The New York Yankees are entering the 2026 season with a gaping hole at the most critical position on the diamond, and the front office seems content to cross their fingers and hope for a miracle rather than fixing it. It is time to face the brutal reality: Anthony Volpe has given the Yankees three consecutive seasons of below-average offensive production, and the “future franchise shortstop” label is looking more like a burden than a prophecy.
After a 2025 campaign where he hit just .212 with an 83 wRC+, Volpe has solidified his status as an offensive liability. To make matters worse, the one tool that kept him in the lineup—his glove—completely abandoned him. He finished as one of the worst defensive shortstops in baseball last season, a decline undoubtedly fueled by a partially torn labrum.
While the injury provides a convenient excuse, the Yankees know deep down they are not going to get above-average production from the 24-year-old anytime soon.
Jose Caballero Is Not The Answer At Shortstop
With Volpe expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season recovering from surgery, the Yankees are pivoting to default options that inspire zero confidence. Jose Caballero instantly became a fan favorite after being traded to the Bronx at the deadline, but relying on him as a starter is a recipe for regression.
The numbers tell a story of a player playing over his head. Caballero played 126 games last season between the Rays and Yankees, hitting a pedestrian .226 with an 84 wRC+ in Tampa before catching fire in New York with a 134 wRC+. That hot tear was a mirage.
The Yankees should expect him to regress back to below average offensively. Defensively, he is solid, posting four defensive runs saved and five outs above average across 339 innings at shortstop in 2025, but you are still getting an average player at best.
George Lombard Jr. Remains The Only Long-Term Hope
The alternative is Oswaldo Cabrera, a utility man coming off a fractured ankle who has also been regressing offensively for several seasons. At the very best, the Yankees are going to get average production at shortstop from this platoon, which certainly doesn’t feel like a great plan for a team trying to cut down on strikeouts and find a consistent rhythm.
The only sliver of hope is that Volpe miraculously finds consistency upon his return, or the Yankees eventually turn the keys over to George Lombard Jr. in 2027. If his offensive skill continues to develop positively, Lombard would already be a Gold Glove-caliber piece on day one. Until then, the Yankees are stuck in a purgatory of their own making, stubbornly refusing to make a big change at shortstop while the production continues to crater.