Opinion
Gather 'Round for the Eternal Shortstop Sob Story
We really thought Volpe was our guy — homegrown, minor league top prospect, impressive second year building off a solid rookie season—enough to give us Jeter feels. But then 2025 was a disaster and it was not subtle. 22nd in OPS and AVG among shortstops, 2nd in errors out of 25. Fast-tracked from AA to an MLB starter with barely a stop in AAA, the nagging question is, was he brought up too soon? We've all asked ourselves that. Maybe. Several other shortstops took the same path.
Anthony Volpe (Batting Average)
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .251
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .209
Year2 █████████████ .243
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .212
Bo Bichette
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .286
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .311
Year2 ██████████████████ .301
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .298
Carlos Correa
AA. ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .325
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .279
Year2 ██████████████ .274
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .291
Corey Seager
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .278
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .308
Year2 █████████████████ .295
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .308
Third year performance tells it all. Batting lower than he was in the minors. OPS tells the same story.
Anthony Volpe (OPS)
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .802
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .666
Year2 ███████████████ .742
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .657
Bo Bichette
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .895
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .930
Year2 ██████████████████ .840
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .828
Carlos Correa
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .857
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .857
Year2 ████████████████ .764
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .811
Corey Seager
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .860
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒.877
Year2 ██████████████████ .854
Year3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .813
Even among middle-tier shortstops, it's the same story.
Anthony Volpe (Batting Average)
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .251
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .209
Yr2 ████████████████ .243
Yr3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .212
Willy Adames
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .277
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .278
Yr2 █████████████████ .254
Yr3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .259
Trevor Story
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .277
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ .272
Yr2 ████████████████ .239
Yr3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .291
Dansby Swanson
AA ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ .261
Rookie ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒.302
Yr2 ███████████████ .232
Yr3 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ .238
Yes, he was brought up too soon. But not timing, there was no platooning, no weaning—just plucked from the minors and dropped in at SS on opening day.
The wheels started coming off early enough for decisions to be made. On the field decisions were made, Boone did the best he could with the cards he was dealt, and Volpe put the work in.But after getting raked by the Dodgers in the World Series, you'd think the front office would do everything imaginable to ensure a 2025 Championship.
But the front office did absolutely nothing. That's the problem. Not Volpe, not Boone. The management.
By the summer trade deadline, fans expected something. Instead, the team dug in on Volpe. Damn the torpedo bats! Full speed ahead! We were hoping our Jersey kid would come around but when we boo a likable player at Yankee Stadium, pay attention. It's your conscience speaking. Just ask Aaron Hicks.
The gabagools in the front office weren't listening and after a disappointing postseason the expectation was soem tyep of change would be made.
But again, the front office did nothing. Barely an offseason acquisitions. Just roll it back guys.
The Yankee shortstop position comes with pressure and expectations, look at our history but we don't need a superstar; we need output. The last time we had even a "mid-pack" shortstop was Didi Gregorius and since 2020, we've been fumbling the same problem: IKF, Gleyber, the various Oswaldo(s), now Volpe.
Boone is playing poker with a ten-high. No candidates. We re-signed Rosario (why?), Caballero should be playing 2B instead of Jazz, Cabrera deserves better than us, Jazz has a weak arm (yep, I said it), and now McMahon is getting reps at short. Why be comfortable with elite 3B defense when you can screw it up?
I don't see anything happening by the August deadline. The front office only cares about pitching — I hope I'm wrong, but that leaves us with prospects, and we've tried many. The obvious name that needs ois George Lombard Jr. a shot. Stats aren't there, but he's shown life in spring training — wean him in, don't fast-track. Even Cashman said he "could play defense in the big leagues right now" but is "still developing on the hitting side."
Here's the plan: Lombard on the 40-man for reps in 2026, offload Jazz in November, make a big-money two-year stopgap deal at short. In 2027, Volpe moves to second — fast hands, quick release, agile; he's better suited there. Lombard works the left side as a utility guy alongside whoever we sign. It won't deliver the output we need immediately, but it positions us better for what's left of the prime Judge years.
Disagree? Probably, or you wouldn't be a real Yankee fan. Let me know your thoughts.
Around the Horn
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Stanton Can't Open a Bag of Chips—But Can Still Open a Can of...(5 minute read)
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The Bronx Ex-files
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Alex Verdugo Is a Minor Leaguer
And that kind of hurts. Verdugo signed a minor-league deal with the Padres, after hitting .239 with zero homers in 56 games for the Braves in 2025 before being released mid-season. Stats and perfomance aside, he's the only Red Sox crossover that felt like a Yankee since Boggs or Clemens. Dugie had that New York dog in him. Wish he turns it around, even for 1 season.
It's Gleyber Day in Detroit
The Tigers like Torres, enough that he accepted a one-year $22 million qualifying offer. What the heck is a QO? It's rare and offered to free agents who are some of the best players in the game. From 2012-2024, just 14 of the 144 eligible players chose to accept a QO. Pretty sure Torres doesn't fit that bill but the Tigers president certainly thinks so, saying "nobody has better bat-to-ball skills than Gleyber." Guess he hasn't seen Luis Arraez ?
