23-year-old infield prospect Oswald Peraza entered this season’s spring training as the New York Yankees top choice for the shortstop position. However, a late entry from Anthony Volpe into the competition made things difficult for Peraza. Volpe’s extraordinary hitting skills forced Peraza out of the shortstop contention.
Subsequently, the Yankees sent the infielder down to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre. Oswald Peraza eventually got a call-up to the majors. But constant reshuffling rattled the infielder. The prospect could not really settle in the minors or the majors. However, a late kickoff of the youth movement led to a second chance, which Peraza grabbed with both hands.
Oswald Peraza Aiming Third Base For 2024 Season
As the New York Yankees embraced the youth movement last month, infield prospect Oswald Peraza received a golden opportunity to fix his spot in the 2024 season rotation. Peraza had been in the majors multiple times this season. However, the lack of regular opportunities kept him from creating an impact. Having said that, this time, the Yankee skipper stayed committed to providing regular game time to all the prospects, including Peraza. The 24-year-old seized the opportunity with both hands. Playing at third base, the infielder is currently on a seven-game hit streak. Moreover, he has the team’s second-best t wRC+ (137) for the month of September, only second to Gleyber Torres. Not only that, Oswald recently hit a two-run homer against the Red Sox, which further strengthened his case.
If Oswald Peraza maintains this hot form till the end of the regular season, he could very well stay in contention for a regular spot in the 2024 season’s active roster. The third base is likely to remain empty as DJ LeMahieu is expected to fill in for Anthony Rizzo at first, who is down with a concussion. Another option for Peraza is to split time between first and third if LeMahieu faces trouble. The infielder also remains versatile and is capable of handling odd positions if the need arises. All things considered, the 24-year-old deserves a spot in 2024. He has a strong arm, and his aggressive approach on the plate is exactly what the team needs to fall back into World Series contention next year. After all, Oswald Peraza somewhat is potentially a part of the future core of the Yankees.
Peraza Shines In Yankees Series Win Over Red Sox!
After making small contributions, Oswald Peraza chose to make a big impact. During the recently concluded series finale vs. Red Sox, the infielder slammed a two-run home run in the eighth inning to pile up crucial insurance runs for the Yankees on board. Owing to the long hit, the Bombers ended up securing the four-game series by 3-1.
Peraza Power 💪 pic.twitter.com/kq5rDfsywi
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 15, 2023
It happened to be Oswald Peraza’s first home run of the season. Along with Peraza, captain Aaron Judge emerged as a top contributor with a grand slam. Clarke Schmidt aced his start by leaking three runs in over five innings. Wandy Peralta and Tommy Kahnle closed the game to seal the game 8-5. With that, the Yankees also ditched the last place in AL-East after several months.
