The Yankees are set to roll out a new lineup tonight against the Angels. It marks the first time that both Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are in the same lineup. Raza was called up due to Donaldson’s injury, and the Yankees wasted no time, as he’s getting the start today at second base. The combination between him and Volpe could be the first of many, and it could indicate a potential future partnership up the middle.
Peraza and Volpe get their first go in the Yankees infield:
Oswald Peraza had been doing decently well at AAA, though the power wasn’t really there. He’s batting .289 and is also walking 7% of the time, with a 19% K rate. He’s only slugging .316, and his ISO is a minute .026. I think he will begin to elevate the ball more and hit for some power as the games go by, but it has been a tad bit slow out of the gate.
He and Volpe battled it out in spring for the starting shortstop gig, and Volpe ultimately came out ahead, as Raza was optioned down. Now, we get to see the two of them combine in the middle infield, with Gleyber getting the night off from the field as he’s playing DH. The future infield could be on display tonight, though Gleyber’s dominant start to the year has put that on the backburners.
The Yankees haven’t given Peraza a fair opportunity up to this point, but if he plays well enough, they may not be able to deny him the reps. Donaldson will likely be back with the squad soon, but that doesn’t mean he should be allowed to play the majority of games because of his contract and veteran status. The team is still winning games, even with a rough bottom half of the lineup.
The bottom third specifically has been abhorrently bad. Having Raza bat 6th could help that bottom third, as if he’s able to get on, his base-running prowess could cause problems for opposing pitchers. He’s getting his first start at 2B tonight, and it will be a new experience for one of the Yankees’ top prospects.
I look forward to watching him and Volpe play together tonight, and it will be the first night of many. They’re two of the top prospects in the system and all of baseball, and now that Volpe has been finding his footing, good things could be just around the corner. He’s beginning to heat up at the plate and has an OPS of .984 over his last six games.