With rumors flying and the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate holed up in a Scranton lodge on an off day, RailRiders supervisor Shelley Duncan and hitting coach Trevor Amicone requested a gathering with Everson Pereira on Monday.
Those who observe the Yankees have been ready for the crew to name up the outfielder, who’s the group’s third-best prospect and the Eightieth-best in baseball, per MLB.com. So the coaches wished to ensure Pereira may tune out the noise.
At least that’s what they instructed him at first.
“We just wanted to bring you in and make sure you weren’t getting distracted by all the social media rumors,” Amicone instructed the Daily News of the message relayed to Pereira. “Just wanted to make sure that you are able to stay in the present and be focused on what’s in front of you and be where your feet are. So we just wanted to sit down and be able to focus you on tomorrow’s starting pitcher.”
That’s when Duncan and Amicone pulled up video of Josiah Gray, the Nationals’ beginning pitcher on Tuesday night time within the Bronx. It took Pereira a second to understand that his dream had come true: he had earned his first main league promotion.
“A special moment right there,” Pereira mentioned earlier than his first sport with the Yankees. “They were messing with me. They were playing like something bad was happening or something like that.”
The last-place, sub-.500 Yankees entered Tuesday’s series-opener in opposition to Washington within the midst of an eight-game shedding streak and 9.5 video games out of the ultimate wild card spot. With time working out in 2023 and a few already fascinated with subsequent 12 months, the membership added the 22-year-old Pereira and Oswald Peraza to their energetic roster on Tuesday.
Peraza, 23, has already had a number of cups of main league espresso.
“Obviously, with us scuffling, felt like those two were deserving of an opportunity, deserving of a look,” mentioned Aaron Boone, who added that Pereira and Peraza will play often. “And, hopefully, it’s one thing that may type of spark us within the short-term, but additionally get a take a look at two guys we predict may play an vital position over our future, too.
“They’re gonna get real opportunity. So that’s an important part of this. But it also doesn’t change from what we’re trying to do tonight, and that’s win.”
To make room for the kids, the Yankees designated Greg Allen for task and positioned Billy McKinney on the 10-day injured checklist (retroactive to Aug. 21) with a lingering left decrease again spasm. Carlos Rodón (hamstring), Tuesday’s starter, additionally returned from the IL, whereas Greg Weissert returned to Triple-A on Monday.
Pereira, a Venezuelan native, has loved a robust minor league season break up between Double-A and Triple-A. In 81 whole video games, he’s hit .300/.373/.548 with 18 dwelling runs, 64 RBI and 11 stolen bases. The right-handed swinger solely spent 35 video games at Triple-A, the place he slashed .312/.386/.551 with eight homers and 33 RBI, however Amicone believes Pereira is prepared due to his improved plate self-discipline, an commentary Boone highlighted as properly.
“His ability to swing at strikes and take balls has improved dramatically over the last three or four years,” mentioned Amicone, who first received to know Pereira whereas checking in with him over the cellphone and on Zoom through the pandemic. “The things that we’ve seen over the last month is an improvement in his ability to swing at the right strikes and swing at the strikes that he can do damage on.”
Amicone famous that strikeouts include Pereira’s hard-hitting method, however he hopes to see these diminish as he adjusts to baseball’s highest degree.
Pereira’s stroll fee dropped from 10.3% to eight.2% after his promotion to Triple-A. His strikeout fee dropped from 29.2% to 27.8%.
While protection doesn’t fall below Amicone’s purview, he added that Pereira “looks great” within the outfield. He’s performed all three positions this season, however Pereira figures to get plenty of time in left the remainder of the best way, which is the place he performed Tuesday whereas batting seventh.
“In my mindset, there’s really no difference between the different outfield positions,” Pereira mentioned. “Of course, it’s a different trajectory, but the way I feel now, I feel comfortable in all three.”
When requested what Yankees followers can hope to see from him, Pereira added, “They can expect to see a player that wants to win every day, regardless of what I need to do on the field. How do I do that? Just by giving it my 100%.”
Of course, Pereira will want extra than simply ability and energy to achieve The Show.
He’s nonetheless younger and inexperienced, however Amicone believes Pereira is greater than mature sufficient to deal with the majors. The coach reached that conclusion a number of weeks in the past when Pereira’s mother and father made their first journey to the United States to see their son play.
“When you talk about some of these young, international prospects, I think that it’s really hard for the average fan to comprehend what they’ve been through to get to where they are,” Amicone mentioned, talking typically, when requested about Pereira’s make-up. “They’ve needed to be adults lengthy earlier than they have been truly adults. Some of the issues that they get by means of — whether or not it’s in Venezuela or the Dominican Republic or wherever else internationally — they’ve needed to develop up so much faster than any of us have.
“Watching [Pereira] take care of [his parents] while they were in the United States for the first time was impressive. It makes you realize truly how much he and others that come from the international market have had to be mature for a long time.”
On Tuesday, Pereira’s mother and father, spouse and two brothers will get to look at him play in his first main league sport.
The quintet deliberate on attending, together with tens of hundreds of Yankees followers who’re hoping Pereira can add a jolt to the crew.
“I’m sure it’s gonna be something that I’ve never felt in my life,” Pereira mentioned of taking the sphere for the primary time. “I know it’s gonna be a very unique experience, so looking I’m forward to it.”
PROUD OF PERAZA
While Tuesday marked Pereira’s debut, Peraza has already had a number of stints within the majors. Two of these got here this season after the infielder misplaced the Yankees’ shortstop battle to Anthony Volpe in spring coaching.
Still, Peraza has spent most of his time at Triple-A this season, the place he’s hit .268/.357/.479 with 14 homers and 36 RBI in 63 video games.
“I told him yesterday, when he was here packing up his things to go to New York, just how proud I am of him,” Amicone mentioned. “This is not the 2023 that he envisioned for himself. He could have come [back to Triple-A] and been much more difficult to work with, and nobody would have blamed him. But that’s just not who Ozzie is.”
Peraza was batting eighth and taking part in third base in opposition to Washington — anticipate him to spend plenty of time on the sizzling nook — on Tuesday. He had hit simply .192 over 19 MLB video games this 12 months previous to his newest call-up.
Amicone mentioned that Peraza has had “a chip on his shoulder” because the spring. When Peraza returned to the minors after his most up-to-date demotion, he felt extra motivated than ever.
“He wanted to work on things,” Amicone mentioned. “He came down and said, ‘I know that I can do well here. But that’s not really what my goal is.’ He wanted to get himself to a point where he wanted to work on things that were going to make him a really good big league hitter, not just a really good at Triple-A.”
Some of these issues concerned engaged on Peraza’s load on the plate. Amicone emphasised getting Peraza in a constant place to hit the ball exhausting over the infield.
“He’s in a really good spot right now with it,” the coach mentioned. “I know that it’s going to be something that’s going to be his main priority up there in the cages.”
THE MARTIAN MOVES UP
The Yankees additionally promoted Jasson Domínguez to Triple-A. The Martian, 20, has been scorching sizzling since July 1, slashing .333/.401/.494 with 5 homers and 29 RBI in 42 video games.
Domínguez despatched Amicone a photograph of himself imitating the eyes emoji on Monday earlier than phrase of his promotion had reached the coach.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Amicone mentioned of the prospect to work with the group’s second-best prospect.
Boone, in the meantime, was requested if Domínguez may influence the Yankees in 2024 if he completed the season sturdy in Scranton and shines in spring coaching subsequent 12 months.
“We’ll see,” the supervisor mentioned. “I mean, anything’s possible. That’s a long way from now in the baseball world, so you never know what’s going to happen between now and then. But he’s certainly now pushing to the upper levels of the minor leagues. And with his talent, he certainly is an interesting player.”
For what it’s value, Amicone expects a clean transition for Domínguez at Triple-A.
“It’s different for every guy what the adjustment is at every level,” Amicone mentioned. “So I think the biggest thing is letting him get into it, letting him be himself, and seeing what that adjustment is. But who he is and the type of hitter that he’s built himself into is the type of hitter that does really well at this level.”
WHAT ABOUT WELLS?
Austin Wells is one other high prospect that would discover himself within the Bronx earlier than the season is over. Boone mentioned that the catcher is “on the radar,” however the supervisor added that the farmhand is “not a finished product.”
Boone additionally mentioned that Wells, 24, has made strides behind the plate, echoing sentiments shared by Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson.
Amicone added that the lefty swinger didn’t present any indicators of disappointment after he wasn’t referred to as up with Pereira and Peraza. Instead, Wells spent Monday’s off day doing homework on the week’s upcoming pitchers.
“He’s in such a good place with the work that he’s doing and the mentality that he has right now,” Amicone mentioned. “I believe his expectations are to be a extremely good massive league participant, each offensively and defensively, for a very long time. He’s targeted. He’s accomplished a extremely good job of specializing in proper now.
“He’s not at all distracted by any of that.”
Wells had solely performed in 25 Triple-A video games getting into Tuesday. He was slashing .260/.351/.479 with 4 homers and 18 RBI.
ANYONE ELSE?
Boone mentioned there are different children “knocking on the door,” however he didn’t need to title anybody aside from Ron Marinaccio. The reliever has spent many of the final two seasons within the majors nevertheless it at the moment at Triple-A.
Amicone, in the meantime, talked about two prospects who are usually not on the Yankees’ 40-man roster: outfielder Estevan Florial and catcher Carlos Narvaez.
“They have really been working hard all year to prepare themselves for when that opportunity comes to them,” Amicone mentioned. “Those are two guys that have really impressed me.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com