The New York Yankees know Anthony Volpe hasn’t lived up to expectations, and his struggles are becoming harder to overlook as September begins.
The Yankees’ 24-year-old homegrown shortstop is hitting just .210/.273/.405 this season with 19 home runs and 70 RBIs.
His 86 wRC+ places him 14% below league average, marking a step back from last year’s already underwhelming offensive production.
Strikeouts are climbing, his on-base percentage is at a career-low, and he’s chasing power rather than developing a balanced approach.
Offensive decline raising red flags
Volpe’s advanced metrics tell a deeper story about where things are going wrong for him at the plate this season.
He ranks in the 65th percentile in barrel rate and the 72nd in chase rate, showing selective but flawed plate discipline.
Though he avoids expanding the zone often, his whiff rate sits at a glaring 24.8%, limiting his offensive consistency.
Over the last 15 days, he’s hitting just .136 with a .406 OPS, a brutal slump for New York’s playoff chase.
Boone rejects Triple-A demotion talk
Some have questioned whether Volpe would benefit from a demotion to Triple-A, but Aaron Boone shot down that idea quickly.
“First of all, he’s a more productive offensive player than he gets credit for,” Boone told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
“We just hammer the struggles, because, on some level, there were people that anointed him and expected so much. Even though he hasn’t come close to realizing what we expect and what he expects offensively — and acknowledging a few weeks this year where he struggled even defensively — he’s still a frontline defensive player at a premium position that is offensively somewhat productive.”
Boone doubled down further, saying, “Now, obviously, he’s had a 10-day stretch here where he’s gone from over a .700 OPS four months into the year to below. We want to send that guy down? What planet does that guy get sent down that’s a shortstop? I don’t know that planet.”
Defensive regression more alarming than the bat
What makes Volpe’s situation more concerning is that defense — once his calling card — has declined as well.
After posting 14 outs above average last season and playing at a Gold Glove level, he now sits at -7 OAA.
That regression has transformed him from one of baseball’s best defensive shortstops into one of its worst almost overnight.
It’s a shocking turnaround, and without defensive excellence to fall back on, his overall value to the team is collapsing.
Volpe’s mindset through the slump
Despite the mounting pressure, Boone insists the Yankees’ shortstop is handling the adversity well and doesn’t appear mentally shaken.
“I think we’ll get him through this,” Boone said. “I don’t think he should be sent down. I think mentally and emotionally, he’s so much better equipped to handle this than people might imagine.”
Volpe echoed similar sentiments after a recent game, saying, “It’s obviously frustrating because you want to get results and help the team. When you’re not doing that, it’s frustrating. At the same time, I felt it was close and in a good spot. I felt like I was taking good swings and putting together pretty good at-bats. It’s just a balancing act.”
Yankees Searching for solutions
The Yankees do have a fallback option in Jose Caballero, who makes frequent contact and plays at least average defense at shortstop.
While Caballero doesn’t bring star potential, his reliability contrasts sharply with Volpe’s inconsistency during a critical stretch of the season.
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For now, Boone is betting on Volpe to rediscover himself, but the patience of both fans and the front office is thinning.
New York is in a division race where every mistake is magnified, and Volpe’s struggles are weighing heavier with each passing game.
As for the future, the Yankees will certainly be considering all options, but it doesn’t seem they’re even close to giving up on Volpe yet. However, another bad half-year in 2026 could change that narrative.