New York Yankees top prospect Oswald Peraza recently received high praise from his teammate and lead pitcher Gerrit Cole.
Oswald Peraza is in focus this spring training as he fights a battle with a fellow prospect, Anthony Volpe, to claim the starting shortstop position. Peraza is a 21-year-old Venezuelan shortstop signed by the Yankees in 2016 as an international free agent. Since then, he’s had an impressive minor league career which led to his promotion to the majors last season.
In a short major league stint, Oswald Peraza impressed the Yankees staff just enough to get him a spot on the spring training invitees. Further, the shortstop has had a fair outing as a shortstop and was often rotated around the bases. Meanwhile, his senior teammate, Gerrit Cole, who is watching the shortstop battle from ground zero, had a few observations to share.
Gerrit Cole Compares Oswald Peraza To His Former Astros Teammate Carlos Correa
Gerrit Cole, who joined the Yankees in 2020, has been impressed with Peraza’s skills and work ethic since they first met. He went on to compare the prospect to his former Houston Astros teammate, Carlos Correa. Correa, who is also from Venezuela, has established himself as one of the best starting shortstops in MLB since debuting with the Astros in 2015. He won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2015 and made it to three All-Star teams. Further, he won a World Series championship with the Astros in 2017 and earned a Silver Slugger award in 2020.
Cole feels Oswald Peraza is a young talent with a strong arm of Correa. He reminds him of Correa when he shoots fiery throws. Further, the pitcher said both the shortstops are extremely hardworking and share a lot of similarities. The comparison speaks volumes about Peraza’s potential as a major-league player. He is just a rookie with minimal major-league experience. Moreover, if Peraza can come close to matching Correa’s accomplishments, he would be a huge asset to the Yankees. Regardless, the shortstop’s future still hangs in the balance as the Yankees round up this week to declare the shortstop winner.
Peraza Is Already The Shortstop Winner Is Gerrit Cole’s Opinion
Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole did not hold back while conveying his honest feelings about the ongoing shortstop battle in the New York Yankees camp. He feels both Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza are capable of going big in the major league and winning games for the team. However, he did admit that the battle has been exciting, and he likes the energy these young players bring in.
Furthermore, Cole spoke highly of Oswald Peraza and already saw him as a winner of the shortstop battle. However, the decision lies within the hands of the Yankees’ management. As per skipper Aaron Boone, the top brass will sit for a meeting at the end of the week. Hence, we might have a winner by the end of the week or probably by early last week.