The New York Yankees‘ play-by-play voice, Michael Kay, has never been afraid to speak his mind. But on his latest show, Kay let loose. In a scorching breakdown of the team’s recent loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Kay didn’t just question Aaron Boone’s managerial decisions—he tore them apart. The focal point? Anthony Volpe. The struggling shortstop committed his 12th error of the season, tied for the most in the American League. Boone, in his postgame comments, downplayed it as “just a few extra errors.”
Kay wasn’t having it.
“So there’s raw sewage hitting my head, but you’re going to tell me it’s raining?” he said. “You can’t keep putting a happy face on everything. Anthony is not having a year.”
And Kay didn’t stop there. He rattled off advanced metrics to support his frustration: Volpe ranks 29th in MLB in outs above average at minus-3, a statistic measuring a fielder’s ability to turn batted balls into outs, representing a notable drop from his +14 mark last season.
While Kay reiterated he believes in Volpe’s long-term potential, he said enough: “I’m not saying to rip him. But you can’t sell nonsense to your fan base. They’re getting angry — and I can’t blame them.”
Boone’s Lineups Under Fire
The criticism extended beyond Volpe. Kay blasted Boone and the front office for failing to field a consistent, logical lineup, most notably sitting Cody Bellinger during a pivotal series against the Blue Jays.
“Cody Bellinger never sits. I don’t care if he has bad numbers against Gausman. So what?” Kay said. “He runs the bases beautifully. He has a great two-strike approach [and] he does not sit.”
Kay also questioned the Yankees’ roster construction, highlighting their baffling decision to carry three left-handed-hitting catchers and no true third baseman. The lack of flexibility, he argued, ties Boone’s hands every night.
“You can’t have a roster where JC Escarra has no path to playing time and you’re trotting out non-hitters at third base,” Kay said. “That’s not an interchangeable lineup. That’s a mess.”
A Call for Tough Love and Urgent Change
Kay’s rant wasn’t just cathartic—it was a call to action. He emphasized that the Yankees, now four games out and entering a critical stretch of games before the trade deadline, can’t afford to keep kicking the can down the road.
“You’re two-thirds of the way through the season,” he warned. “You want to get back to the World Series? Cody Bellinger plays every day. You fix this roster. You don’t spin bad defense as ‘just a couple of plays.’”
Kay also cautioned Boone directly.
“Aaron, you’re making yourself look bad,” he said. “You can’t keep telling fans things are fine when they’re clearly not. That’s how you lose them.”
Yankees fans may not always agree with Michael Kay, but this time, his voice echoed a growing frustration in the Bronx. Between inconsistent play, suspect decision-making, and an organizational refusal to be honest with its supporters, patience is wearing thin.
“They want to get back to the World Series?” Kay said. “Then they better start playing like it — and stop talking like everything’s fine.”
Because, as Kay put it, “It’s not fine. It’s not good. And if something doesn’t change soon, they’re going to be fighting tooth and nail just to get a Wild Card spot.”
Yankees’ Voice Unloads on Team: “Stop Putting Lipstick on a Pig”