Yankees’ Brian Cashman vouches for Anthony Volpe. But a closer look shows reason for concern

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NEW YORK — Two years ago, Brian Cashman passionately defended the New York Yankees’ player development arm during an hourlong back-and-forth with the media at the 2023 GM Meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz. At the heart of his defense was shortstop Anthony Volpe, who won a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season but finished in the bottom 10 of the league offensively.

Cashman was adamant that Volpe would “crush it offensively” the following season and that his struggles at the plate in 2023 were related to not getting much experience at Triple A, even though the Yankees viewed him as the best option for the major-league shortstop job out of spring training.

In 2024, the year Cashman expected a breakout offensively, Volpe posted a worse OPS (.657) than his rookie season (.666). Now in his third season, Volpe once again has an OPS below .700.

During his first two seasons, the Yankees could point to Volpe’s defense and base running as two major pros in his profile as he worked to figure out big-league pitching. Following his Gold Glove as a rookie, Volpe was an even better defender in Year 2, though he was only a finalist for the American League award. He was also a clear positive on the basepaths, according to FanGraphs’ metrics.

But in Year 3, Volpe has regressed defensively and on the bases.

Entering Wednesday’s game, Volpe’s minus-3 outs above average tied him with Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, his Yankees predecessor, who was a major source of rage amongst New York’s fan base because of his poor defense. And Volpe has already tied a career-high by getting caught stealing seven times, including an attempted swipe of third base in which he made the first out in extra innings against the Boston Red Sox.

Both skills have regressed, and it’s put even more emphasis on his lack of hitting. It’s led to questions about whether Volpe is the right fit to be the Yankees’ shortstop of the present and future, but despite the concern, he still has a supporter in Cashman.

“He’s our shortstop,” Cashman said Wednesday. “I don’t forget where he was and what he was doing on the biggest stage of the game last October. Despite the twists and turns of how the season currently is playing out, a lot of season is left to be played. I am not counting him out. I know he’s going to be part of the solution.”

Brian Cashman says he is a fan of Anthony Volpe and adds that he admires Volpe’s “strength and fortitude” when asked if he is the shorstop of the future:

“He’s the starting shortstop of the New York Yankees that helped us get to a World Series last year. Performed in the World… pic.twitter.com/vJTgJDmX2E

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 9, 2025

The Yankees can be defensive about Volpe, perhaps more so than any other player on the roster. After Volpe did not field a hard-hit groundball off the bat of Pete Alonso that ricocheted into left field this past weekend in the Subway Series, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked if it was a play that his shortstop needed to knock down. At the time, hitters were batting just .085 on groundballs hit 108 mph or harder at shortstops this season.

Boone told reporters that it would have been a special play for Volpe to make, but as he left the podium, the manager was visibly annoyed.

“He’s f—ing elite,” Boone said about Volpe’s defense.

It’s understandable why the Yankees would be upset by the questioning of Volpe’s defense. Before this year, his defense was superb. He was second in outs above average in the American League last season. But this year, he’s the fifth-worst shortstop by OAA in the AL. Volpe has shown the ability to make unbelievable highlight plays, but this season he has sometimes struggled with the routine, like his mishaps in Toronto last week.

Anthony Volpe’s defensive metrics are down in Year 3. (Michael Urakami / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

But where the Yankees’ defense of Volpe falls short is apparent when examining what he provides offensively. When he was a prospect and when the club named him the starting shortstop, Volpe was viewed internally and by scouts as a bat-first player. Thinking of him being a glove-first, light-bat was never a consideration.

And yet, since his rookie season, Volpe has been one of MLB’s worst 20 hitters. His 86 wRC+ is the same as Kiner-Falefa’s since 2023. Volpe has produced a few stretches for  fans and the organization to dream on. He was one of the club’s best performers in the postseason last year. The total package was on full display in Game 4 of the World Series when he became the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle to hit a grand slam and steal multiple bases in any game.

However, Volpe’s inconsistency makes him a puzzling player to evaluate.

“I know as we get into Year 3, it’s at a time where there’s been those ups and downs,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said. “Is it ever going to kind of level off? My opinion? Yes. He’s gonna ultimately reach that form. I’m hoping it’s sooner than later because he’s already reached it. What we’re looking to find out is can he maintain it consistently? It’s not whether or not he can do it. The question is, can he do it for longer lengths of time?”

So far, the answer is no. And the odds of Volpe becoming at least an average MLB hitter are not in his favor.

According to Stathead’s Katie Sharp, there have been 192 players, including Volpe, in MLB history who’ve had at least 1,500 plate appearances through their age-24 season and an OPS+ below 100. Of those 192, 38 ended their careers with an OPS+ of 100 or better. Only four of the 38 players started their careers since 2000, and only one is still playing: Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte; along with former outfielders Adam Jones and Melky Cabrera, and ex-infielder José Reyes.

A discouraging factor for Volpe’s outlook offensively is that he can’t stick with an approach that works for him in the big leagues. As a rookie, his approach was to showcase his slugging potential, which had helped him become the organization’s No. 1 prospect. Volpe hit 20 home runs, but he was left feeling unsatisfactory about his lack of contact and made adjustments for Year 2. To address it, Volpe flattened his bat path to become more of a singles hitter. That did not work, as his slugging disappeared.

This year, Volpe is posting the fastest bat speeds of his career and yet still has below-average hard-hit rates. He has been caught in between his mechanics and his approach not working for him. In April, Volpe had an open stance and a steeper swing, according to Statcast’s stance and attack angle metrics. Since then, he has closed off his stance and flattened his swing in May and June, before reverting back to his initial approach in April.

“He made a great adjustment coming into ’24 on his own,” Rowson said. “He was able to stay through the ball and really work the ball into right field, right-center field. He made a great move to that. The league makes adjustments and they start to throw in. Now it gets a little bit tougher. He had to adjust again.

“This year, he’s working slightly up more than he was early on. I don’t think nearly at the pace that he was initially. It’s like trying to find that middle ground. Volpe can hit for average and have power. He’s a good hitter with power, not a power hitter. It’s a combination of those two things.”

Hitting coach James Rowson said of Anthony Volpe: “It’s not whether or not he can do it. The question is, can he do it for longer lengths of time?” (William Purnell / Imagn Images)

A rival hitting instructor said Volpe will continue to have difficulty finding consistent success until he’s able to be on time with pitches. The hitting coach pointed to Volpe’s weight shift in his back legs being out of sync, which leads to pitchers being able to attack him on breaking and off-speed pitches. This season, Volpe has posted the worst numbers of his careers against non-fastballs.

Volpe recently told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty that “it might sound crazy, but I feel good,” despite the struggles. Boone has previously said Volpe has been a better-than-league-average performer at shortstop, but he currently has the fourth-worst wRC+ and fWAR among all qualified shortstops. Since his rookie season, he has the fourth-worst wRC+ among 26 qualified shortstops and ranks 17th in fWAR.

“I think he could be a really good player in this league,” Boone said last week. “That’s what he’s been so far. His third year hasn’t been the ascension that some people want. I get that. The reality is he’s 24 and a really productive player and has been a really productive player this year. That’s important to know while everyone loses their mind about things. He’s a really good, productive player, even offensively through some of these struggles this year.”

His age could be pointed to as a reason to showcase patience, however he has played the most games out of all players 24-or-younger since his debut.

Among the 17 qualified players 24-or-younger, Volpe’s wRC+ is the fourth-worst, but his fWAR is eighth-best. One benefit the Yankees have with Volpe that should be part of the evaluation is he has yet to hit arbitration, which won’t occur until next year, and he’s making less than $1 million this season. Having affordable players on the books allows owner Hal Steinbrenner and the front office to pursue pricey veterans.

So what is Volpe in Year 3? A complicated player to evaluate whose value is likely overstated internally.

“We’re fortunate to have a really good one in Anthony Volpe,” Boone said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t want and expect him to continue to get better and better. He’s 24. Everyone’s trajectories are a little bit different. You see late bloomers sometimes offensively. Sometimes you see a steady ascent. I think he’s a better offensive player now than he was last year and the year before. Hopefully that plays itself out the rest of the way.”

(Top photo: Evan Bernstein / Getty Images)

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