With the Yankees aiming to keep their momentum rolling against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Aaron Boone made a few notable lineup tweaks for Saturday’s matchup, mostly driven by matchups and a little bit of rain-delay insurance.
Ben Rice Slides Down (Just a Bit)
Ben Rice has been a revelation at the top of the lineup to open the season, but with left-hander Bailey Falter on the mound for Pittsburgh, Boone decided to give the 26-year-old slugger a slight breather from the pressure of leading off. Rice drops to the No. 2 spot in the order—still a prime location to get good pitches to hit—and Paul Goldschmidt jumps up to the top.
While Rice has much better numbers against right-handed pitching, his ability to draw walks and grind out at-bats still earned him a top-of-the-order spot. That’s a testament to the faith Boone and the Yankees have in his long-term bat. Even against lefties, Rice’s elite exit velocity and plate discipline can be disruptive.
Aaron Judge Drops to No. 3, Jazz to Cleanup
Aaron Judge will move from the two-hole to the more traditional No. 3 spot, giving him a chance to drive in runners right away. That leaves Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the cleanup role, continuing his impressive rise early this season. Chisholm has already launched four home runs and is slugging close to .800—making him a serious threat to flip games in a single swing.
With both Chisholm and Judge in power positions, Boone clearly wants to capitalize on any early base runners from Rice or Goldy.
Yankees Call on Oswald Peraza to Fill Third Base
Perhaps the biggest surprise on the lineup card is the presence of Oswald Peraza at third base. Oswaldo Cabrera had been holding down the hot corner, but with a lefty on the mound and Cabrera being far more effective as a left-handed batter, Boone is giving the right-handed hitting Peraza a shot.
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Peraza hasn’t played yet this season, but the Yankees value his glove and range at third, especially after Pablo Reyes committed two costly errors last weekend. If he can just hold his own at the plate, Peraza could carve out a defensive role while the team continues to explore long-term solutions at the position.
The Yankees are trying to stay one step ahead, tailoring their lineups based on matchups and trusting their bench to come through when called upon.