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.â€
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.