The New York Yankees offense has been unusually quiet lately, and one of the biggest culprits dragging them down is young infielder Anthony Volpe.
This season, Volpe is hitting just .202/.303/.394 with a .697 OPS across his at-bats.
He’s managed four homers and 15 RBIs, but he’s sporting a career-high 28.4% strikeout rate, paired with an 11% walk rate.
In terms of value, Volpe is just barely clinging to average, hosting a 104 wRC+, meaning he’s been 4% better than the average MLB hitter.
But those numbers are a bit of an illusion, heavily propped up by a hot start to the year.
Over the past 15 days, Volpe has gone ice-cold, hitting just .170/.286/.234 and watching his production plummet at the worst possible time.
“You’re a good series away from being back in that [.800 OPS] neighborhood,” the manager said on Friday.
Can Yankees’ Anthony Volpe Find His Swing Again?
Manager Aaron Boone remains optimistic, suggesting that Volpe is only a “good series away” from a breakout.
However, high fastballs have been his kryptonite, eating him alive and making consistent contact nearly impossible.
“I thought he was really good, and I noticed [his swing during batting practice] being a little bit more where it needs to be,” Boone said.
Despite hitting the ball harder than ever, Volpe is whiffing on 31.4% of pitches he swings at, ranking in just the 15th percentile for strikeout rate.
It’s like watching a power hitter try to play catch-up on a treadmill—he’s moving, but not getting anywhere.
“But he’s walking more, hitting the ball hard,” Boone said, via the New York Post. “Got to get a little more contact, but no reason to think that can’t start to happen again.”
Defensively, Volpe continues to shine, recording four defensive runs saved and one out above average with a stellar .990 fielding percentage.
But in baseball, even the most sparkling glove can only cover up offensive struggles for so long.
The Yankees Need More from Their Shortstop
The Yankees desperately need Volpe to be more than just a defensive wizard.
Without him providing at least league-average offense, their lineup depth takes a serious hit, especially when facing elite pitching.
Unfortunately, there’s no replacing Volpe — he’s locked into shortstop for the foreseeable future.
The Yankees are going to have to ride out this brutal cold streak and hope that Volpe finds his rhythm again.
If not, they may have to adjust expectations and settle for defensive excellence with modest offensive contributions, at least for now.