the player but also the person that I’ve gotten to see so far.”
Trading Peraza may be on the docket for the Yankees considering they have Anthony climbing the system quickly. A stopgap shortstop makes the most sense if they believe he can take over the starting gig in the next two years. At such a young age, he still has plenty of time left to continue development, but eventually, the Yankees want to give him the reigns without having to spend big money on a player like Carlos Correa on a decade-long contract.