Yankees Bench Struggling Shortstop Ahead of AL East Showdown

The big news ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays series is that Aaron Judge is back in the outfield. The New York Yankees did sneak another move in there, though. The name slotted in at shortstop isn't Anthony Volpe. Manager Aaron Boone has pencilled in Jose Caballero instead.

The move comes as no surprise. Volpe went 1-11 against the Houston Astros. He had no walks and five strikeouts. His worst moment came in the one loss the Yankees had. With a runner on second and third with no outs, Volpe whiffed. The failure to tack on runs later cost them the game, as the bullpen eventually gave away the lead.

Anthony Volpe is not in the lineup today partly because he has poor career numbers against Kevin Gausman:

3-for-24, 10 K
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) September 5, 2025

Poor numbers against Kevin Gausman aside, Volpe has also historically struggled against the Toronto Blue Jays. He is hitting .230 with a .677 OPS against them. His 38 strikeouts to three walks in 35 games is also a problem.

Volpe's bat has been nonexistent, and he has done himself no favors with his poor defense. Once a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop, Volpe is now a liability. The Yankees can't have that ahead of their biggest series of the year. The Yankees have committed 12 errors against the Blue Jays already, and their sloppy play is a reason why they are using September to chase down their division rivals instead of fortifying a lead in the AL East.

Aug 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws out Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young (30) (not pictured) after fielding a ground ball during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Seeing as defense is why these Yankees are where they are, there is no justification to play a shortstop with -7 Outs Above Average. His three Defensive Runs Saved may tell a different story, but you still can't chance him sailing a ball over the front row netting and into the seats.

At this point, Jose Caballero is the better option at short. Caballero is hitting .256/.375/.462, and with that, his defense is a significant improvement over Volpe's. He has 2 DRS and 4 OAA on the season.

A former member of the Tampa Bay Rays might not be the only shortstop from a division rival who could replace Volpe. It could also be Bo Bichette, who the Yankees will see in this series. Bichette enters free agency after the season. He is a former All-Star who is hitting .307/.352/.477. The team hasn't had a true lead-off man in a long time, and Bichette would slot into that role. It would be a move that makes the Yankees better, but it also would make the Jays much worse by having them lose out on one of their cornerstone players.

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