“He’s a mess.” That’s the overwhelming sentiment among the Yankees fanbase when it comes to Anthony Volpe. The shortstop, in his third and quite possibly the worst season of his MLB career, has put up below-par numbers this season, with his slash line reading .211/.279/.397 through 146 games as of Monday. However, just as the postseason is inching closer, the Yankees’ offense seems to have found a new lease of life in the form of Volpe’s replacement.

Enter Jose Caballero, whose arrival has transformed the Yankees’ offense. Since joining the team from the Tampa Bay Rays on the trade deadline, he has hit with an average of .274, an OPS of .851, and 14 stolen bases in 36 games. Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe was only able to steal 18 bases in 147 games. His base running has strengthened the Yankees on the bases, which has helped when their offense was otherwise stalling.

And it hasn’t gone unnoticed, as posted by Yankeesource on X. “I don’t think many realize how they transformed themselves from a bad base-running team into a good one since the deadline. That’s a big reason for their success, even aside from better starting pitching. Caballero has helped that a lot.” This assessment highlights how the Yankees have evolved from a one-dimensional offense into a more complete attacking unit.

The September 18th game against Baltimore highlights this transformation perfectly. In the fifth inning, Caballero got on base with a single and scored after Austin Wells’ hit, which helped the Yankees get off to a good start. He came home again in the seventh, after a Goldschmidt single, which showed that he was a solid baserunner and was aware of what was going on. Even though he got caught off between first and second earlier, his overall impact added to the team’s offense. And as a result, the Pinstripes won the shoutout game 7-0.

Boone is aware of the risks of Caballero’s aggressive base-running strategy. As he said, “When you’re running a lot and you’re stealing a lot of bases, there’s some risk that goes with that, so there’s going to be some outs along the way. You try to do your homework and prepare as best you can to limit those things. As much as we’re pushing the envelope in the running game, those things are going to happen from time to time.” 

This offensive evolution comes at the perfect moment for October baseball.

The Pinstripes are in a good spot right now as they get ready for the playoffs. They have the best record in the AL Wild Card at 88-68 and are three games ahead of Boston. They are still mathematically alive in the AL East, with six games left to play and only two games behind Toronto. Their magic number for making the playoffs is now three. This means that any three wins of the Yankees or losses of their closest rivals will do the trick.

While the Yankees look for the playoffs, the analysts have started talking about Anthony Volpe’s future..

Anthony Volpe’s future: rest, risk, reward

Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media said that Jose Caballero, who has started at shortstop recently, looked more like a plan to give Volpe a break than a permanent move. Miller noted that Volpe is still the best choice at shortstop as long as he plays to his full potential. Caballero’s flexibility to play many positions makes him a terrific late-game weapon.

Still, they are unsure about Anthony Volpe’s long-term role. Thomas Carannante, an MLB expert for YanksGoYard, discussed that the Yankees might soon have to have an “uncomfortable conversation” about his future. Carannante thinks that the NYY could use a platoon with Caballero to limit Volpe to about 125 games this year because #11 is only hitting .211 and has a damaged labrum in his shoulder. He said that the method might help both players do their jobs well.

Some people have even suggested trading Volpe, but Carannante said it was unlikely. He stressed that trading him now would mean selling low, and that a guy who was once called the franchise’s shortstop of the future would not get much in exchange. He wrote, “Just utilize Volpe correctly and the problem will be solved.”

Miller and Carannante say that the ballclub problem isn’t only replacing Anthony Volpe. It’s also about managing his role in a way that both the team and him be benefit in the long run.