The New York Yankees are high on shortstop Anthony Volpe taking the next step in 2025 at the plate.
Yankees think Anthony Volpe will carry over playoff surge
Per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees believe that Volpe can channel his play from October of 2024 into the upcoming season, and the feeling is mutual:
“[It makes] you feel pretty confident, knowing that when I’m locked in and doing what I need to do at the pinnacle of everything, you feel like it could play,” Volpe said. “I’m just focusing on those things — being simple, being athletic and trying to get my swing off.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone opened up on what he expects from the promising infielder in the upcoming campaign:
“I think his offense will eventually catch up with his defense,” Boone said. “He’s clearly had his ups and downs offensively. The first two years of his career have shown me what he’s capable of. He’s coming off a postseason offensively that was what you envision him being. I think that’s just him maturing as a hitter, maturing in his mechanics.”
Volpe’s last October was special for the Yankees
The 23-year-old slashed .286/.407/.408 at the plate with a praiseworthy .815 OPS in the 2024 postseason. Volpe was magnificent in the American League Championship Series, where he boasted a .353 batting average with five runs in the five-game series against the Cleveland Guardians.
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He then became the first player to ever hit four RBIs and two stolen bases in a World Series game when he did so for the Yankees in Game 4. Volpe finished the 2024 Fall Classic with one home run, five RBIs, three steals, and a stout .500 slugging percentage.
If his overall efficiency peripherals translate into the next regular season, the New York native will blossom into one of New York’s most vital hitters. That strong plate performance would meet his elite defense where it’s at, as he still carries his prowess from his 2023 Gold Glove Award-winning campaign. After losing superstar Juan Soto this offseason, the Yankees will need their sluggers to step up, and Volpe can be their X-Factor.