Yankees' shortstop news is a sigh of relief in the Bronx

It's the position of Derek Jeter, but it hasn't always been prodigious lately for the New York Yankees.

They got brutal production from the shortstop spot in the 2025 season, and it was one of the things holding them back. As a new campaign dawns, though, the news is good.

ESPN's Buster Olney wrote in a new article on Friday that "the Yankees should get better shortstop production this season."

It'll be tough for it to be a whole lot worse than it was a season ago.

"One way or another, the New York Yankees seem destined to get better play at shortstop in 2026," Olney writes. "Last year, Anthony Volpe had an OPS+ of 63 while also struggling defensively. He had surgery on his left shoulder to repair a partially torn labrum in October and will return sometime in the first months of the season. Until then, Jose Caballero, whom the Yankees acquired at the last trade deadline, will get a lot of at-bats at the position. Caballero had a 131 OPS+ and 15 stolen bases in 40 games in New York, and manager Aaron Boone talks about how much he loves Caballero's energy."

MORE: Cubs' Daniel Palencia completes improbable rise for Venezuela

If Caballero hits the ground running, there's always a chance he keeps some of the job for himself when Volpe gets back.

And if George Lombard keeps progressing as hoped, it's possible the two guys at the MLB level are just keeping the seat warm anyway.

"The Yankees also have another option, though: Their top prospect is shortstop George Lombard Jr., the 26th pick in the 2023 draft," Olney writes. "Some rival evaluators believe that Lombard -- quick on his feet after years of playing soccer, with an excellent throwing arm -- would be a high-end caliber defender now if he were in the big leagues. The unanswered question is his hitting. At 20 years old last season, he played most of the year for Double-A Somerset in the Eastern League, where he hit .215/.337/.358 after hitting .329 in High-A."

Lombard is set to begin the season at Double-A.

How quickly he needs to rise will depend on Volpe and Caballero.

One way or another, the Yanks have to find better production out of that spot in the lineup.

More MLB news:

• Aaron Judge confirms Yankees fans' worst fears in WBC
• Bryce Harper had his crowning WBC moment, at least for a few minutes
• This Yankees hitter uses more than 100 bottles of cologne
• Mariners may have no choice but to promote top prospect
• Jose Altuve is making things tough on the Astros