3 New York Yankees players who'll be better in 2023 and 2 who won't

Oswald Peraza, SS

Hey, ditto for Oswald Peraza! For the "run it back" crowd ... do you honestly think using Peraza as the Opening Day shortstop, rather than as "a guy who makes his MLB debut in the ninth inning of a blowout at The Trop," qualifies the 2023 squad as the "same team" from last year? Earnest question.

Peraza's postseason consisted of a few sparkling defensive plays in Game 2 of the ALCS in Houston, an 0-for-3 ledger (but who didn't have one of those?!), and ... that's it. Despite being promoted at the start of September during a trying stretch for the Yankees, he only received 49 at-bats to get his feet wet (and hit .306 with an .833 OPS while shining on D, for what it's worth).

Peraza was a top prospect sprinkled on top of the 2022 season, but in 2023, he'll be a huge part of the main course. There'll still be an infield logjam, but it sure seems like he's winning this year's edition, squeezing Isiah Kiner-Falefa out for the time being. The team tells you it's his shortstop job to lose coming out of spring training. After all the work they did to minimize his contributions last year, doesn't that tell you something?

Peraza might not be Jeremy Peña for the 2023 Yankees, but his prospect pedigree -- no matter what MLB Pipeline says -- indicates that he could have a massive impact on remaking a Yankees lineup that could use more punch from two or three spots.