The 2023 season has been a roller-coaster ride for New York Yankees‘ rookie Anthony Volpe. He has experienced periods of excellent performance intertwined with occasional struggles, a pattern expected for a promising first-year player like him.
Volpe has batted ninth, led off, and even hit seventh as Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone seeks optimal spots for him to flourish. After a somewhat challenging phase, the dynamic rookie is regaining his stride at a crucial time, helping the Yankees rise from the AL East’s depths and secure seven wins in their last ten games.
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Yankees’ Anthony Volpe is picking things up:
In his most recent six games, Volpe has significantly upped his game, boasting a .280 batting average, an astounding .680 slugging percentage, and a 158 wRC+, indicating he has performed 58 percent better than the league average during this period. The Yankees must be exceptionally satisfied with his progression so far this year.
Over these last six games, the rookie shortstop has also demonstrated a commendable 17.6% barrel percentage and an impressive 47.1% hard-hit rate. Barrels, as determined by exit velocity and launch angle, represent the most desirable type of batted ball.
Overall this season, the young Yankees’ shortstop has achieved a .217/.300/.388 batting average with a 92 wRC+. This statistic implies he has been nine percent below the league-average batter, but considering he essentially bypassed Triple-A, only playing a few games, his performance is far from disappointing. Adding to that Volpe’s contributions on the basepaths (13 stolen bases) and his excellent fielding skills, one can see a highly talented player on the rise.
Volpe has proved to be a valuable asset for the Yankees, demonstrating rapid improvement.