Yankees’ Third Base Woes Deepen With Costly Mistakes and Offensive Struggles
The Yankees continue to face a glaring issue at third base — not only is the production at the plate abysmal, but recent lapses in judgment are making matters worse.
On Friday, Jorbit Vivas got the start at third and promptly committed one of the season’s most baffling baserunning blunders. After Ronald Acuña Jr. fired a missile from right field, Vivas disregarded the stop sign from his third base coach and failed to slide — casually jogging into an easy tag and killing a critical scoring opportunity in a game the Yankees badly needed to control.
The miscue wasn’t about Acuña’s cannon of an arm — it was about Vivas showing no urgency or awareness. Luis Rojas, the third base coach, was visibly yelling for Vivas to slide, but the rookie froze. The dugout reaction said it all, with coaches sternly reprimanding him afterward.
Mental lapses like these are adding to what’s already a bleak offensive picture. Vivas, slashing just .167/.273/.271, has provided minimal impact at the plate. Mistakes like Friday’s are shortening his leash even further.
Unfortunately, Oswald Peraza has been even worse in his chances. Across 148 at-bats, he’s posted a dreadful .149 average with a .213 OBP and a .456 OPS. His trio of home runs provides a flicker of hope, but his swing decisions and contact quality have consistently disappointed. Statcast data only reinforces his struggles, ranking him among the league’s least effective hitters. Even his bat speed — the lone positive — hasn’t translated to meaningful results.
The continued reliance on Vivas and Peraza at third feels more like a desperate gamble than a developmental strategy. For a team eyeing the playoffs, trotting out the weakest third base duo in the majors is an enormous risk. Neither player has shown enough to justify patience, and Aaron Boone is running out of alternatives.
If this black hole in the lineup isn’t addressed, it could easily become the flaw that derails the Yankees’ postseason hopes.
General manager Brian Cashman is reportedly active in trade talks, fully aware that a competent and controllable third baseman will come at a steep cost. Rival teams know New York is desperate, and any deal will likely require top prospects.
But the Yankees are out of time. The longer they stick with this ineffective tandem, the more damage it could do. It’s obvious now — a change must be made, and soon.
Leave a Reply