The Yankees had every reason to believe shortstop wouldn’t be on their list of midseason headaches in 2025.
Yet here they are, staring at an unexpected storm swirling around Anthony Volpe — the 24-year-old they hoped would anchor their infield for years.
Watching him lately feels like watching a promising young pilot lose his way in heavy fog, unsure of his own instruments.
His game isn’t just slipping in one area; it’s unraveling on both sides of the ball.
Volpe’s bat fading fast after a promising start
To be fair, Volpe gave the Yankees optimism early this season.
He hit .245 with a .764 OPS in April, then posted a .242 average and .704 OPS in May.
Those aren’t eye-popping, but they’re the marks of a competent hitter trending upward.
Since then, though, his offensive profile has collapsed.
He batted just .205 with a .665 OPS in June and has plummeted to an ice-cold .125 with a .333 OPS so far in July.
Volpe now owns an 87 wRC+, making him 13% worse than the average major leaguer.
Even worse, aside from a solid chase rate in the 84th percentile, he’s below average in nearly every offensive metric.
Defensive drop-off has been even more alarming
The Yankees could live with below-average hitting from Volpe if he still provided Gold Glove-caliber defense.
But that pillar is crumbling, too.
Last season, Volpe logged 14 outs above average and 15 defensive runs saved, playing like one of the best shortstops in baseball.
In 2025, he’s plummeted to -3 outs above average and just three defensive runs saved over 812.2 innings, while also committing 11 errors.
His .966 fielding percentage is far from elite, and the eye test is equally concerning.
Volpe looks hesitant and passive, failing to showcase the fearless aggression that was once his trademark.
Yankees facing uncomfortable long-term questions
It’s hard to understate the urgency here.
Shortstop is arguably the most important defensive position on the field, and Volpe was supposed to lock that down.
If his glove doesn’t rebound dramatically in the second half — and if his bat doesn’t stabilize — the Yankees could be staring at a massive long-term hole.
They’ve built a team meant to compete right now, but it’s tough to win consistently when your shortstop is a liability in both hitting and fielding.
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Boone’s faith only goes so far
Manager Aaron Boone continues to voice unwavering confidence in Volpe, hoping it will help snap him out of this funk.
But even Boone can’t ignore the obvious signs of regression that have become impossible to miss.
The Yankees badly need Volpe to find his footing again.
If he doesn’t, their plans for this season — and possibly the next few — could unravel just as quickly.
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