Anthony Volpe got off to a scorching hot start, becoming the Yankees’ leadoff man and looking like one of the best young players in the league. After a horrid month of June where his slump seemed to coincide with the team hitting a wall, the young shortstop would see his numbers plummet. His OPS was no different to what it was last season, the power was completely gone, and the hitter who hit the 20-HR plateau looked incapable of launching the ball out of the ballpark. It was a seriously concerning situation offensively, one that masked an excellent season with the glove.
Since the All-Star Break though, the 23-year-old has flipped the switch, posting a 1.030 OPS in 13 games and finally adjusting to try and impart more damage on contact.
The Yankees Are Seeing Anthony Volpe Adjust Again
Quality of contact is something that’s talked about all the time, whether it’s a broadcaster mentioning a ridiculously high exit velocity or dialogue about launch angle that always seems to be controversial. There’s more that goes into good contact than just hitting the ball in the air or hitting it hard, and those things are rooted in concepts that you grow up learning while you play baseball. When you “square up” a baseball, you’re usually hitting it hard and on a line, with that kind of contact usually resulting in a base hit.
Hitting the ball well is an important part of being a good hitter, although that can mean different things for different players. Anthony Volpe went from a power-hitting infielder with a low OBP and high strikeout rate to a slap hitter this season, but the contact rates weren’t extraordinary and the walk rates were well below average. Volpe needed to strike out less than last season, but he also needed to remain a hitter who could launch the ball out of the ballpark and do damage on contact.
What’s important to note as well is that Anthony Volpe isn’t swinging and missing that much more either, his Zone Contact Rate was 86.6% on the season and it’s 86.4% over that 13-game sample size. We’ll see if this adjustment sticks or if Anthony Volpe is just getting hot after a really cold month where he couldn’t get anything going. With his wRC+ on the season at 101, it feels weird to say he’s been an average hitter because his peaks are so high and his lows are so low.
Despite his offensive inconsistencies this season, he’s still remained largely a success for a second-year player at a premium position. His +13 Outs Above Average are among the best defenders in all of baseball, and his 3.5 fWAR is the fifth-best among shortstops in 2024. If I told you that in 2024, Anthony Volpe would be a top-five shortstop on August 3rd, I think we’d all consider his season up to that point to be a massive success. This is a pivotal point in his career, and the Yankees need to continue to encourage him to try and do damage on contact at the plate.
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People often overlook the value of defense because we don’t always see the impact of an excellent defensive shortstop. It isn’t always about the highlight plays or the circus catches, it’s about getting to the ball with ease when most would have to make a diving effort to even stop it. It’s hauling in a pop-up that would drop for any other defender because they don’t have the range or quick twitch that Anthony Volpe does. He’s one of the best defensive players in baseball, and the fact that he plays shortstop makes him even more valuable.
On the basepaths he’s always generating value as well, taking the extra base when he can and potentially putting together a 20-25 stolen base campaign as well. Being just an okay hitter as he has been in 2024 means being a player who could end up with 4.5-5 WAR, an incredible outcome for a 23-year-old. It’s not talked about enough that the Yankees might have a second-year player put up a season that most first-round picks never end up having. He hasn’t “panned out” just yet, but he’s looking poised to be a steady shortstop on a contender for years to come.
This shift in power could be the difference between a solid player and a great one, and while the offensive numbers are just okay, being “just okay” with the bat might be enough for Anthony Volpe to ascend to stardom.