The Yankees Need More from Anthony Volpe

Following an impressive rookie campaign in which he became the first New York Yankees rookie to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases, many fans in the Bronx expected a jump to superstardom for shortstop Anthony Volpe in his sophomore season.

Yet, with expectations soaring sky-high, Volpe has quickly fallen behind the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson. If he wants to be a part of that class of elite, young shortstops, he has to step up.

Don’t get me wrong, Volpe’s defense isn’t in question. Earning a Gold Glove in his rookie season and following that with 13 Outs Above Average so far this year, Volpe is everything the Yankees could have asked for in the field.

What is missing from his game is consistent production in the box. Volpe has done an outstanding job filling the shoes of the legendary Derek Jeter in the field, but if he wants to be the franchise shortstop for years to come, his hitting needs to progress.

Anthony Volpe’s Offensive Woes

Heading into the 2023 season, the Yankees were unsure who would take the lead at shortstop. Volpe and Oswald Peraza were in a position battle until Volpe earned the job with a strong spring training. Manager Aaron Boone plugged him right into the Opening Day lineup.

At only 22 years old, he was the Yankees starting shortstop. The team and the fanbase asked him to live up to the standard Jeter set during his Hall of Fame career. These were lofty expectations for a player who had only completed one full season above High-A.

The Yankees knew there would be growing pains, but they put their faith in Volpe’s defense and gave him the opportunity to play shortstop for the entirety of 2023.

As a bit of a surprise, Volpe brought a lot of power and speed, launching 21 home runs and stealing 24 bases. The rest of his offense wasn’t pretty, however, as he put up a .209 batting average, 167 strikeouts, and a .283 on-base percentage, the worst numbers in his professional career.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman and the front office preached patience and suggested Volpe would continue to mature, develop, and become a greater offensive contributor in his sophomore season.

Unfortunately, despite showing brief flashes of what he can provide in the lineup, Volpe has not yet reached the level of consistency the Yankees and their fans would’ve hoped for.

Hitting has been a bit of a roller coaster for Volpe in 2024. His offensive production has many peaks and valleys, and the team is hoping he can find some consistency heading into the postseason.

Volpe started the season absolutely on fire. Initially hitting out of the leadoff spot, he was an offensive spark ahead of the league’s most dangerous duo: Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Volpe appeared to be a great table setter for the lineup, posting a .271 BA and .757 OPS in March/April and a .293 BA and .812 OPS in May.

After a fiery start to 2024, Volpe had his worst month of the season in June, with a .220 BA and .547 OPS. He was no longer the leadoff hitter and was moved to the bottom half of the lineup.

Moving Volpe lower in the batting order possibly eased the stress that comes with being a leadoff hitter, even if it didn’t solve all his issues. He has a .264 BA and a .745 OPS hitting in spots five through nine, including a .282 BA and .761 OPS in 112 PA in the seven hole.

I’m sure Aaron Boone would be more than satisfied if Volpe were consistently producing those numbers in a spot surrounding Soto and Judge in the lineup.

What’s the Best Solution for the Yankees?

Although Volpe has solid stats when batting in the seven hole, his overall numbers might suggest using him right before the lineup flips.

His speed is desperately needed on the basepaths, and his only Yankees teammate who compares in sprint speed is Jazz Chisholm Jr. If Volpe gets on base – which is a big if right now – his speed and base-stealing ability will cause havoc for opposing pitchers, as they will have to put a little more focus on Volpe while Soto or Judge are nearing their at-bats.

Volpe’s three Runner Runs (per Baseball Savant) are tied for the fourth most in the league. Placing him near Soto and Judge, but not directly in front of them, will create greater production throughout the lineup.

While Volpe only has 12 PA batting ninth this season, he has 2 HR, a .500 BA, and 1.783 OPS in that spot. When he bats seventh or eighth and struggling teammates like Jose Trevino and Alex Verdugo are hitting right around or behind him, pitchers will always go right at him, giving him no sort of protection in the lineup.

To me, it seems like Volpe just needs to find the right situation. We’ve seen him perform like a superstar in spurts, and it may just take the right fit to see that more consistently.

With Gleyber Torres providing some stability out of the leadoff spot recently, there is no reason to mess with his success. Torres has hit .294 with a .772 OPS in August, primarily batting first in the lineup.

With options like Anthony Rizzo and Jon Berti returning to the roster soon, as well as Austin Wells’ success hitting cleanup, Boone should finally have some flexibility with his lineup, giving him the ability to bat Volpe ninth.

Conclusion

The Yankees organization and their fans do have to remember that Volpe is only 23 years old. He has been everything they could have asked for in the field and has shown flashes of being their franchise shortstop.

While his hitting continues to be streaky, fans need to have some appreciation for his growth. His batting average has risen from .209 last year to .250 this year. He has already tied his total for stolen bases from 2023, and he already has more hits, doubles, and triples than last season – and it’s not even the end of August.

Yes, his home run numbers are not nearly the same, but the Yankees should expect the homers to increase as he continues to gain major league experience.

For someone playing on the biggest stage in baseball, in the position with the highest expectations, Volpe is quite possibly the key to postseason success for the Yankees in 2024.

The league has seen Henderson and Witt take massive leaps in 2024, and many are demanding Volpe do the same. Patience must be preached, but at the same time, Yankee fans – including myself – want production, and we want it now.

For a team that was blessed with Jeter’s postseason play for so many years, expectations will be high for Volpe come October.

Stats updated prior to games on August 28.