New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has been subjected to intense criticism amid defensive regression and offensive inconsistencies throughout the 2025 regular season. Conversations regarding torpedo bats and improvements in Volpe’s barrel percentage have quickly subsided as he needs a mental reset while focusing on baseball fundamentals. The 24-year-old shortstop is in the middle of his third major league season as there is ample time for growth and maturity. Volpe’s struggles are intensified due to the prominence of his defensive position and the standard of excellence that has been established when it comes to leadership and production. While athleticism and maximum effort are always evident with Volpe, the Yankees desperately need stability at shortstop right now instead of below-average performances accompanied by ongoing concerns at third base.
A first-round pick (30th overall) by the Yankees in Major League Baseball’s 2019 draft out of Delbarton School in New Jersey, Volpe received a $2,740,300 signing bonus which was $374,800 above the assigned value. The Yankees have a complicated history with first-round selections in Major League Baseball’s draft as not everyone has been catcher Thurman Munson, shortstop Derek Jeter and right fielder Aaron Judge. There have been a few cautionary tales, missed opportunities and questions regarding the development of pitchers. Most notably, right-handed pitcher Joba Chamberlain and the rules that were implemented to manage his workload.
Anthony Volpe And Immediate Defensive Excellence
Volpe won the 2023 American League Gold Glove Award in his rookie season. According to FanGraphs, only Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets played more innings at shortstop (1,365.1) than Volpe (1,346.2) as his excellence was highlighted by the advanced metric defensive runs saved (DRS). Volpe’s 15 DRS was third-best among major league shortstops. Not only did he win the award over finalists Carlos Correa of the Minnesota Twins and Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers, but Volpe was the youngest shortstop to achieve this feat at 22 years and 156 days old on the final day of the 2023 regular season according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Volpe is in a no-win situation given how he has already demonstrated an aptitude for playing defense at an elite level. Sometimes, young ball players take a step backward as development rarely occurs in a linear fashion. In Volpe’s case, he is confronting adversity in an unforgiving environment with enormous expectations. One could say Volpe is a product of his surroundings given how the Yankees have mastered the art of inconsistency and are prone to atrocious displays of defense. The Yankees have made 12 errors in 10 ball games against the Toronto Blue Jays, a ball club that plays an intelligent brand of baseball and places pressure on an opponent’s defense.
Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees, has been supportive of Volpe even as he has become increasingly frustrated with questions from the media regarding his shortstop’s defensive regression. “He’s still a top shortstop. He hasn’t made a few plays that has generated a lot of noise,” said Boone after a recent loss to the Blue Jays who are currently in first place in the American League East. While Boone has publicly defended Volpe, it’s hard to accept that defensive lapses over an extended period are merely noise when reality poses a problem.
Anthony Volpe And Current Defensive Struggles
Through the conclusion of the three-game series against the Blue Jays ending on July 23rd, advanced metrics such as defensive runs saved (DRS), outs above average (OAA), fielding run value (FRV) and runs above average (RAA) portray an unflattering tale of Volpe’s season. In 863.2 innings over 101 ball games, Volpe has posted a 1 DRS, -4 OAA, -2 FRV and -3 RAA according to FanGraphs. He is tied with shortstop Willy Adames of the San Francisco Giants and shortstop Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds for the second-most errors (13) in Major League Baseball. While well below Volpe’s standards, the matter becomes an area of even greater concern given how third base has been a lingering liability for the Yankees. Presently, the Yankees are seeing defensive production in the form of -1 DRS, -4 OAA, -3 FRV and -3 RAA from third base which doesn’t bode well for the left side of the infield.
Besides working with infield coach Travis Chapman on ways to improve accuracy and footwork, Volpe must unlock a mindset that personified the greatness of Jeter. It all begins with learning how to slow down a ball game in high leverage situations. Volpe possesses a tenacious work ethic, but it appears as if everything is done at a high-octane speed which adversely affects his decision making and performance. Instead of exuding confidence and trust in his instincts, Volpe is unsure of himself as evident in fielding ground balls on one knee. He appears to be unsettled, out of sync and acts with a sense of urgency.
While regression has temporarily replaced growth when it comes to assessing Volpe’s current performance, it is worth noting that he has been a durable, everyday ball player since his March 2023 major league debut against the San Francisco Giants. According to FanGraphs, there have only been four shortstops who have played at least 3,500 innings at the position beginning in 2023 and running through Volpe’s last ball game versus the Blue Jays. In fact, only two ball players have played more innings than Volpe (3,627.0) during this period: first baseman Matt Olson (3,764.0) of the Atlanta Braves and second baseman Marcus Semien (3,683.1) of the Texas Rangers. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Volpe is currently earning $879,100 and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time at season’s end.
Anthony Volpe has experienced a few setbacks in terms of performance, but he shouldn’t be a scapegoat for the roster deficiencies the New York Yankees have failed to address in recent years. As power in the American League East has quickly shifted in favor of the Toronto Blue Jays, don’t expect Major League Baseball’s upcoming trade deadline to serve as an antidote when attempting to cure all the Yankees’ ailments. Volpe is not a polished gem as he is still developing under the intense pressure of playing in New York. Instead of focusing on Volpe’s regression, maybe the time has come for a deeper dialogue on how the Yankees are failing when it comes to developing talent.