Volpe-Peraza battle heads into home stretch
With solely 5 days left till the Yankees break camp after Thursday’s 1-1 tie with the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, each younger infielders have had ample time to make their case in Grapefruit League play. Staff ace Gerrit Cole has weighed in. But the ultimate resolution looks like it’ll come all the way down to the wire, particularly after neither participant moved the needle a lot on the group’s two-game swing alongside Florida’s east coast.
“We’re deciding on some good people, good players,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “So hopefully, however we go, we’ll be in a good spot.”
The standout Thursday was extra Nestor Cortes, who struck out seven throughout 4 scoreless innings in his second spring begin, with Volpe lined up behind him at shortstop and Peraza at second base. Peraza went hitless in seven at-bats over the two-day span, whereas Volpe didn’t play Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Thursday’s draw.
“It’s a healthy battle,” Cortes stated. “It’s going to bring the best out of both of them. I’m rooting for both of them. It’s going to be tough, a tough decision for the organization and Booney. But I’m pulling for both of them.”
Here’s a quick overview of the place the competitors stands heading into the ultimate days of Spring Training:
Volpe: .279/.404/.535, .939 OPS, 9 runs, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 5 SB in 52 plate appearances
Peraza: .171/.293/.314, .607 OPS, 7 runs, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB in 41 plate appearances
The 21-year-old Volpe began his eleventh recreation at shortstop on Thursday, whereas the 22-year-old Peraza has began 10 on the place.
Peraza is on the 40-man roster after impressing in a 18-game cameo final September, when he hit .306/.404/.429 with a house run and two steals whereas taking part in each middle-infield positions. He’s seen as the higher defensive shortstop however doesn’t have the all-around bona fides that made Volpe the membership’s first-round Draft choose in 2019, and have him ranked as baseball’s No. 5 total prospect. Peraza is taken into account the sport’s No. 52 total prospect.
Volpe would have to be added to the 40-man roster and has performed solely 22 video games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the place he hit simply .236 with a .717 OPS down the stretch in 2022. Prior to that, he was probably the greatest gamers in Double-A, posting an .820 OPS with 18 dwelling runs and 44 steals in 110 video games at Somerset. Some scouts imagine Volpe is healthier positioned defensively at second base, however the Yankees are deep there in the mean time with Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu.
“He’s the kind of hitter who is going to control the strike zone, be disciplined and take tough pitches,” Boone stated.
Boone, on Peraza’s offense this spring
“For the most part, he’s been all right. Yesterday, he didn’t have great at-bats. Working on a little, small mechanical thing. When he gets his load in the right way, he’s pretty good. He’s been OK. He’s been OK. He’s impacted a few balls. Yesterday was the first day where I didn’t feel like his at-bats were great. Otherwise, whether he gets a result or not, the at-bats are all right.”
General supervisor Brian Cashman, on the shortstop battle (per the New York Post)
“We’ll make a decision when we have to in the very end. We still have some time on the clock, but we’ve had a good camp. A lot of good things to see. But we have time on the clock to make the final call.”
