Why Anthony Volpe trying second base makes sense for him and the Yankees
NEW YORK — With José Caballero coming off the injured list and starting at shortstop on Friday, Aaron Boone revealed that Anthony Volpe will start to work out at second base on the days that he’s not playing. “He may still end up being all at shortstop,” Boone said of Volpe, the New York Yankees’ nearly-unchallenged starting shortstop from 2023-2025. “On the days he’s playing shortstop, I may move Cabby around, but I want [Volpe] to at least get some work over there and see that side of the field too.
” Volpe has never played second base in the big leagues, but he did spend some time there as a minor leaguer in 2021, his second professional season. He logged 18 innings at the position, nine at Single-A and nine at High-A. Volpe also played some second base in spring training in 2023 when he and Oswald Peraza were competing for the Yankees’ starting shortstop job.
While it’s been years since Volpe has tried the position, he said he doesn’t think it will take him a long time to get game-ready. “I’m ready to go,” said Volpe, who won a Gold Glove at short in 2024. “Whatever the team needs.
” While Volpe is still expected to play some shortstop — Boone said “we’ll see” when asked who will get the bulk of the starts there — trying second base makes sense for the player and the organization in the short- and long-term. Caballero, back from a broken right middle finger, is incredibly versatile, but he led all shortstops with eight Defensive Runs Saved at the time of his injury. The speedster was also swinging a hot bat, hitting .
305 with an . 860 OPS over 28 games prior to his IL stint. Boone has said that performance earned Caballero more starts at short, and the career utilityman has said that playing one position regularly helps him.
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