The Yankees are weighing Jose Caballero at shortstop over Anthony Volpe. Aaron Boone put the choice plainly: "I don't know the plan." Volpe is the incumbent, but the current debate has shifted toward who gives the Yankees the cleaner answer on both sides of the ball.
Volpe’s Numbers Under Pressure
Volpe’s case starts with the line that has followed him through his fourth season in the Bronx: a career.222 batting average and a.660 OPS in 494 games. He also had surgery on his left shoulder, adding another layer to a season already defined by scrutiny.
The defensive record has been no easier to ignore. Last season, he led the American League in errors with 19, and he has not had a season with fewer than 15 errors. Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero are being compared because the gap is not just offensive production; it is the daily reliability the Yankees need at shortstop.
Caballero’s Glove Changes The Equation
Caballero has made the comparison harder for the Yankees to dismiss. He owns a.715 OPS and five defensive runs saved, while Volpe has one defensive run saved. At shortstop, Caballero has four errors in 404.0 innings, while Volpe has two errors in nearly 221.0 fewer innings at the same spot.
That is the sort of split that changes how a manager thinks about run prevention. Bryan Hoch wrote that the Yankees thought they knew what to expect with Caballero, expected to survive April with him at shortstop and then hand the position back to Anthony Volpe, but Caballero’s glovework has been better than advertised.
Aaron Boone’s Roster Tradeoff
The tradeoff is bigger than one position. Caballero has also played right field, left field, second base and third base this season, and Amed Rosario has been moved around the diamond too. If Boone uses Caballero at shortstop, that removes one of the Yankees’ most flexible bench pieces from other spots where he can cover innings and matchups.
That leaves the Yankees with a choice between continuity and the cleaner defensive option. Volpe remains the incumbent shortstop, but Caballero has been described as the more viable starter at the plate and in the field. Boone now has to decide whether to keep Volpe in place or turn the job over to the player whose versatility already solves other problems across the roster.
