Oswaldo Peraza Shines in Return to Yankee Stadium
Oswaldo Peraza put on quite a show on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, just as the Yankees had hoped he would. Yet, the circumstances surrounding his performance were far from what the team had anticipated.
In his first game back in the Bronx, Peraza—a former top prospect for the Yankees—was a force at the plate, hitting a line-drive home run off Ryan Weathers and reaching base in each of his four at-bats during the Angels’ 7-1 victory.
“He really hurt us,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “He squared up three balls and had a 12-pitch walk in his last at-bat. He was definitely in the middle of our struggles tonight.”
Once seen as part of the organization’s solution, Peraza was signed from Venezuela in 2016. He made headlines in 2021, climbing through the Yankees’ system to become the team’s No. 2 prospect by 2022, right behind Anthony Volpe and ahead of Jason Dominguez.
With his impressive line-drive swing, Peraza was expected to debut in September 2022; in fact, he hit well enough to start at shortstop against the Astros in the ALCS that year.
“I have a lot of fond memories here,” he reflected, though his rise hit a snag the following spring.
Volpe excelled during camp and secured a regular spot in the majors, while Peraza struggled to find his footing in sporadic opportunities, making it tough for him to compete for the shortstop role.
Ultimately, he was traded to the Angels at last year’s deadline for international bonus pool funds and outfield prospect Wilverson De Pena.
In the clubhouse, Peraza described it as “weird” to be on the opposite side of the field but expressed no bitterness. “This is business, this is baseball,” he said. “Right now, I’m with the Angels, and I’m enjoying every moment.”
Though he didn’t hit particularly well last season, this year has seen a turnaround for him, sporting a .267 batting average and .838 OPS after 16 games, along with several RBIs at second and third base.
On this day, he showcased what he could do. Against Weathers, he landed a single to center field in the second inning, clocking his bat speed at an impressive 110.1 mph. In the fourth, he anticipated a low changeup perfectly and sent it over the left-field fence for his third home run of the season, extending the Angels’ lead to 4-0.
Peraza’s first home run as a visitor came after having only two RBIs in 69 games against the Yankees previously.
In the sixth inning, he faced a challenging left-handed hit from Paul Blackburn, and later, he worked a 12-pitch walk against Yerry de los Santos in the eighth.
While he didn’t want to dwell too much on proving himself to the Yankees, he did feel a sense of satisfaction. He attributes his early-season success to hard work and adjustments in his stance to gain better control over his body.
Despite the pain he may have caused his former team, he remains thankful to the Yankees for their support. “They had many great coaches who helped me every day,” Peraza noted.
