2.5 days in Sorrento

We just returned from the area. Based on our experience and that of others, I would do the Capri trip and Pompeii. We did the AC drive, and it's 4.5 hrs in the car for 4.5 hrs in the small towns, which were packed. It was somewhat arduous. I think you can enjoy the AC beauty from the Capri trip. Of course, you need good weather for the ferries to be running.
Pompeii is incredible and needs to be experienced to appreciate fully.
Perhaps my recent Trip Report can offer some helpful info.
Safe travels!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/venice-lake-como-sorrento-amalfi-coast-with-lots-of-rain

When are you going? I’ve done both and preferred the drive along the Amalfi Coast over Pompeii. I got tired of walking in the hot sun in Pompeii and it was in Nov. I believe I would have liked Capri more had I spent the night.
I took a bus to tour the coast from Sorrento. Hop on the first Sita bus that departs at 8:30a. Arrive early so you can get a good spot in line so you can grab seats on the right facing the driver. If they are all taken wait for the next bus.
Wear sea bands found in the drugstore on each wrist. The windy hilly Amalfi Coast Road comes with a lot of twists and turns. Ride it to Amalfi and tour the town before catching a ferry to Positano and tour the town there and have dinner. I would then take a ferry from Positano to Sorrento.

Currently the lines for the SITA buses are hundred plus at many bus stops. Sometimes the buses don't even stop when the buses are standing-room-only full. Not sure how you much you see when standing shoulder-shoulder in the middle of the bus.
The Positano ferry dock was knocked out in May during a storm. Not sure when it will be open again.
Have a great time!

I was in Sorrento long enough to do all three of the things you mention. Amalfi vs Pompeii depends on your interests. Pompeii is hot and dusty, but I find ancient Roman history fascinating so I loved being there. By the way, note that you can combine Pompeii with Vesuvius for a full day trip. I do think Capri and Pompeii offer more of a contrast than Capri and Amalfi Coast, but I was there in early May and it was warm but not crazy hot, so Pompeii was probably much easier to handle than in mid-summer.

If you do choose the Amalfi Coast, here's some possible help. When I was in Sorrento, I started out taking the bus; I got to the Sorrento train station early in the morning, and well ahead of the bus departure I wanted to be on, so there wasn't much of a line. Since that's the origin point of the bus line, it's easier to board there. If you have the option, sit on the right-hand side of the bus for the better views heading south.

I opted to ride the bus down to Amalfi, rather than disembarking in Positano, based on warnings I'd read about it being hard to get on the bus at the various towns. I took another bus up to Ravello, which I would highly recommend; the town is high above the coast and the views are spectacular, plus there are a couple of villas you can tour. Then I got the bus back down the hill, explored Amalfi, and traveled onward to Positano by ferry. Later I took another ferry from Positano back to Sorrento. If the ferry dock in Positano is still out, perhaps you could just return to Sorrento from Amalfi by ferry and skip Positano. It's beautiful to see from the water, but I actually preferred Amalfi as a place to visit, in part because Positano is a maze of steps and was by far the more crowded of the two towns (and, again, I was there in early May - I can't imagine what it must be like in July).

I hope you've reserved a bit of time for Sorrento itself. The pedestrian areas are fun to explore. And as much as I enjoyed my day trips, my favorite day of my week in Sorrento was a lazy Sunday when I wandered down to Marina Grande for a seafood lunch, hung out for a while at one of the beach bars, dipped my toes in the water, headed uphill for some lemon sorbetto at Il Giardini di Cataldo (and ate it sitting in the shade of their lemon grove), and later watched the sun set over the ocean. It was hard to leave after that.

I’m now leaning towards just doing the Amalfi coast. Would I get a good experience if I took the ferry to Amalfi and then to Positano, back to Sorrento. I was thinking of booking an all day group tour (van) but I’m not sure I would enjoy all the winding roads.

Again, check the status of the ferry dock in Positano, to determine when it's operational again. Safe travels!

On Ferry website, it will allow me to book a future date (next week) from Positano to Amalfi. Does this confirm the port is open?

I like Melissa’s itinerary. Take the local bus from Sorrento. I will probably get off in Positano and take my chances of getting a spot on the bus to Amalfi. I’m an early riser so I’m hoping to beat alot of tourists by taking one of the earliest buses from Sorrento. I plan on taking the Ferry back from Amalfi to Sorrento.

https://www.misterferry.com