How Former Top Yankees Prospect Anthony Volpe Became Unplayable

The Yankees have an Anthony Volpe problem. Manager Aaron Boone put him back in the starting lineup Tuesday after benching him three times in the previous eight games in favor of Jose Cabellero. Volpe went 0-for-4 on three fly balls and a strikeout. He then went 0-for-5 on Wednesday with two strikeouts before bouncing back Thursday with a two-hit effort. Boone insists Volpe remains his “primary” shortstop, though the facts dictate otherwise.

Volpe, 24, has fallen into such a massive defensive slump he has lost his confidence and his fundamentals. Here’s what’s happening:

What Happened to Anthony Volpe? From Gold Glove to Struggles at Shortstop | Tom Verducci

He is not reliable enough right now to be a primary shortstop, especially because his offensive game has cratered. Volpe enters play Friday in a 3-for-40 slump with 14 strikeouts and no walks as part of one of the worst Augusts for the franchise in the past 105 years.

Worst August OBP, Yankees History (Since 1920, min. 80 PA)

So, what do you do with Volpe? Unlike Cabellero, he never has played a position other than shortstop, so he gives you no utility. He is not a useful bat off the bench (0-for-4 career as a pinch hitter). Maybe you spot him starts against lefthanded power pitchers and try to grow his confidence. He should be putting in Instructional League-style early work on his defense to regain his basic footwork and throwing mechanics.

The Yankees have little time left to return Volpe to being a quality impact player. They stuck with him so long in the face of obvious struggles they missed a window to get him a reset in the minor leagues. Volpe should be a plus defender—he is suffering from a lack of confidence, not skill—but has been a below-average hitter.

Few hitters have ever been given this much playing time in their first three seasons while hitting this poorly. There have been 321 players since 1920 who were given at least 1,500 plate appearances in their first three seasons. Volpe and MJ Melendez have the worst batting average with that much runway. The Royals have kept Melendez mostly in Triple A this season.

Lowest Batting Average, First Three Seasons (Since 1920)

Volpe has gone through many swing changes, hitting coaches and lineup spots in his three years. It’s still hard to believe Boone batted him leadoff less than a month into his rookie season. That’s not how he profiles. Volpe has a .288 OBP in 106 games as a leadoff hitter.

Through the changes and trials, Volpe has not found a consistent identity and approach as a major league hitter. His main hitting style includes opening his front side early. That’s not necessarily a flaw. But Volpe’s attack direction—the path of his barrel to the ball—seems to counter how his body initially moves.

Volpe is one of only nine hitters with an attack direction—the horizontal angle at which the sweet spot of the bat is traveling at the point of contact with the pitch—of 5° or greater toward the opposite field. That’s more of an in-to-out direction of the barrel, which is great for opposite-field hitting. But of the nine hitters with that extreme attack direction, Volpe and Jackson Holliday of the Orioles use the opposite field the least—barely above the average rate of 24.5%.

Hitters With 5°+ Opposite Field Attack Direction

Volpe’s bat path indicates he should be a better opposite field hitter. But the pitches that give him the most trouble are pitches that move away from him.

You can define Volpe as two different hitters, depending on the path of the pitch. He crushes four-seamers and sinkers. But once pitchers throw him pitches that work away from him—cutters and breaking pitchers from righthanders—he becomes a below average hitter.

Volpe by Pitch Shape, Career

Pitchers are equipped to identify and exploit weaknesses more than ever. That’s why Volpe is a terrible two-strike hitter (.125 career). Pitchers know he has difficulty with pitches moving away from him and that he makes poor swing decisions with two strikes. He has been one of the game’s worst two-strike hitters since he broke into the big leagues—as has his teammate on the left side of the New York infield.

Worst OPS With Two Strikes, 2023–25 (Min. 750 AB)

Volpe may be in a deep slump, but he still has a high ceiling. He is young, athletic, has exceptional defensive skills (currently missing because of a lack of confidence), good bat speed and a strong work ethic. You don’t give up on players with that package.

But the problem for Boone and the Yankees is one of timing. They have only 29 games before the postseason to get him right. But Volpe’s fixes require more than two days off and Cabellero right now is a better option. How much playing time Boone gives Volpe will continue to be an important and uncomfortable narrative for the manager.