Aaron Boone: Isiah Kiner-Falefa 'Can Be' Starting Shortstop For Yankees Next Season
Even after being benched in the postseason, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is still in the running to start at shortstop for the Yankees next season.
During an interview with The Michael Kay Show on Thursday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked through New York's options at shortstop, insisting that Kiner-Falefa "can be" the club's starter come spring training.
With prospects like Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera showing they're ready for playing time at the big-league level—while top prospect Anthony Volpe looms in Triple-A, one call away from making his MLB debut—Boone envisions an internal competition with the way New York's roster is presently constructed.
"I think we've got a lot of guys knocking on the door," Boone said. "There's going to be that competition."
There's always a chance that those options change over the next few months as the Yankees attack the open market in free agency. They could make an impactful trade or two as well.
"You never know what's going to happen and where your roster takes you," Boone explained. "Are there trades, are there free agent pickups that change things, that change the landscape a little bit of your team heading into spring training? We're a long way away from that, but I certainly feel like Kiner is capable of being an everyday shortstop."
Kiner-Falefa started 133 games at shortstop in 2022, a stopgap for those in pinstripes after the Yankees elected to steer clear from a talented class at the position in free agency a year ago. Acquired in the Gary Sánchez trade with the Twins, alongside third baseman Josh Donaldson, "IKF" hit .261/.314/.327 across 142 total games played.
The 27-year-old had his moments during his first season in the Bronx. Kiner-Falefa lived up to his reputation as an elite contact hitter in the bottom of New York's order, whiffing only 11.2 percent of the time (99th percentile in MLB and the lowest mark of his five-year career). That didn't always make up for his lack of thump on offense (he had just five barrels all season) and routine lapses in his defense. Kiner-Falefa made 15 errors in 2022, producing minus-4 Outs Above Average (ranked 28th among qualifying shortstops this season). FanGraphs viewed Kiner-Falefa's defensive production differently, crediting the shortstop with plus-10 defensive runs saved, tied for sixth-best among all players at the position.
When Kiner-Falefa was taken out of the starting lineup midway through the American League Division Series, Boone said he thought the shortstop was pressing, "playing a little bit not to make that mistake." After transitioning between Peraza and Cabrera, IKF was inserted back into the starting lineup. He had the best batting average of any Yankee (except for center fielder Harrison Bader) in the postseason, but was part of a pivotal error in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series that led, in part, to the final win of a four-game sweep for the Houston Astros.
Peraza was called up to the Yankees in September, slashing .306/.404/.429 across his first 18 games in the big leagues. Boone said Thursday that Peraza acquitted himself with his performance and that his limited playing time down the stretch and in the postseason will be valuable down the road.
Cabrera appeared in 44 games with New York, an infielder that quickly (and impressively) made an impact in the corner outfield spots. The switch-hitter showed some promise offensively as well, hitting .247/.312/.429 with six home runs.
After tearing it up to begin the season in Double-A Somerset, Volpe was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The shortstop hit .236/.313/.404 with three home runs, six stolen bases and 15 runs scored in 22 games with the RailRiders.
Volpe is ranked as the Yankees' No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the fifth-best prospect in baseball. Peraza is New York's third-best prospect, No. 50 on MLB.com's big board.
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