What will the Yankees do at shortstop once Anthony Volpe returns?

At the end of his third MLB season, Anthony Volpe underwent surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. This was an injury that nagged Volpe almost all of last season after he felt a "pop" when diving for a ball on May 3. 

Last season across 153 games, Volpe hit just .212 with 19 home runs, 72 RBI and 18 stolen bases. It was a far cry from the production that many had envisioned for the New Jersey native. 

It's unclear if Volpe's nagging shoulder injury was to blame for his 2025 struggles, but the shortstop can't wait to make his 2026 debut. 

"I just can't wait to get back out there. Putting everything behind me and having a fresh start, a healthy start, is really exciting." Volpe said after making his first rehab start. 

With Volpe still making his way back, Jose Caballero has been the captain of the Yankee infield. In 2026, Caballero is batting .233 with a .282 OBP, adding nine stolen bases.  

The question for the New York Yankees: Who gets more playing time once Volpe returns to the lineup?

What will the Yankees do at shortstop?

Competition

After a slow start to his season, Caballero has been hitting .333 over the last nine games with an .887 OPS and four extra base hits. 

The start of this season was meant for Caballero to prove to the Yankees that he is deserving of playing time once Volpe returns. As of late, that's what Caballero has been doing. 

Traded from Tampa Bay to the Yankees last deadline, Caballero is about as pesky as it gets. Someone who works pitchers and, once he gets on base, uses his speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths. 

The speed

That's the type of player many had hoped for Volpe when he was entering the league. To this point in his career, it seems that Volpe has been lacking in aggressiveness compared to a guy like Caballero. 

That lack of aggressiveness can be seen when Volpe gets on base. Since Volpe's debut in 2023, he has attempted to steal on just 2.8% of his opportunities. Caballero is stealing on 6.8% of opportunities, more than double that of Volpe. 

It's not that Volpe isn't a good base-stealer, as he has a 78% success rate. It's a matter of his not being as aggressive and attempting many steals. 

The bat

When hitting, the two biggest flaws in Volpe's swing are the struggle to catch up to the fastball and a long, looping motion.

Instead of being at one end of either a long and powerful swing or a short-contact one, Volpe finds himself down the middle with relatively low contact numbers. 

When Volpe's struggling, it seems he's trying to pull the ball, but when he's at his best, it looks effortless towards the opposite field. 

If things were shorter and more simplified for him in the box, he would most likely see better results. Focus on getting on base and let the extra base hits come naturally instead of trying to force it. 

If Volpe could get on base at a higher clip than his career OBP of .283, he and the Yankees could score more runs and see more success. 

The mentality

What the Yankees need to see out of Volpe is a new mindset and more aggressiveness: getting on base and staying aggressive with his legs on the basepaths. 

Volpe has the skillset to be a contributor on this team as long as he can stay healthy and just simplify his approach.