SUPPORT FOR PERAZA FROM THE GREAT AARON JUDGE

Bleeding Yankee Blue has been banging the “Let Peraza play every day” drum like it’s the encore at a rock concert, and for good reason.

Now to be fair—yes, fair, even though we’re frustrated—Volpe is seeing more pitches and learning to adjust. He's flailing with a purpose. Meanwhile, Oswald Peraza? He’s getting yanked around like a piñata at a toddler’s birthday party.

Peraza’s been doing his best to fill in the gaps, but let’s be honest: the poor guy’s been treated more like a patch than a plan. And the whispers are getting louder: has the window already closed on him before it ever really opened?

“He’s gone from top prospect — even starting a game in the 2022 playoffs — to well-regarded talent to someone the organization clearly doesn’t expect big things from,” Brendan Kuty wrote for The Athletic. “And he hasn’t proved them wrong yet.”

Ouch. But can we really expect him to prove anything if the Yankees keep treating his playing time like a game of musical chairs?

Through 76 at-bats this season, Peraza is slashing an icy .158/.229/.303. That’s not going to get him a plaque in Monument Park, but let’s remember—he’s also not getting consistent reps. You can’t expect a guy to light it up at the plate if he’s getting benched the second he blinks wrong.

The Yankees, ever the impatient suitors, are already eyeing third base upgrades like someone scrolling Zillow during an argument. But while the brass crunches numbers and scans trade rumors, there’s at least one person who believes in Peraza: the Captain.

“Give him a chance to play every single day, good things are going to happen,” Aaron Judge said recently, reminding us why he wears the ‘C’ with class.

And Peraza? He’s trying to soak it all in, even if he’s more spectator than starter these days.

“I’m getting a lot of experience,” he said earlier this month. “But if I’m not playing every day, I’m watching the game. A lot of my teammates are superstars, and I talk with my teammates every day.”

Even the coaching staff sees something brewing. James Rowson, the Yankees’ hitting coach, has spotted tangible improvements in Peraza’s swing mechanics.

“You’re in that position where you’re able to get behind the baseball and drive through it,” Rowson said. “You can see when the ball strikes the barrel, you can tell it’s square and there’s room for it to go. I think he’s getting to that point where he’s doing that more consistently.”

Translation: the tools are still there. The talent is still real. What’s missing? Opportunity.

So here’s the deal, Boone—stop treating Peraza like a placeholder. His glove is gold-glove caliber and his upside is still sky-high. Play the man. Let him build confidence. Let him struggle a little, learn a little, and then—just maybe—thrive a lot. You don’t rediscover a “top prospect” by parking him on the bench.

Bleeding Yankee Blue’s been right about this from the start. Give Peraza the runway and watch him take off.