New York Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner is hoping the team’s middle infield of the future can be their middle infield of the now in 2023.
The Yankees have built many of their rosters over the last 50 years by signing or trading for big-ticket stars from other teams. Their current roster has a few of those types of players. However, that strategy has started to change a bit in recent years.
With the Los Angeles Dodgers and crosstown rival New York Mets being able to spend as much or more than the Yankees can, the team has started to put a higher value on talent development. That has proved to be beneficial in the evolution of American League MVP and homegrown superstar Aaron Judge.
The New York Yankees have three of the best prospects in baseball, and scouts around the league believe Oswald Peraza, Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe all have the talent to be starts in the league. However, Steinbrenner is hoping manager Aaron Boone will give two of them a real chance to be starters next season.
In the run-up to the New York Yankees’ failed bid to reach the World Series, shortstop Pereza was called up to the big league roster and actually earned a spot on the playoff squad. According to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Steinbrenner revealed that he is hoping Peraza can improve on that in 2023 and be joined in the infield by fellow shortstop prospect Volpe. After getting a fair “shot” to prove themselves in spring training.
“In my opinion, they’re going to get a shot [to start in the spring]. In March, I remember saying that they’re the middle infield of the Yankees in the future. That’s why we made some of the decisions in the offseason, as opposed to going out and getting a huge free agent. They both progressed really well this year.”
Volpe, Dominguez and Peraza are the top three prospects in the New York Yankees' farm system and among the top 50 in the entire league. Pereza, 22, played in 18 regular-season games and three in the postseason in 2022.
Volpe, who is only 21 and the team’s highest-ranked prospect, via MLB Pipeline, is expected to be on the big league roster in 2023. Dominguez is just 19 and has only reached Double-A in the Yankees system.
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