The Struggles of Anthony Volpe in 2025

Anthony Volpe’s performance at the plate in 2025 has raised a lot of eyebrows. His .212 batting average has been a point of discussion, especially when Alex Rodriguez used it as an example of the New York Yankees’ flawed hitting philosophy during a recent appearance on WFAN. While A-Rod praised Volpe’s base-stealing ability, he emphasized that such talents are meaningless if the 24-year-old shortstop can’t get on base consistently. Volpe’s career lows in steals (18) and on-base percentage (.272) in 2025 seem to back up A-Rod’s argument.

Despite some disagreement with Rodriguez’s comments, many Yankees fans appear to agree with his assessment. They are tired of Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman repeatedly referring to Volpe as a future star, especially given his career .662 OPS and 84 OPS+.

New Apologists for Volpe

It seems like new apologists for Volpe are emerging daily. It’s not just Boone, Cashman, and analysts like Erik Kratz who defend him. A recent article on MLB.com identified a “bounceback” candidate for each club, and for the Yankees, it was Volpe. This has left many fans puzzled about why people continue to expect great things from him.

The section on Volpe in the bounceback article was written by Bryan Hoch, the Yankees writer for MLB.com. He started the piece by mentioning Volpe’s left labrum tear, highlighting his shoulder injury as a recurring excuse for his regression last season. Kratz also pointed to Volpe’s shoulder as a reason to argue that playing through the injury showed improvement or at least no decline in 2025.

Durability vs. Performance

Hoch also emphasized Volpe’s durability as a strength, suggesting that playing every day and hitting .212 makes him more valuable than a bench player hitting .236 when called upon. He mentioned that Boone would “like to see Volpe get on base more consistently,” before referencing Volpe’s grand slam in the 2024 World Series as a sign of future greatness.

While no one is denying Volpe’s clutch moments, such as his surprising Game 1 home run off Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet in the most recent American League Wild Card Series, it’s important to note that these performances were part of a small sample size. In the 2025 postseason, Volpe hit .192 with a .538 OPS, which somewhat undermines his strong 2024 playoffs.

Flashes of Potential

Volpe has always had flashes of brilliance. These moments were enough to earn him a No. 8 finish in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 and a Gold Glove. However, his defensive skills have often been a liability. His big hits have been overshadowed by prolonged slumps, particularly in the previous season.

Fans Want Change

Yankees fans are tired of hearing about Volpe’s potential. They want people to stop talking about him until he proves he can produce consistently or be replaced by someone more deserving of a position once held by Derek Jeter. The idea of him being a bounce-back candidate for 2026 is met with skepticism and frustration.