Let’s not sugarcoat it: New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has endured a brutal defensive season that’s hard to ignore.
The 23-year-old has committed 16 errors over 945 innings, already matching his total from last season in nearly 500 fewer frames.
His fielding percentage has plummeted to .958, a career low, after sitting comfortably higher during his impressive rookie campaign.
Advanced metrics paint an even grimmer picture, with only one defensive run saved and a staggering -6 outs above average this year.
Last season, Volpe tallied 14 defensive runs saved, looking like a budding Gold Glove contender—this year, he’s barely a replacement-level glove.
For a Yankees team desperate for consistency, watching routine plays turn into adventures has been a frustrating development for fans and coaches alike.
Volpe’s bat offers redemption—at least for now
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Volpe’s bat is heating up at a time the Yankees desperately need offense.
Through 110 games, he has 17 home runs and 60 RBIs, along with a 96 wRC+—just slightly below league average.
That may not scream “star,” but it’s the highest wRC+ of his young career, showing incremental offensive improvement amid defensive woes.
Over the last two weeks, he’s been electric, hitting .280/.302/.720 with seven home runs and an eye-popping 1.022 OPS.
When Volpe is driving the ball like this, his defensive miscues are easier for fans to overlook, at least temporarily.
It’s like a leaky boat that stays afloat as long as the motor keeps running; once the bat cools, the holes show.
Defensive lapses could haunt the Yankees
The real concern for the Yankees is how these defensive struggles impact them in tight games down the stretch.
Volpe’s issues turning double plays and his erratic throws to first have cost the team valuable outs in key moments.
In a razor-thin playoff race, one extra baserunner or one botched play can be the difference between October baseball or early vacation.
Aaron Boone and the coaching staff may privately weigh late-game defensive replacements if Volpe can’t stabilize his glove soon.
However, benching a young player with improving offensive production risks stunting his confidence during a critical stretch of the season.
Yankees running out of room for mistakes
The Yankees are currently in third place in the AL East and slipping further into a dangerous Wild Card race.
The Boston Red Sox have already leapfrogged them, adding extra pressure for New York to find consistency before it’s too late.
With the division as competitive as ever, the margin for error—both literal and figurative—has never been slimmer for the Yankees.
If Volpe’s bat goes cold while his defensive struggles continue, it could sink the team’s playoff hopes faster than anyone anticipates.
For now, the Yankees are counting on his recent offensive surge to outweigh his glove and keep them afloat in the standings.
