The New York Yankees didn’t plan for a midseason position battle at shortstop, but Anthony Volpe’s regression has forced their hand.
Volpe, just 24 years old, entered his third season with expectations of growth, but instead his numbers have cratered across the board.
Volpe’s decline raises serious concerns
At the plate, Volpe is hitting .208/.274/.400 with 18 homers and 65 RBIs, carrying a disappointing 86 wRC+.
That means he’s been 14% worse than the average MLB hitter this season — a huge blow for a contending roster.
Defensively, his struggles may be even more glaring. Volpe leads the league with 17 errors and a .962 fielding percentage.
Advanced metrics don’t save him either. His -7 outs above average highlight how costly his defense has been this season.
This is a stunning drop-off from his first two years, when his glove masked offensive inconsistency and gave him real value.
Caballero’s opportunity arrives
Enter Jose Caballero, the 28-year-old utility man acquired from Tampa Bay who has immediately impressed with his versatility.
Since joining New York, Caballero has hit .286 with a 152 wRC+, providing much-needed energy and sharper at-bats in key spots.
Defensively, he’s shown smoother decision-making and more consistency, avoiding the lapses that have plagued Volpe’s season from the start.
Caballero may not be a long-term shortstop solution, but he’s seizing the moment, and Boone cannot ignore his production.
It’s the classic baseball story: one player falters, another takes his shot — and momentum begins to shift quickly.
Boone still holding faith in Volpe
Despite the benching, Aaron Boone defended his young shortstop, insisting that Volpe’s upside remains too significant to ignore entirely.
Speaking on Sunday, Boone explained the type of hitter Volpe needs to be:
“A good one. Productive. I don’t care. Production comes in a lot of different ways. I think sometimes people want him, because he’s a shortstop with speed, to hit for a certain average and do certain things. No, productive offensive players come in many shapes and forms. So he’s got a lot of ability. He’s shown a lot of flashes of that. I think the next thing for Anthony, though, is the consistency part and limiting some of the peaks and valleys.”
Boone called the benching a “reset,” not a demotion, suggesting Volpe will return to the lineup on Tuesday.
But resets can quickly become reassessments if the alternative continues to thrive while the starter falters under the bright lights.
A critical decision looms
The Yankees are in year three of the Volpe experiment, yet he still hasn’t delivered a complete, consistent season.
Every stretch of success seems to be followed by a prolonged slump, erasing progress and leaving questions about long-term fit.
If he can’t stabilize, New York must decide whether he’s truly their franchise shortstop or simply a utility-level contributor.
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For now, Caballero has momentum, and the Yankees have little choice but to ride the hot hand while the opportunity exists.
It’s a position battle Boone won’t openly acknowledge, but the results on the field are beginning to make the decision for him.