Among the many reasons blamed for the Yankees’ 2025 collapse, defense stands out as a major one. Costly fielding mistakes showed up night after night, with most of the spotlight falling on shortstop Anthony Volpe. Volpe had a rough season, playing through a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder that clearly affected both his bat and his glove. The struggles were hard to miss: a league-high 19 errors and a negative OAA told the story of a sharp defensive decline.

So what happens now?

The Yankees brought in Josh Caballero as a possible replacement and are reportedly grooming a young shortstop as the long-term answer. But the big question remains: is the future ready to take over? According to the rookie himself, the answer might come sooner than expected.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. A million things can happen between now and then, a lot of completely unexpected things, so I just always try to stay away from looking too far ahead into the future and focus on my day-to-day stuff,” George Lombard Jr. talks with NJ.com.

So, for now, Lombard is keeping his focus on the present and not putting extra pressure on himself about the future. Also, he is not thinking about replacing Volpe. Still, his numbers are quietly making a strong case that a big-league debut for the Yankees might not be far off.

Notably, in 13 minor league games in 2023, he slashed .311/.466/.356. Last season, he took another step forward at High-A, hitting .329/.495/.488 over 24 games. The quality of contact stands out too: an 88.6 mph average exit velocity, good for the 74th percentile, and a 110.3 mph max exit velocity, which ranks in the 89th percentile.

This means that the Yankees’ 20-year-old prospect is one of the most exciting talents to come out of their farm system in years. But interestingly, Lombard first caught real attention not because of his stats, but because of what one scout said about him. Calling Lombard a “future shortstop,” the scout didn’t hold back: “He’s 20. He’s going to hit. And, oh God, he’s good defensively. He plays circles around Volpe. I think Lombard is going to be their future shortstop.”

With Josh Caballero likely holding things down on Opening Day while Volpe works his way back, the Yankees’ long-term outlook at shortstop may already be in good hands. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Lombard is pushing for Volpe’s job within the next year or two.

That pressure now shifts squarely onto Volpe. He will need a bounce-back season to flip the narrative and reclaim his place.

Volpe is still the Yankees’ first choice at shortstop

Even with the injuries, Caballero stepping in, and a new wave of young talent knocking on the door, the Yankees are still sticking with Anthony Volpe as their shortstop. That’s true even though Volpe’s bat hasn’t quite lived up to expectations since he broke into the majors.

Reportedly, over 1,886 plate appearances, he’s totaled 82 doubles, 52 homers, and 70 stolen bases. But his overall production tells a tougher story: a .662 career OPS and an 84 OPS+ across three seasons, meaning he’s been about 16 percent below league average offensively.

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Still, the Yankees believe Volpe has earned more time. They point to his age, just 25, and his reputation as a relentless worker as reasons to think his best baseball is still ahead of him.

They also haven’t forgotten what he did in the 2024 postseason, highlighted by that unforgettable grand slam in the World Series. As Brian Cashman put it, “You can never predict someone’s journey, somebody’s impact.”

So for now, the Yankees are moving forward with Volpe. And while the future is impossible to predict, it’s clear that if he doesn’t turn things around, the next name in line could eventually become very real.