Jose Caballero has started spending time at Driveline Baseball over the offseason, and the Yankees‘ utilityman is already making rapid improvements.
A video from Driveline themselves shows him hitting PRs on their Motion Capture hitting rounds, but there were seeds of some newfound power that we saw in 2025.
Caballero experienced a ~3 MPH increase in Average Exit Velocity from the 2024 season, and spending this winter at Driveline could unlock some even more power.
He hit a ball 114 MPH during the 2025 season, and Empire Sports Media has learned that Caballero is making massive strides at the facility in a short period of time.
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Why Jose Caballero Could Play A Huge Role On the 2026 Yankees
In just 40 games and with only 95 plate appearances, Caballero hit three home runs with a 134 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR, making him one of their most valuable players in the second half of the season.
Anthony Volpe’s labrum surgery could cause him to miss Opening Day, which immediately hands Jose Caballero an opportunity to contribute as a starter.
He increased his Zone Contact% to 92% with the Yankees while rocking a 9.5% Barrel%, improving both his quality and quantity of contact.
The ability to steal bases and play strong defense at a premium position like shortstop makes him a well-rounded contributor, and this past season he finished as a slightly below-average hitter.
Where an offseason at Driveline could help is with unlocking more power, as Caballero has never hit more than nine home runs in a single season.
Expecting above-average power output from Caballero would be unrealistic, but increasing quality of contact can have affects on a hitter’s average and on-base percentage.
The harder the batted ball, the higher the hit expectancy, so if Caballero’s average EV can continue increasing he could have an improved OBP which compliments his excellent speed.
Jose Caballero’s ideal outcome for 2026 includes him having an OBP of .340 and 10 home runs, that combination of occassional power with an above-average OBP would make him an above-average hitter in all likelihood.