Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe was on the field doing extra work on Wednesday, hitting balls off a tee at the plate, hours before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees’ hitting coach, James Rowson, watched closely, evaluating Volpe’s swings and offering feedback during training. Half an hour later, the Yankees’ starting lineup was announced, and for the second time in a week, Volpe’s name was not present. José Caballero was the starting shortstop. Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that he might make this decision more frequently in the last 17 games of the regular season and in the postseason.
The Yankees’ management, led by general manager Brian Cashman and Boone, has firmly defended Volpe during his struggles this season. Volpe’s performance last October, when he hit .286 with an .815 OPS in 14 postseason games, generated hope that he had overcome his struggles. However, the offensive leap that the organization projected when naming him starting shortstop in 2023 has not materialized. Volpe has hit 19 home runs and 70 RBIs this season, but is batting only .206 with an on-base percentage of .268 and 140 strikeouts in 141 games. His wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) of 81, which attempts to measure a player’s offensive production with adjustments for stadium effects and league scoring environment, ranks him 141st out of 146 qualified hitters this season. Since June 25, Volpe is batting .171 with an OPS of .573 in 63 games. In his rookie season in 2023, his wRC+ of 84 ranks 94th out of 95 batters with at least 1,500 plate appearances.We are in day-to-day mode. We are playing for a lot right now, and I have to make a decision every day with the lineup. I will make any difficult decision that I consider necessary. My hope is that he can start to improve, because I believe that when we are at our best, he is there impacting us on both sides of the field and frees up Cabby to play a different role as well. But, that said, I will make a day-to-day decision.
Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager
A regression in the field has magnified offensive difficulties this season. A Gold Glove winner as a rookie and a finalist last season, his -8 Outs Above Average (OAA) ranks him 23rd out of 24 qualified shortstops this year. Last season, he finished sixth with 14 OAA. Caballero is a stable shortstop and leads the majors with 43 steals in 52 attempts. The Yankees acquired the 29-year-old Panamanian from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of their moves at the trade deadline. At that moment, Cashman insisted that Caballero was just a good backup for Volpe, an option the team lacked, and a valuable utility player with games at six positions this season. But Volpe’s performance, combined with Caballero’s .765 OPS and good defense in 26 games with the Yankees, has opened the door to change.The peaks and valleys have been present and have been there every year. That’s why he’s worked very hard, and we’re working very hard to try to close those gaps a little bit, so that there’s more consistency on the offensive side of the game.
Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager
I feel like he deserves to play a little bit. Obviously, it’s been a tough stretch offensively here and it’s that time of year, everyone on board and I felt like that was the best decision for us today.
Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager
