Yankees Should Keep Jazz Chisholm Jr. at Second Base Over Anthony Volpe

It was easy for everybody to get ahead of themselves when Anthony Volpe had a big first game back against the Colorado Rockies. Jazz Chisholm Jr. had just gone down, and Volpe delivered a three-hit night capped by a grand slam. At that point, Volpe had gone through a torrid home run streak in the minors, so the thought was that if he replicated it in the big leagues, maybe he could usurp Chisholm.

While Volpe's teammates at Triple-A saw the version of him that closely resembled an infield Barry Bonds, he just wasn't that after that first game. Since then, Volpe has gone 7-for-33. He didn't hit a home run and had just two doubles in that span. In many ways, his .226/.263/.290 slash line is about where he has always been as a big leaguer.

That is why, since Chisholm will be playing in the second game of Tuesday night's doubleheader vs. the Rays, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, there's no reason to debate who takes second base. The answer is easily Chisholm. Chisholm hasn't had the best season, but in the postseason, he's more of a threat at the plate and on the basepaths. Chisholm has 19 homers this year with 40 stolen bases. Overall, he's hitting .232/.312/.403 at the plate.

Then, of course, there's the defense. That's why a hitter who's been at or below a 100 wRC+ all year can post a 3.2 WAR, according to FanGraphs. This year, Chisholm also has 12 Outs Above Average at the position, per Baseball Savant.

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. throws the ball to first base for an out during a game. — New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will return to the lineup in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It does feel like Chisholm is the priority, too, once he's back. According to manager Aaron Boone, when asked about Volpe's status and the possibility of him playing at third base, the focus was on getting Chisholm back.

"We'll see," Boone said of Volpe getting reps at the hot corner, according to the New York Post's Greg Joyce. "First things first, getting Jazz back, and then we'll figure it out as the week unfolds, how I want to play it."

Potential infield configuration against a lefty

If the Yankees face a tough lefty in October and aren't too keen on playing Ryan McMahon, who has a 74 wRC+, and Chisholm, they might have a choice here. They could stick with Chisholm at second and have either Jose Caballero or Anthony Volpe play third base.

New York Yankees second baseman Jose Caballero throws the ball to first base to record an out against the Minnesota Twins. — New York Yankees second baseman Jose Caballero could find himself starting in the postseason if they face a lefty. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

They could also have Chisholm go back to third base and have Volpe at second. That way, they keep the better player on the field while also getting a righty at second or third.

With Aaron Judge out, Chisholm could boost the lineup. He's had a tough year, but a big October could make up for some regular-season woes.

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