YANKS KEEP TEARING IT UP

The Yankees are rolling. There, I said it. And now I’m immediately nervous.

New York beat up the Twins again Tuesday night, 8-1, winning their third straight and seventh in their last eight games. Suddenly this team looks dangerous at exactly the right time.

Max Fried was outstanding. Seven innings, one run, six strikeouts and no walks. That’s the Fried the Yankees need in October.

Cody Bellinger stayed hot, going 3-for-4 and launching a two-run homer in the first inning. Then Spencer Jones delivered the knockout punch — a massive 423-foot, three-run bomb in the sixth that blew the game open.

And don’t overlook George Lombard Jr. The kid had two more hits and drove in a run. Heliot Ramos had two hits as well, and the Yankees piled up 14 hits even with Aaron Judge getting the night off.

This is what we’ve been waiting for. Pitching. Power. Young guys contributing. Different guys stepping up every night.

The Yankees are 88-63, they’ve already punched their ticket to October, and right now they’re playing some of their best baseball of the season.

I want to get excited. I really do.

But I’ve watched this team too long to get my hopes up just yet.

Keep rolling. Keep winning. And maybe — just maybe — they’ll make believers out of us.

LOMBARD GOES GRAND. VOLPE GETS ANOTHER LIFE

George Lombard Jr. gave Yankee fans the moment of the night.

With Spencer Jones working a two-out walk to help load the bases, Lombard stepped up and crushed an opposite-field grand slam — the first of his career and the Yankees’ first grand slam of the season.

The kid continues to impress.

Jones deserves credit, too. Two walks, patience at the plate and another contribution from a young player who looks like he belongs.

And Will Warren? Six strong innings, one run and eight strikeouts. Exactly what the Yankees needed.

Then came the news that made me roll my eyes.

Anthony Volpe is coming back.

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffering a thumb sprain, Volpe will rejoin the major league roster Thursday. And apparently we're going to force this experiment into second base now?

Why?

José Caballero is already here. He can play second. Let him.

I simply don't care about the Anthony Volpe experiment anymore. He had his opportunity. It was a long time. The Yankees finally sent him to Triple-A, Lombard took over at shortstop, and the kid has brought energy and excitement.

Why are we still trying to manufacture opportunities for Volpe?

At some point, stop trying to prove you're right about a player and just play the guys who give you the best chance to win.

This is the kind of organizational nonsense that makes it hard for me to root for this team sometimes.

Lombard is giving you something special. Don't screw it up.

YANKEES WAKE UP LATE TO LOSE THE SERIES

If Gerrit Cole was looking to set the tone Sunday, he certainly did. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one.

Cole opened the game by serving up back-to-back-to-back home runs to Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado. Three batters. Three bombs. Welcome to the ballgame.

To Cole's credit, he settled down and gave the Yankees seven innings, but when you're chasing the game from the opening minutes, you're playing with fire.

The Yankees eventually woke up. Spencer Jones ripped an RBI double in the eighth, and Amed Rosario helped turn some Padres sloppiness into two more runs. Suddenly, it was 4-3 and the Yankees had a pulse.

George Lombard Jr. doubled, too, and once again the kids showed some fight. That's encouraging.

But encouraging doesn't win divisions.

The Yankees lost 4-3, dropped two of three in San Diego and now head home four games behind Tampa Bay.

September is here. The excuses are gone.

Time to stop chasing games and start winning them.

YANKEES PUNCH BACK IN SAN DIEGO

Every once in a while, the Yankees play a game that doesn't require blood-pressure medication.

Saturday was one of them.

The Yankees bounced back from Friday's brutal extra-inning loss and handled the Padres, 5-1, at Petco Park, evening the series and setting up a pretty important Sunday rubber match.

The fun started in the second inning when Spencer Jones — playing near where he grew up — ripped an RBI double into the right-field corner to get the Yankees rolling. And I continue to like what I'm seeing from this kid.

Then San Diego starter Robbie Ray temporarily forgot that throwing strikes is generally part of the job. The Yankees actually did something we've begged them to do for years: they stayed patient.

Walks piled up, Paul Goldschmidt drew a bases-loaded free pass, and Cody Bellinger eventually made Ray pay with a two-run single. Just like that, it was 4-0. George Lombard Jr. added a sacrifice fly in the third and the Yankees had five runs without hitting a home run.

Imagine that. Actual baseball.

Ben Rice was terrific, going 3-for-3 with two walks and reaching base all five times. That's called being a pain in the ass, and every good lineup needs one.

Carlos Rodón took care of the rest. He gave the Yankees five innings, struck out seven and allowed only two hits and one run — a Manny Machado solo homer. The bullpen slammed the door from there as San Diego managed just three hits all night.

So now it's simple.

The Yankees took the punch Friday night, got off the mat Saturday and punched back.

Now win the damn series.

LOMBARD BROUGHT THE SPARK. NOW WE NEED HIM HEALTHY.

Just when George Lombard Jr. was starting to put his fingerprints all over this Yankee team, Yankee fans got a scare Saturday night.

And it happened on a seemingly harmless play.

During the second inning of the Yankees' 9-2 win over Boston, Lombard checked his swing on a 2-2 pitch from Brayan Bello. Something didn't look right. Lombard grimaced and grabbed at his right knee, prompting Aaron Boone and the Yankees' training staff to come out and check on him.

But Lombard stayed in. In fact, he singled on the very next pitch.

He even came to the plate again in the third inning, but by then the Yankees could see the knee was bothering him. Boone later explained that watching Lombard run down the line didn't look right, so the Yankees weren't taking chances. Lombard did not return to shortstop for the fourth inning and was sent to NewYork-Presbyterian for imaging.

Thankfully, the early news appears encouraging. Boone said after the game that the initial indication was that Lombard's injury was a day-to-day situation, though the Yankees were still waiting for complete clarification.

That's a relief if it's actually true. The Yankees have a way of giving wrong information through Boone, so I feel hopeful, but who knows. Here's the thing, Lombard has become much more important to this team than his numbers suggest. He's changed the energy.

There's an aggressiveness to his game. There's speed, athleticism and confidence. He makes things happen. Since arriving in the Bronx, Lombard has brought a different feel to a Yankee team that desperately needed some life.

Sure, there have been errors. Who cares? Look beyond them. He's a kid. Look at the talent. Look at the range. Look at the way he runs the bases. Look at the confidence. Most importantly, look at the energy that seems to follow him around the field.

This kid can play. That's what makes Saturday night's injury so unfortunate. The Yankees finally injected some young, exciting talent into this roster, Lombard grabbed the opportunity, and suddenly we're talking about his knee instead of everything he's been bringing to the ballclub.

Hopefully this is nothing more than a brief interruption.

But whether Lombard misses a game, a few games or whatever the Yankees decide is necessary, don't suddenly change the conversation about him.

Don't let a few errors define him. Don't forget what happened to the energy of this team when he arrived. And definitely don't give up on George Lombard Jr.

The Yankees have something here. Something special. Now get that knee healthy and get back out there, kid.

The Yankees are simply more fun with you in the lineup.

GEORGE LOMBARD JR. IS FINE. LET THE KID ADJUST.

Can we please stop doing this?

George Lombard Jr. makes a few errors and suddenly people are examining the kid like he's been playing shortstop in the Bronx for five years.

He's 21. He's been here for about five minutes. And quite frankly, George Lombard Jr. has been one of the most refreshing things to happen to this Yankees team all season.

The kid has energy. He has confidence. He has range. He has an arm. He moves like an actual shortstop. And we've already watched him get to baseballs that Yankees infielders weren't getting to earlier this year.

Paul O'Neill has noticed it too.

O'Neill has praised Lombard's natural defensive ability on YES and essentially told everyone to relax about the recent errors. He's talked about the plays Lombard can make, his range and his ability to handle the position.

I'll take Paul O'Neill's eyes over somebody counting errors on a stat sheet after two weeks.

And here's the other thing:

STOP TRYING TO TURN GEORGE LOMBARD JR. INTO ANTHONY VOLPE.

Seriously. Stop. This isn't about Volpe. This is about Lombard. They're different players. Different circumstances. Different skill sets. Different stories.

Every time Lombard makes an error, we don't need a referendum on Yankee shortstops. The Yankees shouldn't panic. The fans shouldn't panic. And Lombard certainly shouldn't start playing scared because everybody suddenly expects perfection from a kid who was in the minor leagues a few weeks ago.

Want to know what young players do?

They screw up. Then they adjust. Then they get better. That's baseball.

One of Lombard's recent mistakes came down to something as simple as glove positioning. That's not some catastrophic revelation that the kid can't field. That's a mechanical mistake.

You fix it. You move on. What you can't teach nearly as easily is the stuff Lombard already has. Range. Arm strength. Athleticism. Instinct. Confidence.

That's the package I'm interested in.

And there's something else about Lombard that doesn't show up in a box score. The Yankees look comfortable with him out there. He looks comfortable being there. There isn't that feeling that everybody is holding their breath waiting for something to happen.

He's playing baseball. Let him. That's what has made Lombard such a breath of fresh air. He's young. He's exciting. He's aggressive. And he carries himself like a kid who believes he belongs in the Bronx.

Will there be growing pains? Of course. We have stated that here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. There damn well better be. He's 21 years old. If we're expecting a finished major-league shortstop two weeks into his career, the problem isn't George Lombard Jr.

It's our expectations. So enough with the panic. Enough with counting every error. And please, enough with the Volpe comparisons. Let George Lombard Jr. be George Lombard Jr.

The talent is there. The confidence is there. The Yankees are behind him. Now give the kid some time. He's going to be just fine. And I have a feeling we're going to be watching him make plays in the Bronx for a very long time.

ALL THE TOOLS ARE THERE. LET LOMBARD COOK.

Let’s state something for the record: since George Lombard Jr. arrived in the big leagues, he has been a breath of fresh air.

Actually, make that a huge breath of fresh air that the Yankees desperately needed. The kid looks like he belongs. He moves like a natural athlete, plays with energy, runs the bases aggressively and — imagine this — actually looks comfortable playing shortstop for the New York Yankees.

 

Since his arrival, the Yankees have been playing better baseball, and Lombard has already found ways to contribute beyond the box score. On Wednesday in Baltimore, for example, he drove in two runs, including the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of a 5-3 Yankees win, not the mention homers, smooth fielding plays, great instincts.

And this is precisely why I have a problem with anyone suddenly reaching for the panic button when the kid screws something up. Because he will screw something up. He's a kid.

Friday night against Toronto, Lombard dropped a foul ball at shortstop. It was an error. It wasn't pretty.

So what?

He's 21 years old.

Back on July 26, before Lombard ever stepped onto a major-league field, I wrote this:

“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.”

And that is exactly where I still stand. There is absolutely no comparison between what we're watching with Lombard and what we watched for years with Anthony Volpe.

The Yankees handed Volpe the major-league shortstop job and essentially decided to finish his development in the Bronx. The training wheels were attached while the Yankees were trying to win baseball games. Mistakes became patterns. Patterns became seasons. And eventually Volpe, at 25 years old, was sent back to the minors.

Lombard's situation is totally different. The Yankees drafted him in 2023 and developed him through their system slowly. He earned his promotions. In 2026, he hit .284 with a .411 on-base percentage and .909 OPS in the minors before getting the call.

Then he arrived in New York and immediately looked like he belonged. His first major-league hit was a home run, and he flashed the glove immediately in his debut. As of Saturday morning, Lombard is hitting .292 with a .352 OBP and .790 OPS through his first 48 major-league at-bats.

That's not a finished product. That's the point. Lombard is a kid playing Major League Baseball. There will be errors. There will be bad at-bats. There will eventually be a slump because major-league pitchers have this annoying habit of adjusting to hitters. Then Lombard will have to adjust back. But let me be clear, it will be nothing in comparison to Anthony Volpe. Volpe was not ready and the Yankees forced him down our throats. Lombard? Lombard IS ready.

That's why I don't want to hear the overreaction if Lombard make a mistake. He's going to make rookie mistakes because — breaking news — he's a rookie.   I believed Lombard would eventually grab the spotlight because the athletic ability was obvious. Now we're seeing it.

So, enjoy the kid. Let him play. Let him screw up occasionally. And when he eventually goes 2-for-20 and somebody declares that pitchers have “figured him out,” everybody please remember what we're actually watching. We're not watching Anthony Volpe all over again.

We're watching a 21-year-old legitimate major-league talent learning how to become a major-league star. There is a very big difference.

And right now, George Lombard Jr. looks like he belongs exactly where he is.

YANKS ARE ROLLING. SHOULD WE TRUST IT?

I have to give the Yankees credit. They’re winning. They’re working through the kinks, finding different ways to win baseball games and, dare I say it, actually starting to look like a team instead of nine guys waiting around for somebody to hit a three-run homer.

As I mentioned this morning on BYB, Wednesday night's 5–3 win over Baltimore made it three straight wins, and eight of the nine Yankee starters had a hit. The bullpen picked up Will Warren after he lasted only four innings, and the Yankees found a way to break a 3–3 tie in the eighth.

That's impressive. That's baseball.

And right in the middle of it again was George Lombard Jr.

The kid has elevated this team. I'm not suggesting Lombard suddenly turned the Yankees into the 1998 club. I'm saying his presence has changed the feel of this team. There's energy. There's speed. There's urgency. There's a young player out there who appears to understand that sometimes winning baseball isn't about launching a ball 450 feet.

Sometimes you just have to make something happen. That's exactly what Lombard did Wednesday. With the game tied in the eighth, he chopped a ball and used his speed to beat it out for the go-ahead RBI single. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't majestic.

It was winning baseball. And that's what I love about this kid. Lombard doesn't appear intimidated by the moment. Remember, this is a 21-year-old who was called up barely two weeks ago and homered in his major-league debut. Now we're watching him contribute in meaningful August games.

There's something else happening, too. The Yankees seem to be feeding off that youthful energy. That's important.

Now, naturally, when the Yankees start winning, Aaron Boone looks pretty good. Funny how that works.

When everybody hits, the bullpen gets outs, the kids make plays and the Yankees string together victories, the manager suddenly looks like he's pushing all the right buttons. But I've always believed something about managers:

You don't learn much about them when everything is working. You learn about them when everything stops working. When the lineup goes cold. When the bullpen gets shaky. When you've lost three straight and tomorrow night's game suddenly feels enormous.

That's when managing matters. That's when you need somebody capable of changing the temperature in the room, making the difficult decision, sitting the wrong player, riding the right one and recognizing trouble before it becomes a five-game losing streak.

That's where my concern with Boone remains. Because September is coming. The pressure is going to increase. Every game gets heavier. Every mistake gets magnified. And eventually this team is going to hit another rough patch. Every team does.

So, I say it clearly... enjoy this. I certainly am.

Give the Yankees credit for grinding through the problems and starting to play better baseball. And give George Lombard Jr. a huge amount of credit, because the kid has brought something this team desperately needed.

Energy.

Instinct.

Fearlessness.

But here's the question I can't shake:

What happens when the Yankees stop making Aaron Boone look good? Because eventually Boone may have to make the Yankees look good. And are you as frightened as I am that we're going to find out sometime in September?

GEORGE LOMBARD JUST MAKES THINGS HAPPEN

The Yankees won again Wednesday night, and this one had something we've been begging to see more of: energy, speed and smart baseball.

New York beat Baltimore 5–3 for its third straight win, and George Lombard Jr. was right in the middle of it.

With the game tied 3–3 in the eighth and the bases loaded, Lombard didn't need to launch one into the seats. He put the ball on the ground and busted it down the line, beating the play for an infield single and bringing home the go-ahead run. Speed created pressure. Pressure created a mistake. That's baseball.

Then Jazz Chisholm Jr. added another run by aggressively reading a wild pitch and racing home, giving the Yankees some breathing room at 5–3. Aaron Boone specifically praised Chisholm's instincts on the bases.

And that's what I liked about this win.

It wasn't simply waiting around for somebody to hit a three-run homer. The Yankees made things happen.

And Lombard continues to show something that can't always be measured on a spreadsheet: awareness, hustle and the ability to impact a baseball game.

The kid looks like he belongs.

Keep playing him. This was the best move the Yankees made all season.

THE GREAT VOLPE MISREAD

There comes a point when we have to stop talking about Anthony Volpe as if the breakout is always right around the corner.

Maybe this is simply who he is. And maybe the bigger question isn't Anthony Volpe anymore. Maybe it's how the Yankees evaluated him in the first place. Let's get the current numbers straight, because Volpe deserves that much.

Since being demoted again in August, Volpe hasn't been completely helpless at Scranton. In fact, he put together a seven-game hitting streak through August 14, including a 408-foot home run. Then he went 0-for-5 with a strikeout on August 15.

Fine. But can we please stop acting like getting some hits against Triple-A pitching is proof that the Anthony Volpe experiment is suddenly working? He's 25 years old. He's been a major leaguer since 2023. This isn't some 20-year-old prospect getting his first taste of Triple-A. Volpe is down there because after years of being handed the Yankees shortstop job, he still hasn't established himself as a quality Major League hitter.

In 2026 with the Yankees, Volpe hit .240 with one home run in 56 games. His slugging percentage was just .322. After the All-Star break, things became even uglier: .212/.250/.303. Eventually the Yankees finally did what they seemingly refused to do for years. They stopped protecting the idea of Anthony Volpe and started evaluating the actual baseball player. And that brings me back to something Bleeding Yankee Blue raised months ago.

In May, BYB published HOW YANKEE SCOUTS LOST THEIR WAY IN THE VOLPE RECRUITMENT questioning whether people inside the Yankees scouting operation became so invested in Volpe and his family that objective evaluation may have been compromised. My opinion based on my research by the way. That's not a proven allegation of wrongdoing. But after watching this play out, I think it's absolutely fair to question the process.

Because the Yankees didn't merely like Anthony Volpe. They seemed determined to make Anthony Volpe happen. Remember how this started. Before becoming the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop in 2023, Volpe had played just 22 games at Triple-A.

Twenty-two. Then suddenly he wasn't developing in Scranton anymore. He was the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. He hit .209 with a .283 OBP his rookie season.

Instead of wondering whether they rushed him, the Yankees doubled down. Then they doubled down again. In 2024, the OPS was .657. In 2025, he hit .212 with a .272 OBP. And in 2026, after returning from shoulder surgery, we got another .240 average, one home run and a .646 OPS before the Yankees finally sent him back down. At what point does "development" become organizational stubbornness?

That's why the Yankee scouting and development operation deserves scrutiny. Not because Anthony Volpe was some ridiculous prospect nobody else liked. That's revisionist history. He was legitimately highly regarded and had tremendous minor-league seasons.

The failure was something different. The Yankees appear to have confused potential with readiness. Good scouting isn't simply saying, This kid has talent. Good player development is knowing when that talent is ready for Yankee Stadium. And apparently it wasn't. Worse, once the Yankees committed to Volpe, they seemingly spent years trying to prove their original decision correct.

Bad offensive season? Be patient. Another bad offensive season? He's developing. Defensive problems? He's working through them. Another prolonged slump? Trust the process.

Meanwhile, other players get a bus ticket to Scranton before their laundry is finished. That is why the favoritism question isn't crazy. I can't tell you what happened behind closed doors. Neither can anyone else who wasn't in those rooms. But I can look at the extraordinary runway Anthony Volpe received and ask a very simple question:

Would another Yankee prospect have received the same treatment with the same production?

That's the question the Yankees should have to answer. And now look where we've ended up. The shortstop the Yankees were so convinced was ready in 2023 is back in Triple-A in 2026, learning second base, while George Lombard Jr. has been promoted to play shortstop in the Bronx.

That's not development going according to plan. That's the plan changing because the original one failed. And yes, Volpe getting hits in Scranton is better than him going 0-for-30. Wonderful.

He's supposed to hit Triple-A pitching. He's supposed to look more comfortable there. The standard can't suddenly become, Anthony made a nice play at second base today.

What are we doing here?

This isn't personal against Volpe. He didn't promote himself in 2023. He didn't write the scouting reports. He didn't put himself in the lineup year after year. The Yankees did. They made him believe he was major league ready. That's why, if this experiment ultimately fails, the Yankees shouldn't simply toss Volpe into the pile of prospects who "didn't work out" and move along.

They should examine the entire process. Who decided 22 Triple-A games were enough? Who was pounding the table that he was Major League ready? Why did his leash remain so long despite years of below-average offensive production? And did organizational attachment to the player make it harder for the Yankees to objectively admit they had made a mistake?

Those are legitimate questions.

Because maybe Anthony Volpe wasn't the biggest failure in the Anthony Volpe experiment. Maybe the failure belongs to the people who were so determined to prove they were right about him that it took four years to consider they might have been wrong. And if that's the case, don't just investigate Anthony Volpe's swing. Investigate the Yankees' evaluation process.

And for my personal opinion? I don't want this guy back in pinstripes. All you have to do is look at how graceful George Lombard Jr. is at short and recognize that we were missing an actual baseball player in the middle infield for 3 years.  It's over.  

It's time to turn the page.  That's it.

GRISHAM, RODÓN & LOMBARD GIVE ME SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

Well, look at that.

The Yankees won a baseball game Tuesday night, 3–1 over the Orioles, and for once I don't feel the need to immediately locate the nearest wall and bang my head against it.

I'm calling that progress.

And while this wasn't exactly Murderers' Row reincarnated—the Yankees managed only five hits—there were actually several things to like about this one. So yes, I'm going to enjoy it. I don't get to do this nearly enough.

Let's start with Trent Grisham, because apparently he decided the rest of the offense could take the night off. Grisham drove in all three Yankee runs, blasting his 17th homer in the third inning and then delivering the biggest hit of the night, a two-run single in the seventh that broke a 1–1 tie. Even better, that single came after Grisham fell behind 0–2 against left-hander Josh Walker.

That's called a professional at-bat. Remember those?

Then there was Carlos Rodón, back from the injured list and looking pretty damn good considering he hadn't pitched in the majors since June 28. Rodón went four innings, allowed one run on 2 hits and gave the Yankees exactly what they needed in his first game back. The lone damage was a Coby Mayo solo homer.

Was it vintage Cy Young stuff? No. Did I need it to be? Absolutely not. Get Rodón healthy. Get him comfortable. Get him stretched out. If the Yankees are going anywhere meaningful over the next two months, they're going to need this guy.

And then there's George Lombard Jr.

I don't want to get carried away with a young player after a couple of weeks, because we've seen how dangerous that can be around this organization. But the kid keeps giving us reasons to watch.

Lombard went 2-for-4 with a run scored, but the play everyone will remember came with the glove. He ranged deep to his right, planted himself however the hell he could and fired across the diamond to rob Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Rodón's reaction on the YES broadcast pretty much said it all.

Grunt Baseball here. These Yankee pitchers are WOW'd with what it's like to have an ACTUAL shortstop behind them.  That should tell the Yankees front office everything they need to know.

The interesting part is that Lombard isn't just surviving at shortstop. He's looking comfortable there. Since his August 4 call-up, he's provided athleticism, defense and some life to a lineup desperately needing it.

That's refreshing.

And finally, give the bullpen some credit.

After Rodón departed, Yankee relievers covered five scoreless innings. Yerry De Los Santos earned the win, Fernando Cruz helped escape trouble in the seventh, and David Bednar closed it out for save No. 28. Baltimore finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

That's how you win when the offense isn't exactly setting off fireworks.

Pitch. Play defense. Get the big hit. Go home. It doesn't have to be complicated.

The Yankees are now 70–55, they've won two straight, and Tampa Bay lost Tuesday, pulling New York to five games back in the AL East.

Am I planning the parade? Relax. This team still has problems. Five hits isn't exactly something you frame and hang over the fireplace. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are still out, and there are plenty of questions surrounding this roster.

But Tuesday night wasn't about complaining. It was about Grisham coming through when they needed him. Rodón returning and looking healthy. Lombard continuing to show us something. And a bullpen protecting a lead instead of lighting it on fire.

That's a good Yankee win. I'll take it. Hell, I'll even smile about it. Just don't make me regret saying that Wednesday night.

CASHMAN PROTECTED LOMBARD. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE FOR THIS TEAM?

I keep seeing these ridiculous takes about the Yankees’ trade deadline:

“One of Brian Cashman’s best moves was not trading George Lombard Jr.”

Seriously?

Protecting your best young player isn't some brilliant front-office achievement. That’s Cashman’s job. You know what else is his job? Finding another way to make the Yankees better.

If a team demands Lombard, say no. Then call somebody else. Offer different prospects. Take on money. Get creative. 

Cashman has an entire organization at his disposal. The choices aren't trade Lombard or go home.

This Yankees’ deadline leaves us in a familiar place: Cashman made moves, including Heliot Ramos and Luis Garcia Jr., but did he actually do enough to turn this team into a championship favorite?

That’s the problem. He did not. Cashman always seems to go through the motions. Make the calls, make better calls. Ask about the big names. Tell everyone the prices were too high. Protect a prospect. Make a few secondary moves. Do something meaningful.

Deadline over. And we did this last year too.

In 2025, Cashman brought in Ryan McMahon, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, José Caballero, Amed Rosario and Austin Slater. There was plenty of deadline excitement then, too.

And where did it get us? Doval, Bird and Slater are already off the team. We didn't move the needle. That’s why I don't want to hear about Cashman “winning” another deadline because he didn't make a stupid trade.

Not making a bad trade isn't the same thing as making a great one. Keep Lombard. Absolutely. But then GO GET SOMEBODY ELSE. Someone meaningful.

We are the New York Yankees. Cashman has prospects, major-league players and enormous financial resources to work with. Eventually the standard has to become championships again—not congratulating Brian Cashman because he managed to protect one of his own best prospects.

But that’s not genius. That's just part of the job.

DAVID CONE JUST EXPOSED THE YANKEES’ BIGGEST PROBLEM

There comes a point when “trust the process” becomes an excuse for not having a solution. David Cone appears to have reached that point with the Yankees.

During Saturday’s miserable 4-1 loss to Toronto, Cone pushed back on the philosophy we’ve heard repeatedly around this team: keep hitting the ball hard, keep putting together good at-bats, and eventually those hard-hit balls will start falling.

Cone’s point was simple: That’s not enough anymore. Thank you, Coney.

The Yankees aren't playing for exit velocity points. Nobody gets half a run because Statcast liked the contact. You have to actually score. And these Yankees simply don't.

Since Aaron Judge went down, the Yankees have averaged only 3.3 runs per game and scored just three runs over their last 27 innings. Saturday they managed four hits — all singles — against seven Toronto pitchers. Their only run came when Spencer Jones singled and George Lombard Jr. eventually knocked him home.

One run. That was it.

And this isn't a cute little slump anymore. The Yankees have been one of baseball's worst offenses since Judge went down. That's why Cone's criticism matters. When Plan A isn't working, your manager's job is to find Plan B.

Move runners. Change the lineup. Manufacture something. Create pressure. Demand better at-bats. Get angry. DO SOMETHING.

Instead, Aaron Boone gives us the same corporate Yankee word salad. Good swings. Good process. Hard contact. Eventually they'll fall.

When, Aaron? November?

This is exactly why I don't believe Boone is the right manager when things get difficult. When Judge is launching baseballs and the Yankees are scoring six runs, Boone looks fine. But when the offense disappears and the players start pressing, he doesn't seem capable of changing the temperature of that clubhouse.

Boone doesn't motivate. He waits.

And then there's Michael Kay. I like Michael, but enough already with explaining why things aren't quite as bad as Yankee fans think they are. We have eyes. We see the scoreboard. At some point, defending the process starts sounding less like analysis and more like selling the company line.

Cone didn't do that. He challenged the philosophy itself.

The Yankees don't need somebody telling them their hard-hit percentage suggests better days are coming. They need runs. They need urgency. They need somebody in that dugout who understands that August baseball doesn't care about expected statistics.

This pitching staff continues giving the Yankees opportunities to win, and the offense continues wasting them. That's not bad luck anymore.

That's Brian Cashman's roster. That's Aaron Boone's clubhouse. That's the Yankees' philosophy.

David Cone finally poked a hole in the analytics balloon. Stop telling us how hard they're hitting the baseball and start explaining why nobody can get a runner home.

Because right now, I don't see a manager solving the problem.

I see Aaron Boone waiting for the problem to solve itself.

And that may be the biggest problem of all.

COLE DESERVES BETTER... AGAIN

The Yankees lost 3-1 to Toronto Friday night, and once again, the story wasn't complicated: they couldn't score.

Gerrit Cole gave them six strong innings, allowing two runs — only one earned — and kept the game exactly where an ace is supposed to keep it. The Yankees rewarded him with one lousy run, a Trent Grisham solo homer.

That's becoming a serious problem. We have  talked about it all last week. The Yankees have scored just one run over their last 18 innings and two runs or fewer in nine of their last 14 games. This isn't April. It's August. You don't stroll into October hoping the offense eventually wakes up.

Meanwhile, Aaron Boone found another battle to fight — with an umpire. No one cares Aaron, you're a fool.

Boone was ejected after arguing a low strike called on Luis García Jr. Was it low? It certainly looked that way. But here's my question: maybe Boone should worry a little less about winning arguments with umpires and a little more about winning baseball games.

Getting tossed isn't managing. Screaming at Vic Carapazza doesn't drive runners home. Somebody needs to explain why this lineup continually disappears.

The sixth inning was a mess, including the scary collision between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Lombard Jr. near third base that resulted in Guerrero being evaluated for a possible concussion. Nuts.

But none of that changes the biggest problem. The Yankees scored one run. Again. Cole deserved better. The pitching staff deserves better. Us fans certainly deserve better.

October is coming.

You can't win if you don't hit. And apparently, no amount of Boone yelling at umpires is going to change that.

 

LOMBARD & PITCHING CAN'T DO IT ALONE

The Yankees lost 1-0 to the Seattle Mariners Thursday afternoon, and there really isn't some complicated explanation for what happened. They didn't score. Again.

Four hits. Zero runs. 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. It was already the seventh time this season the Yankees have been shut out. And this is becoming a very real problem.

Wednesday night, the Yankees exploded for 10 runs and everybody got to smile and pretend the offense had finally awakened. Then Thursday arrived and somebody apparently unplugged it again.

Max Fried was excellent. Returning from injury, he gave the Yankees five strong innings and allowed exactly one run, a solo homer. The bullpen did its job after that. The pitching staff gave the offense eight innings to find one lousy run. They couldn't find it.

What exactly are these pitchers supposed to do? Throw a shutout every night and then hit for themselves?

That's what concerns me as we head toward September and hopefully October. Playoff pitching gets better, not worse. You cannot continually ask your pitching staff to be perfect because your offense disappears for entire games.

Look, George Lombard Jr. has been an incredible addition, but he can't do everything. The defense. The instincts. The athleticism. The energy. It seems like every night we're watching this kid do something that reminds us what shortstop is supposed to look like.

But here's the problem: George Lombard Jr. cannot save the Yankees by himself.

He's a rookie. The Yankees shouldn't need a kid who just arrived in the major leagues to become the spark plug, defensive savior and offensive answer for a supposedly championship-caliber team.

Lombard is doing his part. The rest of this lineup needs to do theirs. Because eventually another beautiful Lombard play doesn't mean much when you look up at the scoreboard and it still says:

Yankees 0.

And then there's Brian Cashman. Remember the trade deadline? Remember all that talk about improving the roster? So where exactly is the improvement?

The Yankees added Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos, but weeks later I'm still waiting to see how Brian Cashman's deadline made this team significantly better. Ramos pinch-hit Thursday and grounded out. He's now 2-for-25 as a Yankee. I'm not blaming Ramos for the entire offense. But when evaluating a trade deadline, the question is pretty simple:

Did Brian Cashman make the New York Yankees better? Right now, I'm having a difficult time seeing it. Once again, we're watching the Yankees approach the stretch run hoping injured players return, hoping the offense becomes consistent and hoping the pitching can continue carrying an enormous load.

That's not roster construction. That's crossing your fingers. Thursday was the perfect example. The pitching was good enough to win. Again. The offense wasn't. Again.

George Lombard Jr. has been terrific, but he can't drag this team into October by himself. At some point the established hitters have to hit. The deadline additions have to matter. And the front office has to stop expecting everything to magically work itself out.

October is getting closer. And you know what doesn't work in October?

Zero runs.

ANOTHER YANKEE RALLY & MORE LOMBARD MAGIC!

The Yankees won again Tuesday night, beating the Mariners 4-1 for their third straight comeback victory.

That's the good news.

The other news? Can we please stop making “comeback” part of the nightly game plan?

Ryan Weathers deserved better than another night of waiting around for the offense to show up. He carried a one-hit shutout into the sixth and stretched his scoreless streak to 23 innings before Randy Arozarena finally got him with a solo homer. Weathers went 5.2 terrific innings, and the Yankee bullpen was spotless again.

And yet, there were the Yankees, trailing 1-0. Again. Thankfully, the bats eventually received the memo. In the seventh, Ryan McMahon delivered a two-run single and Trent Grisham followed with another two-run knock. Just like that, 1-0 became 4-1, and the Yankees had another win.

I love the fight. I love three straight comeback victories. But eventually, how about throwing the first punch? You can't keep spending six innings wandering around offensively and expect to flip a switch every night. Score early. Give your pitchers a lead. Maybe even make a game comfortable once in a while.

Crazy concept, I know.

But the moment I can't stop thinking about wasn't a hit.

It was George Lombard Jr.

In the first inning, a ground ball up the middle ricocheted off the second-base bag and changed direction. Lombard adjusted instantly, grabbed it with his bare hand and fired to first for the out.

Beautiful.

And here's what made it so impressive: it wasn't showboating. It was instinct. Lombard didn't barehand the ball because he wanted a highlight. He did it because his baseball brain immediately told him that's how the play had to be made.

You can't teach that. You can practice footwork, throwing mechanics and positioning. You can take 10,000 ground balls. But that internal clock — seeing something unexpected happen and reacting correctly without hesitation — is something special.

Lombard has it.

And I'm going to ask the question because every Yankee fan watching that play had to think about it:

After all the errors, misplays and routine grounders that somehow turned into adventures, do you think in a million years Anthony Volpe makes that play?

Come on. We've spent years being told how “elite” Volpe is defensively. Now we're watching Lombard play shortstop, and seemingly every game there's another defensive highlight. Great range. Smooth hands. Difficult throws made naturally. And now he's barehanding a ball that ricocheted off second base like somebody forgot to tell him the play was supposed to be difficult.

We're getting spoiled. Actually, maybe we're not. Maybe this is simply how a Yankee shortstop is supposed to operate. What was Yankee management doing force feeding Volpe on us? What a waste of time!

There's a difference between being told someone is an elite defender and watching someone whose instincts practically jump through the television. Lombard doesn't look frantic. He doesn't fight the position. He just plays it.

That's what makes this kid so impressive. The Yankees won 4-1. Weathers was terrific. McMahon and Grisham delivered. The bullpen did its job.

Three straight comeback wins. I'll happily take them. But tonight, maybe score before the seventh inning. And please, keep hitting the ball toward George Lombard Jr.

I want to see what the kid does next.

SO THIS IS WHAT "F'ING ELITE" IS NOW? COUNTING CLEAN PLAYS?

I’m trying to understand what world I’m living in.

Anthony Volpe is in the minor leagues. He’s now playing second base. And somehow, we’ve reached the point where we’re literally counting the number of plays he fields cleanly as proof that he’s adapting.

Are you kidding me? Greg Joyce of the New York Post wrote this: "Volpe played second base Saturday night at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his first game at a position other than shortstop since 2021, and cleanly fielded all three balls hit to him."

I need you to think about this for a second.  This is the same Anthony Volpe that Aaron Boone once called “f’ing elite.”

Elite?

If Volpe were truly an elite shortstop, he’d be playing shortstop for the New York Yankees. Period. Instead, George Lombard Jr. has the job in the Bronx, while Volpe is in Scranton learning another position and we’re apparently supposed to get excited because he handled his chances cleanly.

According to the New York Post, Volpe is getting work at second base as the Yankees explore ways to increase his versatility and potentially create another route back to the majors.

Think about how insane that sentence would have sounded two years ago.

We went from “f’ing elite” to “maybe second base works.”

And that’s what gets me. This isn’t about rooting against Volpe. I want the kid to figure it out. But can we stop pretending this is anything other than a massive fall from where the Yankees told us he was?

We’re watching a former starting shortstop play second base in Triple-A and counting the clean plays.

One clean play. Two clean plays. Hey! There’s another one! What are we doing here? This is the New York Yankees, not instructional league. Maybe Volpe eventually figures it out. Maybe second base becomes his way back. Who knows... to be honest, I'm done with this stupid experiment.

Spare me the victory lap because he fielded a few baseballs cleanly in Scranton. “F’ing elite” was the standard. Now we’re counting clean ground balls.

THIS IS PATHETIC.

SOX ON FIRE, YANKEES ON EDGE!

Almost 4 months ago, the Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora and it looked like Boston was done for. All of Yankee land was laughing as we enjoyed looking down at Boston all the way at the bottom of the AL East. They were deflated, we were in first place and that what we want to see. 

My how times have changed. Since then, the Yankees have lost heavy hitters in Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger. Add in pitcher Carlos Rodon and it is doomsday. The Yankees have been trying to tread water and the Red Sox literally lit a fire underneath everyone and went on winning streaks of 26-3 and 32-5 while the Yankees continue to stagger and stumble. Now the Yankees are literally feeling the Red Sox breathe down the necks. Suddenly a slip to third is very possible.

And I sit here and hate it all while being in amazement of George Lombard Jr and be pleasantly surprised at times by Spencer Jones. Those bright moments have come too late though because we are now as uncomfortable as it gets. What was once a 15 game lead over the Red Sox is now down to a game and a half.

I always say never underestimate the Red Sox. You never count them out....ever. They just reminded us of this. Months ago it looked like a minimum of a first Wild Card spot was likely. The American League is curiously weak compared to the National League. If the Yankees couldn't catch the Rays, we would at least have the first Wild Card spot. But....that the reality is, that might not be what happens here.

Not unless the Yankees start playing like their hair and asses are on fire! Rodon should be back soon, and Judge is progressing. Hopefully we also have Bellinger back by the time we see Boston again but that's not a guarantee. No doubt our injuries have hurt us, and we are missing our star power but both teams feed off of their starting pitching. The Red Sox have still found a way to win with a lineup that is not exactly loaded with big names or contracts.

The difference between these two teams is heart. The Yankees have shown we have that recently, but we need more of it to get us to the finish line. This is going to be a dog fight to the very end, and it's not going to be easy. 

Just in case you need a reminder.....NEVER underestimate the Red Sox.....EVER!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THIS FEELS LIKE YANKEE BASEBALL AGAIN!

Something strange happened while I watched the Yankees beat the Braves 5-4 today. I wasn't stressed out. I wasn't waiting for the stupid mistake, the lifeless at-bat or the inevitable Yankee self-destruction. I was actually sitting there enjoying baseball.

Imagine that.

The energy around this team has changed, and for me, George Lombard Jr. is right in the middle of it. The kid has been in the majors for less than a week, yet he already carries himself like he belongs here. It's not just the talent. It's the athleticism, professionalism and class. There is a confidence about Lombard that doesn't feel forced. He plays hard, handles himself the right way and brings an energy this team desperately needed.

Then he goes out Saturday and launches his second major-league home run. This kid is 21 years old. I'm not crowning him Derek Jeter. I'm not doing that nonsense. But there is something about the way Lombard carries himself in pinstripes that gets your attention. He looks comfortable. He looks prepared. Most importantly, he looks like he's having fun.

And that feeling is spreading. Spencer Jones was another huge part of it today.

Jones drove in two runs today, including a go-ahead triple against Chris Sale. That's what I've been waiting to see from these young players. Not hype. Not prospect rankings, not stuff that the Yankees are telling me these players are supposed to be. Just them being them. No Drama. Production in important moments against great players.

Jones and Lombard have injected athleticism and unpredictability into a Yankee lineup that too often felt slow and stale. Suddenly, I want to see what happens next.

And none of this works without pitching.

Gerrit Cole looked like Gerrit Cole.  Seven innings. Two runs. Nine strikeouts. He also became the fastest pitcher in Yankee history to reach 1,000 strikeouts with the club. But forget the milestone for a second. Cole pitched like an ace. That's what matters.

He went toe-to-toe with Sale and gave his team seven strong innings. If the Yankees are going anywhere meaningful, that's the Gerrit Cole they need. Yes, the bullpen made the ninth inning more interesting than necessary. Bednar eventually shut the door and the Yankees walked away with another win.

But I'm looking beyond one Saturday afternoon. This team feels different. For too long, watching the Yankees felt like work. Every game came with aggravation. Bad fundamentals. Bad decisions. Bad energy. Even wins sometimes felt exhausting. I was literally pissed off every day.

Right now I'm watching George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones and feeling something I haven't felt enough watching this team.

It's Fun.

Lombard especially has changed the temperature for me. There is a professionalism and maturity to this kid that jumps off the screen. He doesn't need theatrics. He just plays baseball, and he plays it beautifully. That's what Yankee baseball should look like.

Good young players. Athleticism. Great pitching. Energy. And fans actually enjoying themselves again. Maybe it's only the beginning. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Who knows.

For the first time in a while, I'm not watching the Yankees wondering how they're going to screw it up. I'm watching to see what George Lombard Jr. is going to do next. And somehow, this 21-year-old kid has made me believe again.

Wow, I miss that feeling. 

Meanwhile... Austin Wells is batting .170.  Next on the chopping block? Man I hope so.  We need a clean team... no more dead weight!