Stanton, Rice & Caballero The Key To The Yankees Playoff Dreams

The Yankees have officially done it — three wins in a row. That, my friends, is called a winning streak. Don’t get used to the rarity; just enjoy it while it lasts. And today? Another shot at the Nationals. If they don’t sweep this team, cancel October.

Let’s talk Giancarlo Stanton. The man is on fire — volcanic, even. In 19 games this month, he’s hitting a blistering .404 with 21 hits, nine homers, 23 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. This isn’t just hot; this is Stanton putting the team on his back and saying, “Follow me or get out of the way.” And while Aaron Judge has been a bit sluggish lately, you can’t exactly rip the guy. He’s been carrying this franchise all season, and even legends get tired. That’s why Stanton stepping up right now feels huge. This is leadership. This is clutch. This is the guy we thought we were getting when they first brought him to the Bronx.

Momentum? Yeah, they’ve actually got some. They snagged the final game of the four-game set against the Red Sox and have started chipping away at Toronto’s division lead. Make no mistake, though — this “push” wasn’t the plan. The Yankees are in this spot because of bad baseball and worse management. And speaking of bad…

Anthony Volpe. Look, I’ve tried to be patient, but enough is enough. The kid can’t play right now. Zero impact. Zero consistency. Zero reason he should still be out there. Jose Caballero? He may not be a household name — I literally wrote that weeks ago before ClutchPoints swiped it (read CABALLERO IS NOT A HOUSEHOLD NAME, BUT EVEN BOONE KNOWS HE’S BETTER THAN VOLPE) — But Caballero is better than Volpe. Period. The Yankees’ energy is different with him on the field. Volpe, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 last night, extending his hitless streak to 19 games. Nineteen! He’s in a 1-for-32 nosedive, and Boone is still feeding us his “development” nonsense like it’s 2023 all over again. It’s gross.

Volpe’s numbers earned him a benching against Boston and in Monday’s win over Washington, but it hasn’t done a thing. He looks cooked. Worse than cooked. This whole situation is flirting with Jacoby Ellsbury territory — except Ellsbury was at least injured. Volpe’s just bad and still getting every chance in the world.

And Boone? Oh, Boone. After another rough night for Volpe in a 5-1 win, he said:

“Hits one 106 [mph] to the wrong part [of the ballpark] the last at-bat… He had some good swings, got out in front of some breaking balls. He was OK.”

Translation: “Nothing to see here, folks. Trust the process.”

No. Stop. Enough with the exit velo excuses. You don’t get postseason berths for hitting “loud outs.” The guy blows right now — there, I said it.

The solution is simple: sit Volpe. Give Caballero the keys to shortstop and let him cook. Between Caballero locking up the infield, Stanton demolishing baseballs, and Ben Rice quietly saving the catching position, the Yankees actually have a shot at October. Without those pieces clicking? Forget it.

This isn’t just about today’s Nationals game. It’s about survival. And if Boone keeps clinging to his “Volpe will figure it out” fantasy, the Yankees’ playoff hopes will be toast.

That’s the bottom line.