Yankees discovered 2 game-changing roster qualities after weekend lineup alterations

Nobody would've predicted the New York Yankees could've swept the St. Louis Cardinals without Giancarlo Stanton and a hobbled Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt ... but they did it because Aaron Boone was forced to use the rest of the roster.

Call it strategic diversification, call it a little bit of luck, but what the Bombers did this past weekend cannot go unnoticed for the rest of the way. That was the most inspiring baseball they've played in about two and a half months.

The first thing the Yankees learned was that Jose Caballero needs to be used more often. Whether it's in right field or at shortstop/second base, he clearly brings a different dynamic to the lineup with his contact bat and one-of-a-kind speed. He went 5-for-11 in this series with four stolen bases, and he got Sunday's ninth-inning rally started because his hustle down the first base line forced a bad throw from Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese.

Does he need to be in the lineup every day? No. But with Stanton and Judge limited at the moment, he can easily be slotted into action. Oh, and when Anthony Volpe needs a rest day (probably once a week?), Caballero is your guy. That was his role on Sunday, and it worked out perfectly.

We don't expect Caballero to lift this team to new heights every time he gets an opportunity, but you simply have to play the numbers game and get him in there when you can. Aaron Boone finally has a meaningful bench to work with.

Caballero represents a perfect change-of-pace option whenever the Yankees are in need of it. And we'd venture to say that's multiple times per week.

Yankees need to incorporate more Jose Caballero and use Jasson Dominguez strategically

And then there's Jasson Dominguez. Some of us might be down on the former top prospect because his first full year of action has been largely underwhelming. And that's valid. But does everything have to be so bad? Can't Dominguez be ... a spark plug off the bench for the remainder of the season and in the playoffs?

We know, his defense is inadequate. It is what it is. But he is a good hitter against right-handed pitching and he's an absolute menace on the basepaths. He's constantly stealing and he's almost always looking for the extra base. How is that not exciting for down the stretch and in October? The Yankees have lacked a player of this skill set for a very, very long time.

Need Dominguez to start a game against a righty when Stanton (or somebody else needs a rest)? He can handle it. Need him to pinch hit against a good righty reliever? Most of us would trust him to put together a respectable at-bat. Need him to pinch run? Absolutely the guy you want.

This is an electric bench piece/depth outfielder that can be utilized with intent for the remainder of this year as the Yankees hope to flesh out his role for 2026. The results don't need to be "Dominguez must start every game and battle through his struggles" — let's just give him notable runway to maximize his strengths and help the team when he can.

If the Yankees can ride this wave of momentum and Boone's able to piece everything together in a constructive manner, perhaps the fanbase's complaints since late May will end up being unwarranted.