Anthony Volpe's struggles are still at forefront for slumping Yankees

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe didn't do himself any favors with another lackluster performance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. 

Volpe went 1-for-5 at the plate in an 11-9 road loss. The shortstop has been the subject of criticism this season and will likely face even more scrutiny with New York losing control of the American League East. 

Toronto (48-38) and New York (48-38) are now tied for first in the division.  

New York has lost six of its last 10 games. Volpe's struggles at the plate are one of the main reasons the Yankees have been stuck in a free fall.

According to FanGraphs Baseball, Volpe has slashed .224/.304/.403 in 346 at-bats in 85 games this season with a wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) of 99. Weighted runs created plus is an advanced stat that accounts for factors like ballpark, and a wRC+ below 100 is considered subpar.  

Volpe seems like an offensive liability for New York, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone backs the 24-year-old shortstop. 

"While everyone loses their mind about things, he's a really good productive player," Boone said of Volpe before Wednesday's game, via Randy Miller of NJ.com. "Even offensively through some of the struggles this year, he's a little better than league-average performer at any position, let alone the shortstop position." 

Boone's comment seems foolish, as the numbers say otherwise. Keep in mind, though, the Yankees may not have another viable option at shortstop. Backup shortstop Oswald Peraza has a below-average .157 batting average through his first 54 games. Top prospect George Lombard Jr. is still with the Double-A Somerset Patriots. 

With that in mind, the Yankees need Volpe to turn things around. If he can't, he and the club may continue to tumble.