Just a month ago, one New York Yankee infielder looked like he was fading away from the team’s long-term plans. A former top prospect, he had already lost the shortstop battle to Anthony Volpe. Then came the injuries, with Oswaldo Cabrera out for the season. And then Jazz Chisholm Jr. headed to the IL—so suddenly, someone else was thrust into the scene.
That someone – Oswald Peraza. Surprisingly, he has been making the most out of it. Now, on the third base duty, he has stepped up with elite defense, and shown flashes of power at the plate. Including that home run just on Tuesday night. It was so good that even former MLB infielder Cameron Maybin noticed it and jumped on social media to say, “This is the perfect time to let him keep getting at-bats… his glove is elite.”
And he’s not wrong.
Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm likely to go back to former position when he returns https://t.co/inrGB7N7it pic.twitter.com/0cnSYBCMMg
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 29, 2025
Ball Savant shows that Oswald Peraza’s numbers have been rising. His exit velocity is sitting at 90.8 mph, his hard-hit rate has rocketed to 39%, and he’s at a good xwOBA of .319. So, on the field, it looks like he belongs there—that this is his perfect spot. But here comes the real twist.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is almost back from his oblique injury. And Yankees manager Aaron Boone might have a surprise in store. Jazz will play third base in his first rehab game with Double-A Somerset. Not second, where he’d been forming a slick duo with Volpe. Nope—third. So why the switch?
See, DJ LeMahieu is back at second, and he looks comfortable. And for now, Boone doesn’t want to disrupt the flow. Boone, when asked about the positioning plan, said, “Maybe, we’ll see.” But the message is simple—they want to keep both Jazz and DJ in the lineup. So this means that Peraza, despite the promise he has shown lately, could be heading right to the bench. For sure, it’s a tough bill to swallow. Peraza, after all, has been showing growth, gaining confidence, and finding his footing. But baseball can be brutal that way. But for now, this story is only getting started.
Aaron Judge makes New York Yankees history
The New York Yankees managed a 1-0 win over the Angels on Wednesday night. And if you are being honest, the night was all about Aaron Judge. Because he didn’t even get a hit, yet managed to make some pretty strange history. According to Stathead’s Katie Sharp, he became the first Yankee to be intentionally walked twice in the first two innings of a game since 1953! That was over 70 years ago.
The Angels wanted no part of facing him. He went 0-for-2 with those two walks, and that definitely dropped his average to .391. Sure of that. 400 Chase might be on a pause right now, but he still has 18 homers, 47 RBIs, and an eye-watering 1.277 OPS. So definitely MVP numbers. But wait, now the Yankees head to LA to face off with the Dodgers. And if you remember, the last time the Yankees faced the Dodgers at the stadium, it was a difficult time for Judge.
Judge had run into the right field wall and torn a toe ligament. That injury had cost him 42 games! So naturally, fans and insiders are a little worried and have asked Boone if Judge would be moved from his position. But Boone, talking to Talkin Yanks, said, “He’s going to play right field.” He also mentioned the Dodgers have padded the wall since the last time.
So, Aaron Judge is staying in right field, no changes as of now. Are you excited for the Judge vs. Ohtani showdown too? Let us know in the comments.
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