Yankees organizational depth: third base
By Greg Corcoran
Now that the Yankees have finally moved on from the Josh Donaldson fiasco, we can finally take a deep breath of fresh air and watch third basemen who don’t admire their non-homeruns and proceed to get thrown out at second base. Glad that’s off my chest. Read on as we discuss the third base depth in New York for 2024.
Aaron Boone has made it quite clear that DJ LeMahiue will be the opening day third baseman for the New York Yankees. LeMahiue is apparently healthier than he has been in years and has arrived to camp with a chip on his shoulder. Among others, he is pissed off about last year’s results. If he can bring back some of the magic from his first few seasons with the Yankees it will go a long way towards lengthening an already dangerous lineup. Defensively, “Le Machine” has handled the hot corner admirably over the years, and there’s no reason that should change in 2024.
Behind DJ, Jose Rojas, Jordan Groshans, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera will compete in Spring Training for the backup role. Oswald and Oswaldo likely have a leg up in the competition, as they can play shortstop and second base as well. This would allow Aaron Boone to give rest days to the whole infield and play with matchups, which we know he likes to do. Cabrera can also play outfield and is out of options, so he is the most likely to make the roster out of the bunch.
Peraza struggled in his first taste of the majors last year. If he can learn to replicate his minor league success against major league pitching he could earn a spot on the roster and compete for playing time. Defensively, Peraza is a whiz. He might be the best shortstop on the roster and is just as good at third and second base.
Jose Rojas has been around for a while. Rojas brings two seasons of success in limited major league action with him followed by a successful season in the KBO, Korea’s professional baseball league. Though he does not play shortstop, he does bring defensive versatility to the table. He can also play second, first, and corner outfield. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the major leagues at some point during the season. He’s an excellent depth piece to stash in Triple-A in case of injury.
Jordan Groshans is the perfect project for the Yankees hitting development team. He was drafted 12th 2018 draft, and scouts always felt he would develop power. As of yet, this is the one piece of his game that has not come around. If the Yankees can pull that out of him, Groshans could sneak onto the roster at some point this season.
Jeter Downs and Kevin Smith, both shortstops by trade, are dark horse candidates to make the roster out of spring training. It is more likely they both start in Triple-A as depth for the major league roster, but both are quality players to have around in case of injuries.
Further down in Double-A, the Yankees have Tyler Hardman. Though not considered a plus defensive third baseman, Hardman played there most of last season. He hit 26 homeruns in 77 games and had a .237/.332/.558/.891 quad slash. Hardman has work to do in cutting down on strikeouts and improving his average. The power is tantalizing though, and that could end up being his ticket to the Bronx someday.
Beau Brewer will compete for a spot at third base in High-A. We recently highlighted him in an interview with NYYU. Brewer is a quality contact hitter working to improve his power numbers. If so, we could hear a lot more about him in the coming years.
The future of third base may be sitting in Low-A this year. The Yankees have 4-5 middle infielders at the level who could find their home at third base long term. Roderick Arias, George Lombard Jr., Keiner Delgado, Enmanuel Tejeda, and Hans Montero all have the skills to play third. They also have a strong track record in the hitting department. With good development, some injury luck, age, and maturity any of these guys could find their way to New York in a couple of years.
This is perhaps the most exciting part about the third base depth in the Yankees’ organization. The depth at shortstop is added to the mix at third base, and the Yankees have done a great job of bringing in middle infield prospects recently.
The Yankees also have an exciting two-way player in the rookie leagues this year. Josh Tiedemann was drafted as both a pitcher and a third baseman in 2023. He has big power from the right side and could play his way up the ladder. He is of course a few years away from competing for a major league job, but the sky is the limit for this high school draftee.
The Yankees will get a fresh start at third base in 2024. The team has to be excited to move on from what was one of the most disputed trades of the last 20 years. With LeMahiue and the depth behind him, there will be no shortage of solid options for the next few years in the Bronx.