Oswald Peraza

Peraza entered 2023 with a shot at a starting spot in the Yankees infield, but it was fellow rookie Anthony Volpe who won the shortstop job with a strong spring and managed to hang onto the role over the length of the campaign. That resulted in Peraza spending much of the season in Triple-A, where he performed well enough with a .268/.357/.479 slash line, 14 homers, 36 RBI and 16 stolen bases over 300 plate appearances. When he did get an opportunity with the big club, however, Peraza largely struggled, finishing with a poor .539 OPS and 26.2 percent strikeout rate over 52 games. Aside from defense and his 84th percentile sprint speed, all of the youngster's advanced metrics were well below league average, and he often appeared overmatched by big-league pitching. Peraza looked far better during his initial MLB cup of coffee in 2022, and he'll almost certainly get more opportunities in the majors next year. There's a chance he could compete for the Yankees' vacant third-base spot, but a more likely scenario has the team utilizing his positional flexibility and plugging him into a utility role.

Peraza got off to a really slow start to his first full season at Triple-A, but he slashed .311/.378/.555 with 14 home runs and a 21.4 K% over his final 53 games and was excellent (.306/.404/.429, 10.5 BB%, 15.8 K%) in small sample (57 PA) against big-league pitching to close out the year. Despite his Triple-A exploits, Peraza may not hit for significant game power in his age-22/23 season (104.6 mph max exit velocity), but his speed should play right away. He pilfered 35 bases on 40 attempts last season and has a 90th percentile sprint speed. His ability to make fairly consistent contact while playing solid defense at shortstop and second base gives him a high real-life floor, although he is likely ticketed for the bottom third of the lineup when the Yankees are at full health. The big questions are whether New York will enter the season with Peraza atop the depth chart at shortstop, and what Anthony Volpe's eventual arrival means for him. Peraza should be able to beat out Isiah Kiner-Falefa with a good spring training. From there, it would be up to him to perform well in order to stave off internal threats.

Peraza climbed from High-A to Triple-A last season, with his production trending down against better competition (144 wRC+ at High-A, 122 wRC+ at Double-A, 90 wRC+ in a tiny sample at Triple-A). Considering he turns 22 in June, just the fact that he made it to Triple-A last season is an accomplishment. Peraza came into the year known mostly as a strong defensive shortstop with a strong hit tool and plus speed, not unlike the prospect versions of guys like Amed Rosario, J.P. Crawford or Orlando Arcia. He showed there was a bit more juice in the bat, hitting 18 home runs with 26 doubles in 115 games. However, he didn't demonstrate the greatest eye or contact skill, tallying 111 strikeouts (21.7 K%) and just 37 walks (7.2 BB%) in 511 plate appearances. Those are fine metrics, but they didn't back up the idea that he will have a plus hit tool in the majors. He stole 38 bases on 48 attempts and graded out as an above-average runner at 5-foot-11, 186 pounds. While org. mate Anthony Volpe looks the part of a future No. 1 or No. 2 hitter, Peraza looks more like a future bottom third of the order hitter, albeit one who plays every day and challenges for 15/15 seasons.

A shortstop with the potential for a plus hit tool and plus speed, Peraza was protected from the Rule 5 draft by being added to the Yankees' 40-man roster this offseason. He won't turn 21 until June and has not played above Low-A, so this roster move will put a little pressure on the player and the team to speed up his ascent slightly. Unfortunately, he did not get invited to the alternate training site due to his lack of upper-level experience. Peraza is a no-doubt shortstop thanks to a plus glove and plus arm, which will buy him a longer leash to develop at the plate. He could be a Tommy Edman/Andres Gimenez type of fantasy contributor in time, and that 20-steal potential will remain his top fantasy skill for the foreseeable future. The Yankees have worked on trying to coax a little more power from the 6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitter, but he probably won't be a 20-homer hitter in the majors.