{"id":498607,"date":"2025-12-30T07:20:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T07:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/498607\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T07:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T07:20:21","slug":"ny-yankees-news-aaron-boone-has-potential-replacement-lined-up-if-anthony-volpe-falls-short-of-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/498607\/","title":{"rendered":"NY Yankees News: Aaron Boone has potential replacement lined up if Anthony Volpe falls short of expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been many years since the New York Yankees last had the privilege of winning a World Series. That\u2019s why returning to the sport\u2019s biggest stage is a top priority for Aaron Boone<\/a> and his team, who are banking\u2014among other things\u2014on a resurgence from Anthony Volpe to help make it happen.<\/p>\n

The biggest question looming over the Yankees\u2019 coaching staff is how their shortstop will look upon returning from his latest injury. Volpe<\/a> is expected to miss the first few weeks of the upcoming season as he recovers from a partially torn labrum in his throwing arm, leading many to speculate about a potential long-term replacement at the position.<\/p>\n

According to the latest report from Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media, the player emerging as the leading candidate to take on a larger role is the Yankees<\/a>\u2018 top infield prospect, George Lombard Jr. The 20-year-old is coming off an impressive 2025 season split between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s come a long way,\u201d General Manager Brian Cashman said at the Winter Meetings. \u201cHe\u2019s exciting. He\u2019s got a lot of talent. The glove\u2019s ahead of the bat. So I guess it\u2019d be a better question to play with at the end of the 2026 season. I\u2019ll have more information to play off of. He could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he\u2019s still developing on the hitting side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"George<\/p>\n

George Lombard Jr. #21 of the New York Yankees.<\/p>\n

For now, Jose Caballero is expected to handle the position at the start of the season, a player Cashman believes will do a solid job: \u201cDo I believe in Anthony Volpe? The answer is yes. Do I believe Caballero has got a lot of talent? The answer is yes. I have no idea where things can go. The game separates it all, the men from the boys, and dictates who should and who shouldn\u2019t be playing over the course of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Volpe\u2019s latest numbers with the Yankees\"Yankees<\/p>\n

see also<\/p>\n

Yankees Rumors: Potential Japanese players on the radar if Tatsuya Imai opts out<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Anthony Volpe\u2019s 2025 season was a significant disappointment for the New York Yankees, as his offensive production cratered to a dismal .212\/.272\/.391 slash line across 153 games. Although he managed 19 home runs and 72 RBIs, his plate discipline stagnated with a high 25.2% strikeout rate and a mere 18 stolen bases, a career low. <\/p>\n

Defensively, the situation was equally concerning; despite logging over 1,300 innings at shortstop, he recorded a troubling -7 Outs Above Average and committed 19 errors, among the most in the league. These regressive numbers across the board have fueled serious doubts about whether Volpe truly remains the franchise cornerstone the Yankees envisioned.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony<\/p>\n

Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees.<\/p>\n

Lombard Jr.\u2019s stats that fuel hope for the future<\/p>\n

George Lombard Jr. has emerged as a beacon of hope for the Yankees\u2019 future. In 132 games, the 20-year-old shortstop posted a .235\/.367\/.381 slash line, highlighted by nine home runs, 49 RBIs, and an impressive 35 stolen bases. <\/p>\n

While he faced a learning curve against advanced pitching in Double-A, his raw tools remain undeniable. Standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Lombard possesses a projectable frame that scouts believe will develop significant power as he matures, making him a potential long-term solution in the middle of the Yankees\u2019 infield.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It has been many years since the New York Yankees last had the privilege of winning a World…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498608,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2376],"tags":[1797,1205,5,4,1690,62,2548,2547,142],"class_list":{"0":"post-498607","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-yankees","8":"tag-aaron-boone","9":"tag-anthony-volpe","10":"tag-baseball","11":"tag-mlb","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-yankees","14":"tag-newyork","15":"tag-newyorkyankees","16":"tag-yankees"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/115807310814133968","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=498607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/498608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=498607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=498607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=498607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}