Jose Caballero gave the Yankees exactly the kind of night that usually settles a debate. Aaron Boone still wouldn’t settle it.
Caballero went back to Tropicana Field on Monday and punished his former team, launching two home runs, driving in four runs and carrying New York to a 5-1 win over first-place Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game set. His three-run blast in the fifth inning snapped a no-hit bid and gave rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler all the cushion he needed.
Caballero then added a solo shot to left in the eighth for his first multi-homer game since August of last season, a night that also came against the Rays. Ben Rice followed with a ninth-inning homer, and Schlittler held Tampa Bay to one run as the Yankees pulled within three games of the AL East lead.
After all that, the obvious question landed in Boone’s lap: is Caballero now the starting shortstop?
The answer was anything but firm. Boone called it a “day by day” call, according to reporters in the clubhouse, and pointed to the same thing that has kept Caballero moving around since arriving from Tampa Bay at last year’s trade deadline.
“His versatility is so valuable,” Boone said.
That stance stood out because Caballero had just delivered the loudest offensive performance by any Yankee in more than a week, and the club came into the game having dropped nine of its previous 10.
The case for Caballero is hard to ignore. He’s hitting .249/.304/.407 with a .711 OPS, which would be a career best.
His 10 home runs are already a personal high, his 99 wRC+ ties one, and he has 33 RBIs plus 5 defensive runs saved at shortstop. He’s also one of four American League players with at least 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.
Anthony Volpe’s line tells a different story. He entered the series hitting .242 with one home run, 13 RBIs and a .668 OPS in 40 games. A stat that made the rounds on social media Monday was even harsher: Volpe is the only player in MLB history with more than 1,800 plate appearances and an on-base percentage below .285.
The team results have fueled the argument, too. The Yankees are 32-18 when Caballero starts at shortstop and 16-20 when Volpe starts there. The sample sizes aren’t identical because Volpe missed time earlier in the year, but that split has become a talking point for fans who think the position should already be decided.
There is one important wrinkle, though: neither shortstop has been swinging it well lately. According to splits shared by the Yankees-focused account YankeeSource on X, Volpe has a 77 wRC+ since June 1, while Caballero sits at 76 over that same span. Monday was Caballero’s loudest answer to that stretch.
Boone’s comments from Friday suggested his thinking hasn’t changed much. Asked how the shortstop picture would look once the roster is healthy, he made clear that Volpe is still in the mix. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic relayed the exchange.
“Yeah when we’re whole, he’ll (Caballero) play there,” Boone said. “Anthony will play there some, obviously. Still try and take advantage of (Caballero’s) versatility where we can.”
That line leaves room for both players, but it also keeps Caballero from fully claiming the job. With Trent Grisham back in the outfield, the argument for moving Caballero around has less force than it did before.
Kirschner weighed in on X Monday with a broader read on the situation.
“Here’s what I feel like many are missing in this Volpe vs. Caballero debate: Neither of them are great answers,” Kirschner wrote, adding in the same post, “The Yankees have to hope Lombard is.”
George Lombard Jr., the organization’s top prospect, has been on the minor league injured list since June 18 with sprained fingers on his left hand. Before the injury, the 21-year-old shortstop was hitting .258/.387/.446 with eight home runs in 62 games, according to his minor league numbers.
The timing makes the whole thing more pressing. Monday’s win moved the Yankees to 50-40, three games behind the 52-36 Rays, with three more games at Tropicana Field this week. With the All-Star break approaching and the playoff race tightening, Boone’s lineup choices are going to be scrutinized every night.
For now, Caballero has the kind of performance that should force a harder look. Boone just isn’t ready to say it settles anything.
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