NEW YORK — The Yankees spent most of September trying to get healthy enough for October. Their next problem is deciding whether health, matchup data or star status should carry the most weight when the postseason lineup is written.
That question has landed at second base as the Yankees prepare to open the American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Boston will start rookie left-hander Payton Tolle, giving Aaron Boone a matchup that looks simple until the numbers are examined.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is back from a sprained right thumb that cost him two weeks. Anthony Volpe, recalled while Chisholm was out, used that opening to force himself back into the Yankees’ plans. The choice is no longer between an established starter and a reserve who merely fills a platoon role.
Chisholm also made clear Monday that he expects to play. He remembers last October, when the Yankees faced another Boston left-hander and Boone sat him in the Wild Card opener. New York lost that game, and Chisholm’s frustration was visible afterward.
This year’s profiles pull in opposite directions. Chisholm finished with 19 home runs, 55 RBIs, 40 stolen bases and a .715 OPS in 134 games. Volpe played only 70 major league games after losing his starting shortstop job, but hit .245 with a .321 on-base percentage and 12 steals.
Volpe also gave the Yankees a useful September response. In the 10 games immediately after Chisholm went on the injured list, he hit .286 with a .753 OPS while handling second base. Chisholm returned for only three games before the regular season ended.
Then there is Tolle. His 2026 results were better against right-handed hitters than left-handers, an unusual split that complicates a conventional lefty-righty decision before the Yankees even account for Chisholm’s health.
Boone puts Volpe directly into the Game 1 equation
Only after Monday’s workout did Boone publicly confirm how seriously the Yankees are weighing the change.
“Volpe is very much in play. The platoon stuff is in play there,” Boone said.
Boone tied it to Chisholm’s abbreviated return. He went 2-for-10 after the IL stint, with rain limiting additional work.
“Obviously, Jazz is just coming back from the thumb [injury]. He was able to get a couple games in; would have liked another one or two, but the weather didn’t really cooperate this [past] weekend,” Boone said.
“Anthony’s put himself very much in the mix to be a part of the equation.”
Chisholm makes his position clear
Chisholm made no confrontation, but he wanted to start Game 1.
Asked about sitting again, he pointed to last October.
“You’ve seen how I felt about not being in games in the playoffs,” Chisholm said.
He said he wants to help the Yankees win, but a bench role would sting.
“As a competitor, who wouldn’t be? It’s the playoffs. You want to play,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm had not discussed the lineup with Boone by Monday afternoon and expected advance notice.
“I feel like with Boonie, he will come up to me and let me know what’s going on before it’s put out there, which I always respect that out of him,” Chisholm said. “He’s always been good on that side of things.”
Tolle’s reverse splits weaken obvious platoon argument
The numbers resist an automatic switch.
Chisholm hit .221/.268/.386 against left-handed pitching this season, a .654 OPS. Anthony Volpe also finished with a .654 OPS against lefties, batting .235 with a .308 on-base percentage and .346 slugging percentage.
Both finished at .654 against lefties, erasing the simplest statistical case for Volpe.
Tolle’s splits push the other way. Left-handed hitters produced a .705 OPS against him in 2026, while right-handed hitters managed .624. Lefties hit .248/.301/.404. Righties hit .211/.273/.351.
Chisholm is also 1-for-5 against Tolle, with the hit a home run.
That creates an unusual calculation: conventional platoon logic favors Volpe, but Tolle’s actual results favor left-handed hitters.
The overall offensive gap favors Chisholm as well. His .715 OPS topped Volpe’s .658, and his 19 homers and 40 steals offer more game-changing upside.
Chisholm vs. Volpe: Game 1 statistical case
| Metric | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | Anthony Volpe | Game 1 context |
| 2026 overall | .232/.312/.403, .715 OPS | .245/.321/.336, .658 OPS | Chisholm had the stronger full-season bat. |
| Vs. left-handed pitching | .221/.268/.386, .654 OPS | .235/.308/.346, .654 OPS | No OPS edge for Volpe. |
| Power / speed | 19 HR, 40 SB | 2 HR, 12 SB | Chisholm offers much more impact upside. |
| Tolle handedness split | LHH allowed .705 OPS | RHH allowed .624 OPS | The left-handed hitter had the favorable Tolle split. |
The table shows why the matchup is less conventional than the handedness suggests.
Yankees must decide how much October changes the rule
Boston could also use more left-handed pitching later, including Ranger Suarez in a potential Game 3.
Chisholm understands the logic only to a point.
“But like I said, it’s playoff baseball, so it’s different,” he said.
Chisholm’s case is simple: he believes the Yankees‘ best players should play when the season is at risk.
“That’s how I grew up,” Chisholm said. “That’s what I grew up watching and seeing.”
Boone must decide whether Game 1 is a matchup call or a talent call.
Volpe earned his place in the debate, but he did not outperform Chisholm by OPS against lefties. Chisholm brings more overall offense, power and speed, and Tolle’s reverse splits weaken the standard platoon case.
The Yankees will have to choose before Tuesday night’s first pitch.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
