The Yankees are calling up one of the organization's top prospects, shortstop Oswald Peraza, with rosters expanding for September. Peraza, 22, was ranked in the 50-65 range by prospect outlets heading into the season.
Back in March, CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson ranked him as the second-best prospect in the Yankees' system and had this to say:
Peraza, another Yankees prospect who broke out in 2021, saw action at three levels, including an eight-game stint at Triple-A. Overall, he hit .297/.356/.477 with 18 home runs, the product of him learning to lift the ball more frequently. Defensively, he has the above-average speed and arm strength that scouts look for when projecting shortstops. Peraza seems more likely than not to make his big-league debut sometime during the 2022 season, perhaps even as the Yankees' starting shortstop.
In 98 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Peraza has hit .258/.329/.440 with 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, 56 runs and 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts. The Yankees have been playing Isiah Kiner-Falefa at short this season, and he's hitting .261 with an 81 OPS+. The Yankees like his defense, but perhaps they are looking for a bit more punch on offense than an empty batting average.
The Yankees head into play Friday at 79-52, in first place in the AL East by six games, but that lead has dwindled greatly as they just went 10-18 in August after a 13-13 July. They once led the division by 15 1/2 games and were on pace to set the single-season record for wins.
Instead, they might have to fend off the Rays in September. The month of play will start with the Yankees visiting the Rays Friday.
