Can One Slow Roller Change the Yankees' Struggling Shortstop’s Season?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 3:40 PM ET

Anthony Volpe didn’t just break his slump Saturday—he broke it twice.

After going hitless in his last 25 at-bats, the Yankees’ struggling shortstop reached base in the third inning with a swinging bunt that barely rolled up the third base line. Two innings later, he got all of one.

Facing Orioles reliever Andrew Kittredge in the fifth, Volpe turned on a pitch and sent it into the left field seats for a solo home run. It was his first home run in 14 games.

From a 47-foot dribbler to a 383-foot blast, it was the kind of turnaround that makes baseball weird—and maybe a little wonderful.

Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, now calling the game on YES, didn’t hide his reaction after the infield hit: “That’s a rocket for him. That’s a relief,” Girardi said. “We see him smiling—we haven’t seen that in a while.”

The 24-year-old had been mired in a brutal slump that stretched back over a week. In his previous 44 at-bats, Volpe had managed just nine hits, with a .205/.255/.341 slash line over the last two weeks. His OPS during that span had sunk to .596.

Tony V says hello to the short porch #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/38IB3A8UAn
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 21, 2025

But Boone kept him in the lineup because Volpe had a solid .333 average (6-for-18) with one double and four RBIs against Eflin.

Saturday’s hit was hardly loud contact, but it was enough. The Yankees came into the game having lost seven of their last eight games and in scoring drought that had brought the team’s offensive shortcomings under a microscope.

And in particular, Volpe’s shortcomings were being dissected.

Volpe has cooled off significantly in June. Over the last two weeks, he’s hitting just .125 with one extra-base hit and a .188 on-base percentage. During the last five games, he’s chased pitches out of the zone 32% of the time—up from his season average of 22%, according to YES Network research.

The Gold Glove shortstop has made several errors and mistakes. He's been called a bust on the Yankees radio station and offered advice by an actual former Yankees bust.

When Michael Kay asked Girardi if one slow roller can change things for a hitter, the former manager did not hesitate.

"Absolutely," Girardi said. "Confidence in hitting is so important."

It looks like Volpe has rediscovered his swagger.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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