Aug 12, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Yankees Can't Figure Out Anthony Volpe Problem

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Sometimes, Anthony Volpe will do something spectacular that makes you realize why he was such a highly touted prospect. There was the night he hit a 442-foot blast that went dead center at Yankee Stadium, which would have been gone in 30 out of 30 parks. His World Series grand slam with the season on the line was one of the few great October moments we've seen from the Aaron Judge era. Unfortunately, these astonishing feats are usually followed by Volpe looking like the worst hitter in baseball for weeks and months on end. This is why, when James Rowson, New York Yankees hitting coach, was asked about Volpe's struggles, he had no answer.

In an interview with Chris Kirschner at The Athletic, Rowson didn't give a concrete explanation as to why Volpe has struggled as much as he has:

"It's a hard question to answer, to be honest with you," Rowson told the Athletic. "It's hard to say why it hasn't been there because I can tell you that it hasn't been for a lack of the way he gets after it.

"There is really no real answer to say, 'Hey, this is specifically why this guy is inconsistent. Sometimes you say that when a guy's work is inconsistent, but there's nothing inconsistent about the way he works."

Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Yankees have stuck by Volpe through some of his worst streaks at the plate. It is due to this durability that Volpe is one of 50 players who have accumulated over 1,700 plate appearances since the start of the 2023 season. The issue is that his OPS is the lowest of all of them. According to Stathead, his .665 OPS ranks him 50th among these hitters. He is also the only one with a sub-.700 OPS. The next worst player is Dansby Swanson, who has a .716 OPS.

If it feels like Anthony Volpe has been the worst hitter in baseball, that's because he has been. It is why Jose Caballero has begun to take reps at short. The leash Volpe has had is getting smaller. Even still, Rowson believes that Volpe will inevitably succeed.

"I completely believe that he is. And I believe that the spurts of him going good over time will continually last longer and longer until, at some point, it's a non-story. But when that day is, I don't have the crystal ball to tell you that."

To make matters worse for the young shortstop, his defense has cratered with his bat. He has -7 Outs Above Average on the season at the position. Last year he had 14. His one defensive run saved is okay, but it's a substantial drop-off from 2024, when he had six and 15 in his rookie year, when he won the Gold Glove award.

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