The talk of the town on Thursday was Oswald Peraza getting called up to the New York Yankees’ top team from Triple-A Scranton, but another promotion went under the radar following the big news.
Taking Peraza’s spot in Scranton will be star shortstop Anthony Volpe, who seems to be the Yankees’ long-term solution at the position. Volpe is making fantastic progress at just 21 years old. The New Jersey native started the 2022 season in Double-A with Somerset, playing 110 total games, with 106 featuring at shortstop.
During that time span, Volpe posted a .251 average with a 35% on base rate and a .472 slugging percentage. He’s tallied 18 homers on the season with 60 RBIs and 44 stolen bases, an unbelievable number that showcases his athleticism and speed.
- Yankees’ super-utility man is seeing his numbers plummet back down to Earth
- Yankees’ $98 million slugger in the middle of another ice-cold stretch
- Yankees could see this interesting pitching prospect get an MLB promotion
The Yankees had no choice but to promote Anthony Volpe:
However, Volpe has really ramped up over the past few weeks, hitting .280 with a 37% on-base rate, 12 homers, and 36 RBIs over his last 90 days. He’s grounded into zero double plays during that time frame, providing yet another shortstop that elevates the ball with great power.
While Peraza can help the Yankees now with playoff expansion rosters providing them with two extra spots to fill, it might be hard for him to earn playing time. The Yankees needed to support multiple positions with Oswald Cabrera, but the only way Peraza can make an impact is if they bench Isiah Kiner-Falefa or transition him to third base and move Josh Donaldson out of the lineup.
The latter option seems like a positive strategy, allowing Peraza to get reps at shortstop while keeping IKF‘s defense on the field. Seemingly, manager Aaron Boone believes that IKF is one of the best defensive infielders in baseball, despite the stats saying otherwise.
However, Peraza does feature a .971 fielding percentage at the Triple-A level. Defensively, Volpe has also had a solid season for Somerset, recording a .971 fielding percentage with 51 double plays turned over 922.2 innings. He’s committed 11 errors in that time span, a decent number that he will look to improve moving forward.
Thursday was a big day for the Yankees’ top prospects, but the transition to another level can be difficult. While most are already coining Peraza is the savior, it is more likely he struggles out of the gate and ramps up over the next few weeks.