Everson Pereira’s Spring Hitting Slump Continues, Is His Yankees Roster Spot in Danger?

Spring Training is where underdogs become heroes, and prospects make their names. But for Everson Pereira, it’s turning into an uphill battle. The once-promising Yankee outfielder is having a hard time finding his power; the strikeouts are piling up, and fans are losing patience. His struggles have become a microcosm of the New York Yankees’ broader offensive worries, raising doubts about whether 2024 will bring a bounce-back… or more disappointment.

Pereira’s ice-cold bat isn’t just about his stats; it’s about missed opportunities. His vaunted power, the kind that made him a top prospect, hasn’t shown up yet. As prospects like Spencer Jones push their way up, every strikeout and weak grounder makes Pereira’s grip on a roster spot just a little bit looser. Can he turn things around, or will he be another prospect passed over as the Bombers scramble to build a winning team?

Everson Pereira’s Ice-Cold Spring

Pereira is struggling this spring, batting a paltry .185. His strikeouts pile up faster than his hits—he has been struck out a baffling 11 times in 29 plate appearances, according to Baseball Reference statistics. This concerning trend follows a dismal 2023 MLB debut where he hit just .151 with a staggering 40 strikeouts in 93 at-bats.

Analysts at Yanks Go Yard are starting to lose faith: “Until Pereira can hold court for a sustained period of time, he’s going to look more like an odd man out than an exit velocity champion.” Everson Pereira’s supposed power surge hasn’t materialized against major league pitching, leaving Yankee fans wondering if his tools will ever properly translate at the big league level.

The slugger’s 2024 Spring Training stats highlight his struggles: he’s hit just one home run, driven in five RBIs, and holds a meager .207 on-base percentage and a .503 OPS. These numbers point to a player who seems unable to adjust to the speed and precision of big-league arms. The real problem? Everson Pereira isn’t the only Yankee bat sputtering this spring.

The Yankees’ Broader Offensive Slump

Jorbit Vivas started hot with a couple of powerful homers but has since fizzled out, offering little besides those early flashes—he hit two home runs this year, so far, slashing .480/.588/1.068. DJ LeMahieu is struggling to show the pop of his pre-injury days—he got 7 strikeouts in 26 plate appearances, clinching only 5 hits—leaving fans longing for the consistent contact and power that once defined his game.

Even Oswaldo Cabrera—who proved himself during the 2022 playoffs with an OPS+ of 108—has gone remarkably quiet. His 2023 playoff slump seems to have spilled over into this spring, with a .167 batting average and a notable lack of his signature energy.

Yanks Go Yard puts it bluntly: “If certain offensive cogs don’t look particularly ready—or can’t manage to show a spark entering an all-important year, which they’re beginning at the edges of the roster—then fans are going to have a little trepidation.” 

The Yankees have some tough decisions looming before Opening Day. Everson Pereira might be fighting an uphill battle for a permanent roster spot, especially with potential prospects looking to clicnh the opportunity. While it’s just Spring Training, and anything can change, Pereira is giving his best to find his hitting mechanics and prove he can compete against elite pitching—and fast.

Read More: MLB Spring Training: New York Yankees’ Young Guns Emerge as Real Pitching Options, Shine in Latest Display

It’s a pivotal year for him and for a Yankees team looking to bounce back. Will he finally find his groove at the big-league level, or could he lose his spot to the next hot prospect? But hey, enough doom and gloom! If you need a dose of Spring Training optimism, tune into MLB Spring Breakout Live on ES Fancast and witness the prospects who are absolutely crushing it right now.