Yankees Insider Gives Up Hope Of Anthony Volpe Fulfilling His Potential

Once hailed as the next great New York Yankees shortstop, Anthony Volpe’s rise in the Bronx came with plenty of buzz. Gold Glove defense, elite athleticism, and the promise of a developing bat had fans excited. Fast forward to year three, and that optimism is starting to fade.

The glove is still golden, the speed still plays, but at the plate, things have stalled. Even some of the Yankees’ most loyal supporters are beginning to ask hard questions.

More Questions Than Answers for the New York Yankees’ Young Shortstop

WFAN’s Brandon Tierney, never one to sugarcoat things, put it bluntly: “The Yankees have a real issue with Anthony Volpe.” That line echoed loudly across sports radio and social media, striking a chord with fans who have watched Anthony Volpe struggle to find consistency at the plate.

“He’s just not getting better. It is year three [of his big league career]. It is almost May. He is hitting .198, after hitting .209 in his first year and .243 [in his second year], which, at this point, feels like Wade Boggs. Volpe has, quite frankly, just not earned the right to play every night.” Tierney said, via WFAN Sports Radio on Friday, April 24.

Volpe came into the majors in March 2023 with high hopes and a skill set that reminded some of past New York Yankees greats. Slick fielding, great instincts, and leadership makeup. His rookie season had flashes of promise.

He hit a .209 batting average with 21 homers and swiped 24 bags, enough to earn him a Gold Glove in his debut season and suggest that his offensive game might follow with time. In 2024, the average climbed to .243. Not elite, but progress. And heading into 2025, many expected another jump. So far, that leap hasn’t happened.

Instead of progress, Volpe’s performance has plateaued and possibly regressed. Through the first month of the 2025 season, he’s hitting just .202 with a .696 OPS and four home runs in 94 at-bats. His strikeout rate is a red flag, too, with 31 strikeouts in 26 games.

Even more concerning is the recent dip. Over his last 15 games, he’s batting .160. What once looked like a hot start with four home runs in the season’s first five games now feels like a mirage. His OPS has plummeted from 1.073 to .680, and he’s hitless in his last two games.

Tierney didn’t hold back in his critique. “His on-base percentage, still below 30%. When’s this [improvement] going to happen, man? I’ve long ago abandoned any hope that he’s going to be like a [Bobby] Witt or a Gunnar Henderson, one of these young studs. I’m not even sure if he’s going to be a functional hitter at this point. His average is always low, he’s never on base enough, he’s a strikeout machine, and he’s wildly inconsistent,” he added.

“We can sit here all day and say, ‘He can run,’ ‘He can pick it,’ ‘Can you hit?… Can you hit? Can you hit? Year three,” Tierney emphasized.

That is a harsh assessment, but it’s hard to ignore when young stars across the league like Witt, Henderson, and even newcomers are making quick strides. Volpe, on the other hand, hasn’t taken that next step, and the comparison gap is growing.

To be fair, the Yankees aren’t panicking publicly. Manager Aaron Boone and the front office have continued to show faith in Volpe’s work ethic and defensive consistency. This is an indication that they believe in his long-term potential. His defense alone keeps him in the lineup for now.

But as the Yankees contend in a loaded American League, the pressure is real. Every at-bat matters. And if Volpe can’t hold his own offensively, the team may be forced to make a tough decision. Some insiders, like Joel Sherman of the New York Post, have even floated the idea of sending Volpe down to Triple-A to reset. That would have been unthinkable just a year ago.

At 23, Volpe still has time on his side. Plenty of players do not fully click until year three or four. But in New York, patience is a luxury not often afforded, especially when expectations are sky high and October is always the goal.

Right now, Anthony Volpe is at a crossroads. Can he rediscover the offensive upside that once had Yankees fans dreaming big? Or is the hype starting to outpace the reality?

Time, as always in baseball, will tell. But that clock is ticking.