The Yankees Has A New Utility Man Infield For 2024…
Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees has already declared that he will move from his regular utility role to the starting position at third base come 2024. Aaron Boone thinks LeMahieu is ready to secure the hot corner position full-time, despite the fact that he has been a consistent backup option for the Yankees in recent years.
Last season, LeMahieu struggled offensively but turned things around post-All-Star break, suggesting he could be in line for a big bounce-back season.
DJ contributed three defensive runs saved, three outs above average, and a.994 fielding percentage during his 592.2 innings at third base. He can be trusted by the Yankees at one of their most formidable defensive alignments, but that raises an unanswered question for Oswald Peraza, a young player hoping to contribute in 2024.
At the age of twenty-three, Peraza is still discovering his true identity. The Yankees will have to use him as a regular member of the team because he is out of minor-league options. The previous season, he batted.191/.267/.272 in his 52 MLB games. He also added two home runs, fourteen RBIs, a strikeout rate of twenty-six percent, a walk rate of six percent, and a wRC+ of fifty-three. The Yankees would still like to see him improve his contact and swing selection even though he was a below-average offensive player. He obviously needs to get better, as evidenced by his hard-hit rate of 28.5%, barrel rate of 4.1%, and average exit velocity of 87.2.
Yankees Require Peraza’s Glove
He is a Gold Glove defender at most infield positions, which is the main perk. He’ll probably take over LeMahieu’s old position at third base after DJ moves to first to cover for any probable loss. Peraza spent the majority of the previous season playing third base, where he recorded breakeven advanced stats and a.964 fielding percentage. He can play shortstop and second base at a high level, but Anthony Volpe is the permanent resident at that position.
Hal Steinbrenner, the managing owner, has previously stated that Peraza should be included in the Yankees’ future plans, and it appears that they are doing just that. They’ve occasionally been unwilling to give him regular at-bats and opportunities, but they now require his services, and determining his offensive potential is the final piece of the puzzle.