Who among the Yankees' six rookies and youngsters has made good impressions this season?
New York Yankees outfielders, from left, Oswaldo Cabrera, Estevan Florial and Everson Pereira at Fenway Park on Sept. 12. Credit: AP/Steven Senne
On any given day in the final two weeks of the season, the Yankees can field a lineup with four rookies and two other youngsters.
But which of those rookies (Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, Austin Wells and Everson Pereira) and other youngsters (Oswaldo Cabrera and Estevan Florial) have impressed the Yankees’ decision-makers enough to be key pieces in 2024?
Volpe, obviously. But what about the others?
“We’ve got some good young players,” Aaron Judge said on Sunday in Pittsburgh. “Just excited to see them continue to get at-bats, to continue to adjust. There's some guys — this is one week, two weeks, three weeks into the big leagues now and they’re just adjusting, they’re learning themselves, learning the game, learning a new league. So I'm excited for them.”
Jasson Dominguez was the most impressive youngster, homering off Justin Verlander on his first major-league swing and hitting four homers in eight games. But the 20-year-old outfielder will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday, with an estimated recovery time of nine to 10 months.
Here’s a breakdown on the other six with 12 games left in the regular season beginning Tuesday vs. Toronto:
Anthony Volpe
The 22-year-old shortstop won the job in spring training and isn’t going to let go of it for some time.
Positives: Attitude (always smiling, always accountable), durability (has played in 148 of 150 games), power (21 homers), speed (24 stolen bases), defense (better than advertised).
Negatives: Batting average (.211), strikeouts (154).
Oswald Peraza
The 23-year-old started at shortstop in a 2022 ALCS game but spent most of the season in Triple-A. Installed as the regular third baseman in late August, Peraza started slowly, but before going 0-for-2 with two walks on Sunday, he had a nine-game hitting streak. YES analyst Paul O’Neill has said he thinks the righthanded hitter can go deep 30 times in a season. That seems like a stretch. but The Warrior knows hitting.
Positives: Defense and versatility (outstanding at three infield positions), offensive potential in minors (.268, 14 homers in Triple-A).
Negatives: Hasn’t done it yet in majors (.235 career average, .206 this year even with the hitting streak).
Austin Wells
The 24-year-old is batting .132 in his first taste of the majors but has impressed the Yankees with what was supposed to be the weakest part of his game: his catching acumen.
“I think he's done a good job,” manager Aaron Boone said on Saturday. “Really connected with the room, connected with the pitching staff, having a presence with them. I think he's done a really good job behind the plate. Hasn't hit a ton yet, but I feel like he's going to hit.”
Positives: Catching ability, lefty power potential (17 home runs at three minor-league levels in 2023).
Negatives: Slow start at the plate (5-for-38).
Everson Pereira
The 22-year-old outfielder was called up on Aug. 22. He has struggled in his first major-league stint and had lost playing time even before suffering an undisclosed leg injury slipping on the dugout stairs at Fenway Park last week. He missed the weekend series in Pittsburgh and is day-to-day.
Positives: Minor-league performance (.300, 18 homers at two levels in 2023), speed (four stolen bases in 21 big-league games), defense (a centerfielder in the minors, he adapted well to left in the majors).
Negatives: Big-league offense (.143 with 31 strikeouts in his first 70 at-bats).
Oswaldo Cabrera
The 24-year-old was the Yankees’ Opening Day leftfielder, but a lack of offense cost him the job and eventually his roster spot. He can play almost any position on the field and finally has started hitting, especially from the left side (even though the switch hitter bizarrely batted lefthanded against a lefty — and struck out — on Sunday).
Positives: Versatility, , popularity (beloved in the clubhouse, and especially by Boone), offensive potential (especially from the left side).
Negatives: Just didn’t hit when given the leftfield job (.190 when demoted to Triple-A on June 18).
Estevan Florial
The Yankees resisted calling up the 25-year-old centerfielder despite a monster year at Triple-A (28 homers) and did so only when Dominguez got hurt.
Positives: Serious tools (power, speed, defense).
Negatives: Strikes out too much (28 in 78 career at-bats), seems to lack instincts (overthrows cutoff men, not a polished baserunner), team doesn’t seem to believe in him (took him off 40-man roster on April 1, didn’t call him up until Dominguez got hurt).
Predictions for 2024
On Opening Day roster: Volpe (shortstop), Peraza (third base), Wells (platoon catcher) and Cabrera (utility).
Triple-A: Pereira will be getting more seasoning.
Elsewhere: Florial will be with a different organization.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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