TAMPA — At 6-7, 282 pounds, Aaron Judge looks like a home run hitter.
The same goes for Giancarlo Stanton, who stands at 6-6, 245 pounds.
But José Caballero?
Power isn’t really part of the 5-10, 190-pound utility man’s game. Yet Caballero, acquired from the Rays on July 31, still matched Stanton and Cody Bellinger with two home runs in Tuesday’s 13-3 win over his former team. The victory saw the Yankees tie a franchise single-game record with nine total longballs at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
It was Caballero’s second blast, a solo homer off Mason Montgomery in the ninth inning, that tied the record. Afterward, Caballero joked that he’s picked up some power pointers from Judge and Stanton, who combined for three homers on Tuesday.
“Hanging out with those guys, something has to be contagious,” the petite Caballero, who also hit a short porch, two-run homer off Shane Baz in the second inning, said of his hulking teammates.
JOSE CABALLERO MULTI-HOMER GAME pic.twitter.com/O94h1d64IX
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 20, 2025
With Caballero matching his season total for home runs on Tuesday — he entered the game with two before launching his first jacks as a Yankee — his new team became the first club in major league history to enjoy two nine-homer games in one season. It wasn’t that long ago that the Yankees set their franchise record, as they also bashed the Brewers with nine longballs back on March 29, the second game of the season.
“That’s why they are the Bronx Bombers,” Caballero said with the Yankees leading all of baseball with 204 homers.
Caballero is more of a Pesky Pinstriper, though.
Now in his third major league season, the 28-year-old had just 17 career dingers in over 1,000 plate appearances after Tuesday’s contest, the first multi-homer game of his career. He is better known for his speed — he leads the majors with 39 stolen bases — and his versatility.
Caballero has already started at second, third, short and right through his first 11 games with the Yankees. All the while, he’s added an offensive spark, totaling a .364/.440/.682 slash line prior to Wednesday.
“He’s a real heady player,” Aaron Boone said. “He plays the game with a lot of confidence, and he brings just some really useful things to the table. His ability to play the game within the game, the ability to handle the bat, obviously the running game. He’s really good on the bases, and then he’s a really good defender at four or five different spots.
“He’s a winning player.”
Bellinger voiced a similar endorsement, calling Caballero a “gamer” and insisting that he’s had a “huge impact” in his short time with the Yankees.
“Really, really good energy, and just a really good baseball player,” Bellinger said. “I mean, he does everything really well. He’s added a lot to this team, and it’s great to have him.”
Not too long ago, such praise for Caballero would have been hard to find in the Yankees’ clubhouse, as he is also known for irritating opponents.
That includes Gerrit Cole, who infamously wagged his finger at the Mariners’ bench and fired a high, 0-2 fastball at Caballero back in June 2023 when the hitter played for Seattle. Caballero, seeking any advantage he could find, had been stepping in and out of the batter’s box all night in an effort to mess with Cole’s timing as he worked against the pitch clock.
Aided by his quick feet, Caballero has also messed with adversaries on the bases plenty over the years.
“He needles the opponent a little bit, but he and I have had a good laugh,” Boone said. “Now he’s turned into one of my favorite players.”
The Rays used to be the beneficiaries of that needling, which is why they played a tribute video for Caballero on Tuesday night, his first game against his former employer since being traded. Minutes later, he burned them in atypical fashion, lofting his first homer of the evening.
Caballero said it was “special” to be playing against his old team, and that he was surprised by but appreciative of the video.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are now thankful to have Caballero on their side.
“He’s been a catalyst for us,” Boone said.
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