New York Yankees Joel Sherman Yankees’ short-term shortstop plan obvious — the long game is another story By Joel Sherman Published May 20, 2026, 8:39 p.m. ET José Caballero celebrates after hitting an RBI double scoring Austin Wells in the sixth inning of the Yankees' blowout win over the Orioles on May 4, 2026 at the Stadium. Corey Sipkin for New York Post José Caballero should not lose the shortstop job he recently won.
Anthony Volpe has had a good week while Caballero has been healing from a right middle finger fracture. But Volpe has had a good week before. He had good weeks (plural) in his three-year run as the starting Yankees shortstop. What he has lacked is consistency, mainly offensively, but last year, in particular, defensively as well.
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If Caballero is indeed returning Friday from the IL, the same day as Gerrit Cole is scheduled to make his 2026 debut, then there simply is not enough time for Volpe to win back his job, to offer a compelling enough argument that he is a new, improved Volpe who will walk more, strike out less and just generally be a tougher at-bat for a sustained period.
And that is not to mention defense, where Volpe still can look like the Tasmanian Devil racing around, looking nothing like the prototype at the position; a position, by the way, at which Caballero was still tied for the major league lead in defensive runs saved despite last playing May 11. I am not sure you can make a case right now that Volpe is a better hitter, thrower, base runner or defender than Caballero.
