GEORGE LOMBARD JR. HAS EARNED HIS SPOT

George Lombard Jr. isn't asking for an opportunity anymore. He's demanding one.

On Wednesday night, the Yankees' top prospect reached base three times and laced two doubles, pushing his Triple-A OPS to .825. Every night it seems he's doing something else to remind Brian Cashman that the answer to one of the Yankees' biggest problems isn't hiding on another roster. He's wearing pinstripes already. He's just wearing them in Scranton.

So, here's the question... What exactly are the Yankees waiting for?

Because if you're still waiting for Anthony Volpe to magically become the player everyone promised us he would be, you're wasting everyone's time. Enough. We've seen enough.

For three seasons, Yankees fans have been sold hope disguised as production. Every slump comes with another excuse. Every mistake comes with another explanation. Every week we're told to "stay patient."

Patient? Yankee fans have been patient. What they've gotten in return is a shortstop who continues to look overmatched offensively and a front office that refuses to admit they may have completely misjudged the situation.

Let's call it what it is. The Anthony Volpe experiment has failed.

That doesn't mean Volpe won't someday carve out a respectable major league career somewhere. Baseball is funny that way. But the Yankees don't have the luxury of waiting forever while a player tries to become what the organization promised he'd already be.

The scouts missed. The development staff missed. Brian Cashman missed. Instead of letting Volpe dominate every level of the minor leagues, they rushed him to the Bronx, declared him the next great Yankee shortstop, and expected everyone else to believe the hype.

Yankee fans bought it. Reality had other plans. Now compare that to George Lombard Jr.

This isn't another prospect living off Baseball America's rankings or glowing scouting reports from two years ago. This kid is backing every bit of the hype with performance. Scouts rave about his glove because it's already major league caliber. His range is outstanding. His arm is a weapon. His instincts are polished beyond his years. That's not projection. That's what evaluators have consistently seen.

But here's where Lombard separates himself from Volpe. He's showing you. The bat is coming alive. The power is becoming legitimate. The exit velocities are climbing.

He's adjusted his swing, he's driving baseballs into the gaps, and he's proving he can handle high-end pitching instead of simply being projected to. That's the difference. Volpe was marketed. Lombard is producing.

Will George Lombard Jr. struggle when he gets to New York?

Of course he will. Every rookie does.

Aaron Judge struggled. Derek Jeter struggled.

The difference is those struggles come attached to legitimate upside. They're part of developing a player whose ceiling still looks incredibly high. With Volpe, Yankees fans aren't watching growing pains anymore. They're watching the same movie over and over, hoping the ending changes. It hasn't.

Meanwhile, Lombard keeps making Cashman's decision harder by the day. Wednesday's three times on base. Two doubles. An .825 OPS at Triple-A.

Elite defense that's ready right now. Athleticism you can't teach. Power that's arriving faster than anyone expected. George Lombard Jr. has earned the opportunity. Not because of prospect rankings. Not because scouts love him. Not because fans are desperate.

Because he's proving it. The Yankees owe it to themselves—and frankly, they owe it to the fans—to stop protecting failed evaluations and start rewarding performance.

It's time. The George Lombard Jr. era should begin now.

MAYBE WELLS SHOULD RANK HITS INSTEAD OF BURRITOS

So let me get this straight.

Austin Wells has enough free time to bring back his famous burrito rankings... while he's in the middle of one of the worst offensive seasons by any regular catcher in baseball? Click here.

Really? Fans saw Wells post another enthusiastic burrito review this week, handing out a glowing 92/100 to a Philly cheesesteak breakfast burrito. Good for him. But Yankees fans aren't hungry for breakfast content—they're starving for production.

The question has to be asked:

Why the hell is Austin Wells concentrating on burrito reviews when he's almost out of a job?

That's not personal. That's reality. As of today, Wells entered the weekend carrying a shocking .166 batting average, the lowest among all Major League hitters with at least 220 plate appearances. His on-base percentage and OPS also rank near the bottom of baseball. Yes, he homered Saturday against Philadelphia, but one swing doesn't erase four months of offensive frustration.

The Yankees have remained patient because Wells continues to provide value behind the plate. His pitch framing, game-calling and defense are still respected throughout baseball.

But this is the New York Yankees. Defense alone doesn't guarantee playing time forever.

The clock is ticking. With the trade deadline approaching, reports continue to connect the Yankees to catching help, including Minnesota's Ryan Jeffers. The organization clearly understands that they may need more offense from the catcher position if they're serious about making a postseason run, or they hear us fans screaming about it.

Whether that help comes via trade or from within the organization later this season, the pressure on Wells is obvious. He's no longer playing from a position of security. 

The dude needs to read the room. Look, nobody is saying Wells can't enjoy life away from the field. Players deserve hobbies. But perception matters.

When your batting average is sitting at .166 and fans are watching strikeout after strikeout, posting celebratory burrito reviews isn't exactly the message supporters want to see.

Maybe that's unfair. Maybe the burrito posts have nothing to do with his preparation. But fans aren't grading breakfast burritos. They're grading at-bats.

The Yankees desperately need more from the catcher position. Whether it's Wells rediscovering the hitter everyone believed he'd become, a deadline acquisition, or another catcher forcing his way into the picture, something has to change. Because if the Yankees want to play deep into October, they can't continue getting historically poor offensive production from one of the most important positions on the field.

Austin Wells gave that burrito a 92.

Right now, Yankees fans are giving his season something much lower and rightly so.

WHY ARE THE YANKEES NOT TAKING THE SHORTSTOP MESS SERIOUSLY?

 There comes a point when "trust the process" stops sounding like a strategy and starts sounding like an excuse.

The Yankees are apparently content rolling into August with Anthony Volpe and José Caballero handling shortstop. Why, because that's what they have because they picked wrong. 

That's cute.

But here is the problem. The Yankees only job is trying to win a World Series—and we need an upgrade.

Volpe has become the baseball equivalent of that broken treadmill everyone keeps promising they're going to fix. Every week it's, "Just give him more time." More time for what? His .663 OPS says plenty already. Right now, he's not playing like a Major League shortstop. He's playing like someone who belongs on the Scranton shuttle until he remembers how to hit a baseball.

Then there's José Caballero. I used to like him. I hate his ego. It doesn't match his batting average.

Yes, you have to admire confidence. Unfortunately, confidence doesn't count in the box score. Caballero struts around like he's Derek Jeter while producing numbers that barely separate themselves from Volpe's. His swagger is Hall of Fame caliber. His bat? Not so much.

Yet somehow this is the plan.

According to reports, the Yankees aren't expected to pursue a legitimate shortstop because they're all-in on George Lombard Jr., the organization's prized prospect. And to be fair, Lombard has earned every ounce of praise. The 21-year-old has been outstanding in the minors, flashing power, playing excellent defense, and posting eye-popping numbers while climbing the ladder. He absolutely looks like the future.

Fantastic.

Can he teleport into Yankee Stadium tomorrow? Because that's the timeline the Yankees should be worried about. News flash, Brian: your shortstop position has been on fire for months, and not in the good way.

This is where Yankee fans like me lose their minds. Because the Yankees have been watching the same movie since April, pretending every bad at-bat is somehow the one before the breakthrough. Fans have been screaming for change for months. They're not asking for perfection. They're asking for someone who can consistently hit a baseball. We need urgency.

At some point, enough is enough.

Brian Cashman has spent years acting like every trade deadline is a high-stakes chess match where everyone else is playing checkers. Meanwhile, the Yankees keep leaving obvious holes untouched while hoping internal solutions magically become stars overnight. Sometimes they do. More often, they don't.

This deadline feels like another test of whether Cashman recognizes what's staring him in the face—or whether he'll once again convince himself that standing pat is somehow a bold move.

If the Yankees walk away from this deadline without addressing shortstop, don't expect fans to politely applaud the organization's patience. Expect the Bronx to explode. Why not get a rental at SS, bring up Lombard and trade away Anthony Volpe for a bag of balls? Show that you care about winning.

Honestly? Us fans? We deserve better and that ridiculous Yankee front office deserves every ounce of criticism they get. Championship windows don't stay open forever. Neither does fan patience. For God sakes, Judge is being wasted on this team.

Here's my bottom line. If Brian Cashman can't—or won't—fix what's been obvious for months, then this trade deadline won't be remembered for the moves he made.

It'll be remembered for the move he refused to make. Like he does every year.  Spare parts and hope.  

Jesus... that's no way to win a championship.

KING OF THE BRONX!

Every once in a while, a young pitcher takes the mound, and you can almost feel that something special is about to happen.

Friday night was one of those nights.

Cam Schlittler didn't simply outpitch the Phillies. He flat-out embarrassed one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. Twelve strikeouts. Zero walks. More than seven scoreless innings. Against Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and a lineup that can ruin a pitcher's evening in a heartbeat, Schlittler never blinked.

Think about that for a second.

This wasn't some rebuilding club swinging at bad pitches. This was a veteran team with legitimate World Series aspirations. And for most of the night, they looked completely lost.

That's what great pitching does.

Schlittler pounded the strike zone from the first inning, worked quickly, trusted his stuff, and attacked hitters instead of nibbling around the edges. His fastball exploded through the zone, his secondary pitches kept hitters guessing, and every time the Phillies looked like they might build a little momentum, Schlittler slammed the door shut.

You couldn't help but smile watching it unfold.

The Yankees have been searching for homegrown starting pitching they can truly build around for years. Fans have heard the hype before. They've watched prospects arrive with enormous expectations only to disappear just as quickly.

Cam Schlittler doesn't look overwhelmed. He looks comfortable. More importantly, he looks like he expects to dominate. That's a completely different mindset, and it's showing every single time he takes the ball.

The Yankees' offense didn't exactly make life easy. Paul Goldschmidt supplied the only run of the game with a solo blast, leaving almost no margin for error. One mistake could have changed everything.

Schlittler never gave the Phillies that opportunity.

He trusted his defense, trusted his catcher, trusted his stuff, and kept firing strike after strike. No panic. No free passes. No unnecessary drama.

Just baseball the way it's supposed to be played.

When Aaron Boone finally walked to the mound in the eighth inning, Schlittler left the mound after putting together one of the most impressive pitching performances we've seen from a Yankees rookie in a long, long time.

The bullpen finished the job, but make no mistake—this game belonged to Cam Schlittler. Maybe the biggest takeaway isn't the 12 strikeouts. Maybe it's how ordinary he made greatness look.

That's what separates good pitchers from potential aces. Great pitchers make elite hitters look uncomfortable. Great pitchers control the pace of the game. Great pitchers pitch like they know they're the best player on the field.

Schlittler checked every one of those boxes. The Yankees still have plenty of questions to answer as this season rolls along. There will be ups and downs. There always are. But one thing suddenly feels different. Every fifth day, the Yankees aren't just sending another starter to the mound. They're sending out a young pitcher who is beginning to look like he could anchor this franchise for years to come.

If this is the beginning of Cam Schlittler's story in pinstripes, baseball better start paying attention.

This kid is taking over.

WHEN IT COMES TO AUSTIN WELLS, THE YANKS HAVE TO STOP PRETENDING

Remember when the Yankees told us Austin Wells was untouchable? Remember when every trade deadline conversation ended with, "The Yankees aren't moving Wells. He's the catcher of the future."

Well...

The future called. It wants a refund.

There comes a point when "potential" expires. For Austin Wells, that expiration date came months ago.

Wells is slashing .155/.247/.258. For those of you who don't spend your nights swimming through FanGraphs, let me translate:

League average is 100. Austin Wells is producing offense at 42 percent of league average.

That isn't a slump. That's an anchor tied to the bottom of Aaron Judge's lineup. His .493 OPS was the lowest among all qualified Major League hitters earlier this month, and his .153 batting average was right there with it. Think about that for a second. Out of every qualified hitter in baseball, the Yankees' starting catcher was sitting at the bottom of the food chain offensively.

And yet...

We're still supposed to hear about his framing? His game calling? His "intangibles?"

Enough. This is the New York Yankees. Not the Savannah Bananas. By the way, he couldn't even play on the Bananas. They're better than him.

Look, you don't get to hide behind defensive metrics while posting numbers that would embarrass a backup middle infielder from 1978. In fact, Talkin' Yanks pointed out something that should make every Yankee executive squirm.

Austin Wells' OPS was the worst by a Yankee with at least 175 plate appearances since Jim Mason in 1976.

Let that marinate. Fifty years.

Nearly half a century. That's the company he's keeping.

And look, Austin Wells deserves criticism. But the bigger failure belongs upstairs. The Yankees drafted Wells in the first round because scouts believed his bat would carry him. They sold us on a catcher who could change games offensively. Instead, they've produced one of the least productive everyday hitters in baseball. That's not on Wells. That's on the people who evaluated him. That's on the amateur scouting department. That's on player development. That's on Brian Cashman.

How many times does this organization get to miss before someone is held accountable?

 Estevan Florial.

Oswald Peraza.

Anthony Volpe still searching for consistency.

Now Austin Wells.

At what point do we stop calling these "growing pains" and start calling them what they are? Evaluation failures. One thing has driven me crazy about this organization for years. The Yankees fall in love with their own prospects. They convince themselves every first-round pick is the next cornerstone.

Meanwhile, other organizations aren't afraid to cash in prospects before their value disappears. The Yankees? They hold onto them until the rest of baseball figures out what they actually are. Then they wonder why nobody wants them. Had Cashman traded Austin Wells after his promising 2025 season, he'd have brought back real value.

Today? You're lucky if another general manager answers the phone before putting you on hold.

Now look, this isn't personal. I don't dislike Austin Wells. I dislike watching the Yankees pretend this is acceptable. There's a difference. Wells didn't ask to be labeled untouchable. He didn't ask fans to believe he was the next great Yankee catcher. The organization did that. And now the organization owns this mess and yet, won't admit it. Because championship windows don't stay open forever.

Aaron Judge deserves better. Gerrit Cole deserves better. Us Yankee fans deserve better. And if Brian Cashman honestly believes Boone putting in Austin Wells every day is good, then maybe we should be restructuring the entire front office.

The bottom line? The numbers aren't lying anymore. They're screaming. Thank god the trade deadline is coming. The Yankees better do something.

LUIS ARRAEZ TO THE YANKS IS INTERESTING, BUT WHERE DOES HE FIT?

When Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees have talked with the Giants about Luis Arraez, you pay attention. That's what this time of year is all about. Brian Cashman kicks the tires on just about everybody, and sometimes those conversations turn into something real.

This one, though, feels different.

Not because Arraez isn't a terrific player. He absolutely is.

The question is whether he's the right player for this Yankees team.

Let's start with what makes Arraez special. There may not be a better pure contact hitter in baseball. He's the guy who can step into the batter's box with two strikes and still find a way to slap a ball into left field. He doesn't chase home runs. He doesn't try to be something he's not. He simply puts the bat on the baseball—and in today's game, that's becoming a lost art.

For years we've watched the Yankees live and die with the long ball. When they're hitting three-run homers, they're unstoppable. When they're not, the offense can disappear for days at a time. That's why someone like Arraez is attractive. He changes the rhythm of an offense. He keeps innings alive. He forces pitchers to work. He gets on base, moves runners and creates opportunities for the big bats behind him.

Those are qualities every contender would love to add heading into October.

But here's where things get complicated.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is already the Yankees' second baseman.

And unlike Arraez, Jazz gives the Yankees something you simply can't overlook. He's athletic. He covers a ton of ground defensively. He can change a game with one swing or one stolen base. He's become an important piece of this club and moving him off second base just to make room for another second baseman doesn't exactly solve a problem.

In fact, it may create one.

Sure, you can start playing the "what if" game. What if Arraez plays first? What if he rotates through DH?

You can make those scenarios work on paper, but baseball isn't played on paper, yet that's how the Yankees play the game. Interesting. But listen, players need consistency, and so do lineups. The Yankees already spend enough time trying to shuffle pieces around because of injuries and rest days. Adding another everyday player without a natural position feels more like a puzzle than a solution.

Now, does Arraez improve the lineup? Absolutely.

He'd probably become one of the toughest outs on the roster the moment he put on pinstripes. But does he make the Yankees a significantly better team? That's a much tougher question.

If the Yankees were looking to replace a struggling second baseman, I'd be pounding the table for this move. But that's not the situation. Jazz Chisholm isn't the problem. The Yankees have bigger needs as immature as Jazz is.

They could still use another dependable bullpen arm. They could use another right-handed bat that balances the lineup. They NEED a catcher. They need to get rid of Volpe. Depending on how things shake out, they could even look to improve behind the plate.

Those are areas where an acquisition has a cleaner fit.

This rumor feels more like the Yankees doing what smart organizations do: checking in on talented players to see if there's a deal that makes sense. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Cashman should make every phone call he can.

But making a call and making a trade are two very different things. Luis Arraez is one of the best hitters in baseball at doing what so many players have forgotten how to do—putting the ball in play. Every contender should have interest in a player like that.

The Yankees included. That doesn't mean he's the right fit. As the trade deadline gets closer, expect the rumors to keep flying. Some will have legs. Others will simply be conversations between front offices doing their homework.

This one falls somewhere in the middle. Arraez would make the Yankees' lineup tougher, but I just don't know if this is real.  

What do you think? Would you trade for Luis Arraez, or would you stick with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and address the Yankees' bigger needs? Or, can they both be on the team as we head into the fall? 

Interesting questions, I don't have the answers.

THE YANKEES AREN'T PLAYING BASEBALL ANYMORE, THEY'RE PLAYING THE SYSTEM

There was a time when baseball was about instinct. You dug into the batter's box. You trusted your eyes. The pitcher trusted his stuff. The umpire called what he saw, whether you liked it or not. Sometimes you got squeezed. Sometimes you got the call. You argued. You dusted yourself off. You played the next pitch.

That's baseball. What we're watching now? That's something else entirely. The Yankees aren't playing baseball anymore. They're playing games.

Not the kind that belong between the foul lines either. They're playing with the pitch clock. They're playing with the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. They're playing the margins, the loopholes, the technicalities... and somehow, we've been convinced that's "innovation."

No. It's manufactured baseball.

And the more I watch it, the less it resembles the game so many of us fell in love with.

José Caballero has become the poster child for this new baseball culture. He's become famous for stretching the pitch clock until the very last heartbeat, baiting pitchers into frustration, drawing reactions instead of simply competing. It's become theater. The latest controversy even produced a hot-mic moment where Caballero protested, "You're picking on me," after being penalized under new enforcement guidance surrounding pitch-clock behavior. Instead of talking about a great defensive play or a clutch hit, everyone was talking about clock management and umpire interpretation. That's not exactly the highlight reel Cooperstown was built on.

Then there's ABS.

The Yankees proudly jumped into the robot umpire era with both feet. Caballero became the first player in Major League history to challenge a ball-strike call by tapping his helmet, and the Yankees have openly discussed treating the challenge system as another strategic weapon. Aaron Judge even admitted the club spent extensive time preparing for it before the season began. The organization has embraced the technology as something to exploit whenever the opportunity presents itself.

And that's exactly my problem. When your competitive edge comes from mastering gadgets, timers and review systems instead of mastering baseball itself, you're drifting away from what made this sport timeless. Yes, the rules allow it. That's not the point.

The point is that every minute spent figuring out when to tap your helmet, how to manipulate the pitch clock, or how to gain an administrative advantage is a minute spent thinking about everything except the next baseball play. You're not present. You're calculating.

You're gaming the system instead of beating the guy standing sixty feet, six inches away from you.

That's a dangerous habit. Because shortcuts have expiration dates.

The Yankees may think they're ahead of everyone else because they're the first to embrace every new wrinkle MLB introduces. Maybe today they are. Maybe tomorrow too. But eventually every club catches up. Every team learns the same tricks. Every organization hires analysts to find the same loopholes. And when everybody knows the tricks...

What do you have left? Baseball. Real baseball. The kind that can't be programmed. The kind where pitchers have to execute. Hitters have to adjust. Fielders have to make plays. Managers have to trust their instincts instead of waiting for another technological lifeline.

That's when we'll find out who can actually play.

I've said it before: baseball has always evolved. Night games. Instant replay. Analytics. Some changes help. Some don't. But somewhere along the line we've confused playing smarter with playing the system. They're not the same thing. One makes you a better ballplayer. The other makes you better at navigating the rulebook. The Yankees have become fascinated with the second one.

But the bottom line? Sometimes baseball has a funny way of exposing pretenders. It always has.

Sooner or later, the gimmicks stop mattering. The pitch clock can't throw a fastball. The ABS challenge can't drive in the winning run. No helmet tap is going to save you in October when the crowd is roaring, the pressure is suffocating and someone has to execute.

That's when the spreadsheets get quiet. That's when the loopholes disappear. That's when baseball asks the only question that has ever mattered:

Can you play? Because sooner or later, every team has to stop playing games...

...and start playing baseball.

My take of course.

THE TRADE IDEAS ARE REAL, MR. CASHMAN. ENOUGH EXCUSES.

There comes a point in every Yankees season when the front office has to stop pretending duct tape is a long-term solution.

The Yankees have spent weeks trying to convince everyone that if they just "get healthy," everything will magically fall into place. That's cute. It's also fiction.

The offense has disappeared for long stretches, the catching position has become an offensive black hole, the shortstop situation has become a nightly exercise in lowered expectations, and Aaron Boone continues to manage every game as if tomorrow's matchup is somehow more important than today's. Meanwhile, the trade deadline is staring Brian Cashman right in the face.

Let's start behind the plate.

Austin Wells simply hasn't provided enough. Whether it's inconsistency at the plate or an inability to carry the offense from a premium defensive position, the Yankees cannot honestly convince themselves this is a championship-caliber catching situation. Championship teams don't shrug their shoulders and say, "Good enough." They improve. Between our 3 catchers, it's literally a disaster.

If the Athletics are willing to listen, Shea Langeliers should be at the top of the list. That's the new rumor coming down the pike of course. He brings legitimate right-handed power, multiple years of team control, and immediately lengthens a lineup that has become painfully dependent on waiting for Aaron Judge to save everyone. Ryan Jeffers is my pick. Jeffers deserves a phone call too. The Yankees have reportedly been connected to both catchers, and for good reason.

Now let's discuss the elephant in the room wearing No. 11.

Shortstop.

How many years are Yankees fans supposed to hear about "upside" before someone actually produces? The organization has effectively punted the position since Didi Gregorius left town, convincing themselves each new experiment would somehow blossom into the answer. It hasn't happened. Every contender has impact production somewhere up the middle. The Yankees keep hoping lightning strikes. Hope isn't a strategy.

If there's an opportunity to upgrade, do it.

And if there isn't? Then stop pretending the current production is acceptable.

Then there's Aaron Boone.

Boone is exactly who we've always known he is. He'll tell you everyone is grinding. He'll remind you the guys are working hard. He'll talk about process. He'll praise quality at-bats after scoring two runs.

Enough.

The Yankees don't need another motivational speech. They need urgency. They need someone willing to manage the game in front of him instead of the binder sitting next to him. Too often Boone waits for the three-run homer like yesterday with Rice, only to lose the game later. It often feels detached.

This roster is too talented to sleepwalk through July.

Brian Cashman doesn't need to reinvent the franchise. He simply needs to admit what everyone watching already knows.

The Yankees need:

• A legitimate offensive catcher.
• An upgrade at shortstop.
• Another bullpen arm wouldn't hurt.
• And perhaps most importantly, an organizational wake-up call.

The American League isn't exactly loaded with unbeatable juggernauts. The door is still open. But every day the Yankees convince themselves they're only one healthy player away is another day wasted. This deadline isn't about making a splash for headlines. It's about admitting the roster has flaws.

Championships aren't won by explaining problems.

They're won by fixing them. We need to make some moves, now!

YANKS DO THEIR TYPICAL LOSS/WIN SPLIT

You want to know what's exhausting about this Yankees team? It's not that they lose. Baseball teams lose. Even good ones. It's how they lose.

The Yankees split Wednesday's doubleheader against the Pirates, dropping Game 1 in painful fashion before bouncing back with a crisp 2-0 win in the nightcap. That's the kind of split that leaves fans feeling more frustrated than satisfied because the opener never should have slipped away.

Let's start with the obvious. Max Fried is exactly what the Yankees needed. Forget the final score of the second game for a minute.

The biggest win of the day wasn't just another number in the standings—it was watching Max Fried look like Max Fried again.

After missing time with an elbow bone bruise, Fried walked back onto that mound like he never left. Five scoreless innings. One hit. Seven strikeouts. Complete command.

No rust. No excuses. Just dominance.

He attacked hitters, trusted his stuff, and retired the final 12 batters he faced. That's what aces do.

When Fried is healthy, this Yankees rotation becomes a completely different animal. He changes the complexion of every series, every playoff conversation, and every expectation.

Welcome back, Max. The Yankees desperately missed you. Oh, and if there's one player who deserves more recognition, it's Ben Rice. His three-run blast in Game 1 completely changed the momentum and rescued what looked like another lifeless offensive performance. Without Rice, that game isn't even close enough to reach extra innings. He delivered when the Yankees absolutely needed someone to wake up a sleeping offense.

That's becoming a trend. Rice doesn't seem overwhelmed. He doesn't seem afraid of the moment. He simply plays baseball, and right now he's giving this club far more production than several veterans who are supposed to be carrying the load.

The Yankees need more of that attitude. But even with Rice in Game 1, they lost. And that sucks. That loss stung. Not because Pittsburgh is a bad team. Because the Yankees practically handed it away.

Gerrit Cole deserved better. Eleven strikeouts over seven innings is exactly what your ace is supposed to give you. Yes, two home runs hurt, but after that performance, your teammates and bullpen have to finish the job. Instead? The offense disappeared for most of the afternoon.

Two hits through four innings. No pressure. No consistency. Then, just when Rice erased the deficit with one swing, the bullpen couldn't hold it together.  Fernando Cruz couldn't escape the tenth, and suddenly another winnable game turned into another frustrating loss.

That's becoming a habit.

Look, it is my opinion that Championship teams don't waste performances like this and that's the problem. Every time the Yankees waste a brilliant outing from Gerrit Cole, it chips away at something bigger than one game. Your ace goes out there, gives you everything he has, and the offense sleepwalks through seven innings. Then the bullpen gives it back.

That's not championship baseball. That's careless baseball. And we've seen this movie far too many times. But look, at least the Yankees answered in Game 2.

Jasson Domínguez came through with the go-ahead RBI double. Volpe followed with an RBI single. The bullpen locked it down. Most importantly, Max Fried looked every bit like the pitcher the Yankees have been waiting to get back. Now comes the hard part.

Stop wasting great pitching. Support your starters. Execute the fundamentals. Because if this team wants October to mean something, they can't keep turning quality starts into missed opportunities.

Wednesday could have easily been a sweep. Instead, it's another reminder that talent alone doesn't win baseball games. Execution does.

My take.

PINSTRIPE CLEARANCE, COME & GET IT!

We salvaged one game against the Dodgers we won against the Pirates Monday. It's something I guess. Now we are two games behind the Rays, but the Red Sox are chasing us. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need some big winning streaks. As much as I love the Yankees I don't have faith this team has what it takes to go the distance.

This team isn't the same without Aaron Judge. Hell, this team isn't championship caliber when Judge is playing because Aaron Boone runs this clown show. Judge, and our starting pitching staff are the anchors of this team. The rest of them are just remnants of the "run it back" team from last season that collapsed and failed.

This team has been more of the same for years. The last time we made meaningful changes was the great fire sale was ten years ago! It was the great fire sale of the 2016 trade deadline. It was a bitter pill to swallow when it happened. It felt awful, it felt like we were giving up. It felt...."un Yankee like."

But at the time it was the right decision. We even went so far as to praise Brian Cashman for recognizing the tough call but executing it, read KUDOS TO YOU, BRIAN CASHMAN! The Yankees are never looked at as sellers....until we became sellers and we came back stronger the next season with new blood. I will give Cashman credit for that. He recognized the Yankees were unlikely to make a deep postseason run and cashed in on an aggressive seller's market. He traded away several high valued veterans to teams that needed an edge and gained 12 prospects that helped to transform the farm system. He made the right move. Is that really unlike what we have right in front of us now?

If we are honest about this season, there haven't been enough high moments but there have been a lot of free falls. I can't even call it a rollercoaster. So knowing that, at what point should the Yankees have a fire sale again? What do fans need to see to decide to "ride or die" with this current circus show? I honestly can't think of anything, especially with Judge out indefinitely and we have paper weights like Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe taking up roster space.

A Yankees fire sale isn't the worst idea in the world. This team needs new everything. New veteran presence to help Gerrit Cole and Judge and most of all new leadership from actual managers unlike the "decision makers" we have now. Baboonie should be at the top of the cut list! 

It's time for a whole new approach - it's time to rip the band aide off! Who is with me?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEE SHORTSTOP POSITION HAS BECOME THE WILD WEST

Yo, Cabby... you're a .247 hitter.  Keep your mouth shut and pray to God that Volpe keeps sucking as bad as he has. Jesus!

The Yankees' shortstop situation has officially spun out of control.

What should have been a position defined by stability has instead become a revolving door of inconsistency, questionable decision-making, and, lately, unnecessary distractions. More concerning than the on-field performance is the culture surrounding it. Accountability seems to be in short supply, and that's how you end up with what feels like the Wild West in the Bronx.

José Caballero was handed an opportunity that many players spend years chasing. Instead of quietly embracing it and proving he belongs, he walked away from Monday night's benches-clearing incident talking about how "the whole league should know who I am."

That's not the mindset Yankees fans want to hear.

Act like you've been there before. Better yet, act like you're still trying to earn your place.

When you're hitting .247, making yourself the story isn't a great look. If Caballero were hitting .330, leading the league in stolen bases, or carrying the offense, maybe those comments would land differently. But that's not reality. Baseball has always had a simple rule: let your game do the talking.

Caballero's comments only reinforce the idea that he has developed an ego before establishing himself as an everyday player. Instead of focusing on becoming the Yankees' answer at shortstop, he made himself the headline for all the wrong reasons.

The irony is that he may have just hurt his own chances.

Just two days ago, so many had written off Anthony Volpe. The media was killing him. But of course, Caballero couldn't resist making himself part of the story last night.  What the hell was he thinking?

That's not leadership. That's not maturity. And it's certainly not what this Yankees team needs.

To be clear, this doesn't suddenly make Volpe the answer. I still don't believe he has shown enough to prove he can be the Yankees' everyday shortstop. Volpe sucks plain and simple, but don't tell that to Boone who is finding any way he can to put Volpe in the lineup.

But my opinion on Caballero has changed a bit. I wanted him out there every night, now I don't. Why? Cause he has an attitude that doesn't match his batting average. 

The Yankees have allowed too much sloppiness to creep into this roster. That's Boone's fault. He doesn't discipline and doesn't hold players accountable. Fundamentals have suffered. Mental mistakes have piled up. Public comments that create unnecessary attention seem to go unchecked. Somewhere along the line, discipline gave way to complacency.

Championship organizations demand accountability. The Yankees used to be that organization.

Today, they're searching for answers at one of baseball's most important positions while players argue over pitch-clock tactics and make declarations about how the league should know them. The league doesn't need to know your name. It needs to know your game.

Right now, the Yankees don't have a legitimate long-term answer at shortstop, and until they do, this revolving door of mediocrity will continue. Whether it's Caballero, Volpe, or someone acquired before the deadline, the priority shouldn't be personalities.

It should be finding a shortstop who can play winning baseball, stay out of the headlines, and let his performance speak for itself.

Because the bottom line is simple:

The Yankees don't need another personality. They need a shortstop, and Caballero should shut his piehole.

IT'S TIME TO KILL THE ANTHONY VOLPE EXPERIMENT

For years, Yankees fans have been sold Anthony Volpe. Not Anthony Volpe the baseball player. Anthony Volpe the story.

The New Jersey kid. The homegrown shortstop. The "next Captain." The heir to Derek Jeter. The future of the franchise. That's always been the product. The problem?

Eventually the commercials stop running and the games start counting. And that's exactly where the Yankees find themselves today.

The national media has finally caught up to something Bleeding Yankee Blue has been screaming for years over here: Anthony Volpe may be running out of runway. Reports are now openly suggesting that the stretch leading to the trade deadline could determine whether the Yankees continue handing him the keys at shortstop or finally admit the experiment has failed.

Imagine that. The same people who mocked anyone questioning Volpe are suddenly asking the very same questions. Funny how batting averages have a way of changing opinions.

Look, the Yankees didn't just promote Volpe, they married him. That's the mistake. Prospects fail every season. Organizations miss. Nobody gets every first-round pick right. But good organizations recognize it, pivot and move on.

The Yankees didn't. Instead, they doubled down. Tripled down. Then wrapped Anthony Volpe in enough organizational bubble wrap to survive a trip through the Holland Tunnel. Back in May, Bleeding Yankee Blue laid out a theory that many fans dismissed as crazy: certain influential Yankees evaluators appeared to become personally invested in Volpe years before he reached the Bronx. The article questioned whether relationships, internal lobbying, and the desire to validate years of scouting had replaced objective player evaluation. That was presented as opinion—but it raised an uncomfortable question about whether the organization became more committed to proving itself right than to reassessing the player honestly. Read, HOW YANKEE SCOUTS LOST THEIR WAY IN THE VOLPE RECRUITMENT.

Whether you agree with that theory or not, here's what nobody can deny: The Yankees have treated Anthony Volpe differently than almost every struggling young player they've had. Different standards. Different patience. Different excuses. Different timelines.

Every slump came with another explanation. But enough of this, the clock just hit midnight.  We are at a point where José Caballero has forced his way into more opportunities. George Lombard Jr. is knocking on the door. Aaron Boone can call it "day-to-day" all he wants. Day-to-day is baseball language for "we're running out of answers." That's what makes the trade deadline different. You can sell hope in April. You can't sell hope in late July.

Not when Aaron Judge is trying to win another championship. Every game matters. And look, this is not about hating Volpe. By every account, he's a terrific kid. That doesn't make him the right shortstop for a team trying to win the World Series.

Those are two completely different conversations.  The hardest phrase to say in baseball is "We were wrong." The Yankees don't just have to bench Anthony Volpe. They have to admit they misjudged Anthony Volpe. That's much harder. Because if Volpe isn't the franchise cornerstone they promised, then the scouts who championed him deserve scrutiny.

The executives who fast-tracked him deserve scrutiny. The front office that refused to create real competition deserves scrutiny. And Brian Cashman has to answer for why this organization stayed committed to a vision long after reality started pointing in another direction. That's why this has dragged on so long in my opinion. The Yankees weren't protecting a player. They are protecting the people who sold him.

And so, I am here today to say, end the experiment. Sometimes they're exactly what you hoped. Sometimes they tell you it's time to stop. The Yankees have reached that point. Stop. Enough with the endless patience. Enough with the "next Jeter" marketing campaign. Enough pretending tomorrow is finally going to be the day everything clicks.

Winning organizations don't cling to bad decisions because they're embarrassed. They make new ones. The Anthony Volpe experiment has gone on long enough. The Yankees don't need another month. They need a shortstop.

And if they truly believe they're built to win a championship, then they have to make the hardest move of all:

Start dealing with reality.