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Certainly, there are reasons for the Yankees to consider dropping shortstop Anthony Volpe to the minor leagues for a stint, an attempt to get his head cleared and his swing back on track. He appears to have entered another slump, one that threatens to make him a dead spot in the Yankees lineup. He’s also just 23 years old and in his second season, coping with the serious pressure that comes from playing shortstop for the Yankees.
Pulling him out of that pressure cooker for a bit before the Yankees begin their stretch run into the MLB postseason would seem to be both good timing and perhaps good sense. But general manager Brian Cashman is having none of it.
In an interview with Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Cashman was firm in saying that Volpe is going nowhere and that the organization is not even broaching the topic of a demotion to Triple A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre.
“We haven’t talked about it,” Cashman said. “I feel like, by far, we believe in him and, yes, his development continues at the major league level.”
Anthony Volpe Batting .095 in Last 11 Games
Still, the performance issues are worrisome with Volpe. He is batting .247 on the year, with a .297 on-base percentage and a .383 slugging percentage. Those numbers come after a hot start to the season. Since June 6, when Volpe was hitting .290, Volpe has been underwhelming: In 62 games, he is betting .206 with a .238 on-base percentage and a .321 slugging mark.
The last 11 games have been especially unsightly. His slash line in that span has been .095/.174/.199. Cashman, though, said that the Yankees have always expected ups and downs with Volpe, even if the current swing is very, very down.
“There are growing pains, obviously, when you pull the ripcord on somebody’s opportunity early, which he did earn (a starting job in spring 2023), but he’s still finding his way,” Cashman told Sherman. But, also, he’s by far our best player at that position (shortstop) and you could argue he’s our best player by far in our infield. So, no, there’s never been a consideration to sending him down.
“He’s working through everything in a thoughtful way. He’s working his tail off. And again, our opinion of him and his ability to eventually reach his ceilings are still intact.”
Yankees Sticking With Current Lineup
Volpe had such a good start to the season at the plate that he was moved up in the lineup, from seventh to sixth to leadoff, just 12 games into the year. But his struggles with the bat forced manager Aaron Boone to end that experiment, moving him back to the bottom half of the order after July 3.
At short, Volpe is, no doubt, talented and Cashman is right to say he is the team’s best infielder by far—though that is a reflection on the struggles of some of the team’s other infield options. Volpe is credited with 9.0 runs prevented at Baseball Savant, which is 12th in baseball at shortstop.
His swing needs help, though. Cashman said Volpe is working on it.
“He’s making adjustments and he continues to make adjustments and we are in lockstep with that,” Cashman said. “But we know he is making changes on the run. We know he’s growing and emerging. So I know what you are asking (about a short minor league stint), but it is not something we are considering. I would acknowledge and restate that he is our shortstop and we don’t feel we need to send him down to Triple-A to get a reset. We believe strongly that he’s going to be here and stay here and help us win games.”
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