Anthony Volpe May Have Finally Found His Stride

Among the positives so far, this young season for the New York Yankees, the power surge of young shortstop Anthony Volpe must be near the top. The 23-year-old is entering his third season in the big leagues, and though he’s been one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, his offensive production hasn’t been quite up to snuff. Producing an OPS of .661 over his first two seasons, Volpe has occasionally shown signs of taking the next step, particularly last postseason, but has not yet taken that big leap with the bat. However, it looks like the young shortstop might have big things in store for 2025.

Power Surge

Over the first five games of the season, Volpe has already hammered four home runs, capping his night on Wednesday with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees went on to lose 4-3, but it was an electric moment in an otherwise dull evening for New York’s offense.

Funnily enough, all four of Volpe’s hits this season have been home runs. Sporting an OPS of 1.073 after Wednesday’s loss, the Yankees have to be excited for their shortstop in spite of the small sample size. The New Jersey native has shown that he is capable of hitting the long ball, smacking 21 homers in his rookie campaign in 2023. But now, his potential at the plate appears to be coming to fruition with his red-hot start.

Keystone in the Lineup

The Yankees have already had their fair share of injuries in this young season. Among position players, Giancarlos Stanton and DJ LeMahieu are the two biggest losses so far, particularly the former, who hit 7 home runs last postseason to lead the Yanks to the World Series. As for LeMahieu, it’s truly anybody’s guess as to what he would bring to the lineup after an absolutely horrible, injury-riddled campaign last season. If anybody else goes down, this Yankee lineup will look even more fragile than it already is.

That is why it is so important for players like Volpe to step up on offense. New York cannot continue to rely on the otherworldly abilities of Aaron Judge to guide them to victory, as seen on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Yankee captain going 1-8 with 5 strikeouts over those two losses. If Volpe continues to solidify his presence as a threat in the middle of the lineup, the Yankees will look and feel much more secure in their Juan Soto-less lineup.

Extension On the Way?

With more teams locking up their young players by the day, the thought has inevitably crossed through the minds of both Volpe and Yankee management. There are zero doubts about his defensive abilities; two years ago, he became the 18th rookie to ever win a Gold Glove, and the first Yankee rookie to ever do so. The troubles for Volpe have largely come at the plate. So, if he establishes himself as a solid hitter with even more room for improvement, the Yankees may be forced to begin thinking about extending Volpe and officially making him their franchise shortstop for years to come.

Of course, this all depends on how Volpe performs for the rest of this season and beyond. He’s been through his fair share of hot and cold spells, so perhaps this recent offensive surge could be another streak that will go away in the coming weeks. Conversely, it could be a sign of better things to come for the 23-year-old. Regardless, what this means most is best put in his own words: “Being on a club where all that matters is wins, day to day, that urgency…that’s all that matters.”