All Major League Baseball managers face criticism. It’s part of the job, particularly in a market like New York City.
Often times, that criticism is unwarranted and undeserved, driven by a passionate yet unrealistic fan base that only sees what it wants to see. But in this most recent case, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone seems to have brought it upon himself.
Yankees shortstop Aaron Volpe has been a target of fan angst for much of the season, and it isn’t too hard to understand why. After yesterday’s game, the 24-year-old has a slash line of .216/.288/.398, and it has been spiraling downward over the past month. Since June 15, Volpe has just 15 hits in 107 at-bats, a .140 average, with four home runs and 14 RBIs.
Volpe’s defense has also suffered. A Gold Glove winner during his rookie season in 2023, Volpe has made 11 errors this season, which is the most among all American League players and tied for third overall.
“He’s been atrocious,” said Derek Levandowski of the Pinstripe Territory podcast.
Aaron Boone Gets Combative Defending Anthony Volpe Despite Contrary Evidence
Boone has continually written Volpe’s name in the lineup card, primarily because there really is no other option at the shortstop position, and he has been a staunch defender of Volpe throughout his struggles, which is what a manager should do. But being blind to reality and dismissive of dissenting opinions, that isn’t very good for anybody.
Michael Kay, the television play-by-play announcer for the Yankees, spoke on his ESPN radio show about a recent postgame interview session during which Boone became visibly exasperated over “a very legitimate question” from YES Network reporter Meredith Marakovits about a defensive play that Volpe failed to make. Kay noted that a media relations official for the Yankees, sensing that “things were going off the rails a little bit,” ended the interview and Boone got up to leave the room, but note before making a mind-boggling comment.
“Boone turned to Meredith Marakovits and mouthed the words – everybody in the room saw it, so I’m not telling tales out of school. And the fact that Meredith actually questioned something about Volpe, Boone turned around and said, ‘He’s bleeping elite,’” Kay said. “Aaron actually believes he’s bleeping elite, that he mouthed that to Meredith that, ‘How dare you ask this question about Anthony Volpe.’”
It’s one thing to be supportive, even protective of a player, but for Boone to become so blatantly defensive and combative while ignoring the reality that is obvious to anyone watching, that will not do Volpe any favors.
“There’s nothing elite about Anthony Volpe, unless the definition of elite changed,” said the host of the Baddog Sports podcast. “Not elite, not good, not great, not even average.”
Aaron Boone Denounced as ‘Volpe’s Biggest Brainwashed Cheerleader’
But in Aaron Boone’s bizarro world, Volpe is “bleeping elite,” a comment that had Bleeding Yankees Blue analyst Robert Casey decrying Boone as “Volpe’s biggest brainwashed cheerleader.”
“Boone actually thinks that this kid is good,” Casey wrote. “I mean, he’s not, but for some odd, and strange reason, Boone defends this kid like he’s the next Derek Jeter. It’s not only misguided, it’s crazy and delusional.”
It’s gotten to the point where former Yankees great and current Fox TV analyst Alex Rodriguez is warning Boone that the status quo will block the Yankees from winning their 28th championship.
“You just cannot win a World Series with any player – not to personalize it to Volpe – but hitting 215,” Rodriguez said on the New York Sports Show. “And I know he’s hitting something like .150 over the last 35 games or something. It just is not acceptable.”
Yankees Fans Fuming Over Aaron Boone’s ‘Crazy and Delusional’ Outburst