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Yankees Make Decision on Top Slugging Prospect Despite Big Spring

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Mar 13, 2025 8:57 AM ET

Certainly, it would seem that everything was well-aligned for Yankees propsect Everson Pereira to be granted a spot on the team's roster as Opening Day approaches. New York's slated designated hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, is possibly out for the year, after all, with elbow issues and the player currently in line to replace him, Ben Rice, has had a miserable spring, batting .148 with 10 strikeouts in 27 at-bats.

Pereira, on the other hand, has built up a nice resume in the minor leagues, with a .269 career average at all levels to go with a .344 on-base mark and .482 slugging percentage. He underwent Tommy John surgery last year, interrupting a season that started with him hitting .265 with 10 homers in 40 games at Triple-A.

Pereira will turn 24 next month and was considered a candidate to leapfrog Rice and take Stanton's DH spot.

Hitting coach James Rowson said of Pereira, according to the New York Post, "I like him. This spring, it looks like he’s really square and the baseball is up in terms of that. I look at the spin a lot of times, and the ball is spinning in a really good way right now. He doesn’t have a lot of topspin or sidespin. He has a lot of backspin off the balls he is hitting.

"He’s got power. I mean, we know that. He can drive a baseball as good as anybody. Now, it’s a matter of just getting to that point consistently.”

PEREIRA POP.

Everson Pereira LAUNCHES a 406-foot-long BLAST that came off the bat at 107 MPH and ties the game at 5!#Yankees pic.twitter.com/XlGRqlwAsB
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 8, 2025

Evidently, the Yankees have decided that Pereira should learn that consistency, once again, in the minors. The team announced it was demoting Pereira this week.

Pereira has been a bright spot this spring, posting a .350/.440/.660 slash line in nine games. He hit two homers and drove in three runs, though his seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats are a concern.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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