Anthony Volpe has become one of the most attention grabbing players in pinstripes this season. The New York Yankees shortstop, once seen as the franchise’s next great homegrown star, is leading the American League in errors with 18 through 132 games. His defensive struggles, combined with a .207 batting average, have heightened the frustration among fans as the Yankees battle to secure a playoff spot.
Naturally, the question has come up: Should Volpe be sent down to the minors to reset? Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t just reject the idea — he scoffed at it.
“First of all, he’s a more productive offensive player than he gets credit for,” Boone told The Athletic. “We just hammer the struggles because on some level, there were people that anointed him and expected so much. Even though he hasn’t come close to realizing what we expect and what he expects offensively—and acknowledging a few weeks this year where he struggled even defensively—he’s still a frontline defensive player at a premium position that is offensively somewhat productive.”
“Now obviously, he’s had a 10-day stretch here where he’s gone from over a .700 OPS four months into the year to below. We want to send that guy down? What planet does that guy get sent down that’s a shortstop? I don’t know what planet?”
Boone’s Vote of Confidence vs. Reality
Boone’s defense of Volpe is firm, but it highlights the tension between the Yankees’ long-term vision and their short-term needs. The team has invested heavily in developing Volpe as their everyday shortstop, and shuttling him to Triple-A at this point would be a dramatic shift in philosophy. Boone sees him as an above-average defender despite the errors — a claim backed by certain advanced metrics — and points to streaks of offensive productivity as proof that Volpe isn’t far off from breaking through.
But leading the league in errors and hovering around the Mendoza Line with the bat isn’t something a playoff contender can easily overlook. Even if Boone dismisses the idea of a demotion, fans and analysts see Volpe’s struggles as a legitimate risk for a team that can’t afford defensive miscues in tight September and October games.
Yankees’ Big Question
The Yankees clearly intend to ride it out with Volpe, banking on his talent, occassional clutch hitting, and long-term potential outweighing his current inconsistencies. Whether that commitment costs them in the late stretch remains to be seen. If the Yankees make a deep postseason push, Boone’s loyalty may look like foresight. If they fall short, Volpe’s glove and bat will be an easy target.
For now, Boone isn’t budging. Anthony Volpe is his shortstop — errors, slump, and all.
