New York Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees' Isiah Kiner-Falefa says he didn't have 'yips' late in 2022 season

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 3/23/23

New York Yankees utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa has insisted he didn't suffer from the dreaded "yips" in the infield late in the 2022 season.

"People were saying I had the yips," Kiner-Falefa explained about his defensive experiences, per Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "No. They were fielding errors and I should have made those plays, but they were not easy plays. Even that error I made in the playoffs on a groundball up the middle, I feel like there was a 25% chance that I finish the play. The conversion rate was 2.5 out of 10. But I got there."

Miller noted that Kiner-Falefa was charged with five errors across 13 games from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16, and the 28-year-old seemed to struggle with confidence against the Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros during the playoffs:

Josh Naylor gives Cleveland an early lead! pic.twitter.com/FiAZY5cvnn
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 15, 2022

Gleyber and IKF couldn't convert this double play, the inning continues pic.twitter.com/r9h5AA1I2J
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 24, 2022

Kiner-Falefa's status with the Yankees is now very much up in the air ahead of Opening Day. Prospect Anthony Volpe remains the favorite option among many fans to start at shortstop, although it seems more likely the job may be Oswald Peraza's to lose. Meanwhile, Kiner-Falefa has received work in center field, and he more recently spent time at catcher.

"Coming in, the writing was on the wall that I wasn’t going to play shortstop next year," Kiner-Falefa admitted. "There’s probably a zero percent chance. Now it looks like I’ll be playing utility this year, and it’s almost a blessing in disguise because it puts me back to this role where I think I thrive."

Earlier this month, Mike Rosenstein of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com mentioned how Kiner-Falefa was being linked with the Los Angeles Dodgers in numerous trade rumors after the Dodgers lost Gavin Lux to a torn ACL. However, MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported last Thursday that "the Dodgers don’t seem interested in" the one-time Gold Glove winner because they "consider him too much like current starter Miguel Rojas."

Kiner-Falefa made it clear he wishes to remain in the Bronx regardless of how fans feel about the subject.

"If I’m in this utility role, maybe I can stick around," he said. "That’s what I want."

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