For Volpe, best is 'yet to come' after stellar end to '24
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochTAMPA, Fla. -- There was a noticeable shift in Anthony Volpe¡¯s plate demeanor during the postseason, a time when several loud cracks off the Yankees shortstop¡¯s bat prompted his manager to clap and bark from the top step of the dugout: ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±
Volpe¡¯s October encapsulates what the Yankees are banking on as he enters his third season in the big leagues, offensive potential that he has touched for brief periods. The challenge now is for Volpe to maintain that production over a full campaign.
¡°[It makes] you feel pretty confident, knowing that when I¡¯m locked in and doing what I need to do at the pinnacle of everything, you feel like it could play,¡± Volpe said. ¡°I¡¯m just focusing on those things -- being simple, being athletic and trying to get my swing off.¡±
There aren¡¯t many signature moments for Yankees fans to savor from a Fall Classic lost to the Dodgers in five games, but Volpe¡¯s Game 4 stands out. With his team facing elimination, Volpe belted a go-ahead grand slam, becoming the first player to notch four RBIs and two stolen bases in a World Series game.
Volpe will never forget that night, but it wasn¡¯t a one-off performance. He¡¯d reached base in seven of 16 plate appearances in the American League Division Series against the Royals, then slashed .353/.476/.412 (6-for-17) in the AL Championship Series against the Guardians, reaching base multiple times in three of the five games.
To Boone, Volpe¡¯s playoff showing marked a return to the form that prompted the Yankees to anoint him as their starting shortstop ahead of schedule in 2023.
¡°I think his offense will eventually catch up with his defense,¡± Boone said. ¡°He¡¯s clearly had his ups and downs offensively. The first two years of his career have shown me what he¡¯s capable of. He¡¯s coming off a postseason offensively that was what you envision him being. I think that¡¯s just him maturing as a hitter, maturing in his mechanics.¡±
That autumn provided other coming-of-age moments for Volpe. As the Dodgers celebrated their triumph on the Yankee Stadium infield, he and several others shed tears by their lockers. The memory still stings.
¡°Some of those feelings, you don¡¯t necessarily get over, ever,¡± Volpe said. ¡°But I think our team and our clubhouse have done a pretty good job of using those things and those feelings to push us to new heights.¡±
The Yankees saw mixed results from Volpe during the regular season. He began the year hot, hitting .285/.347/.434 in his first 65 games from March 28 through June 8. Boone elevated Volpe into the leadoff spot on April 10, where he¡¯d remain until July 4, when a falling on-base percentage necessitated a shift to the bottom third of the lineup.
Overall, Volpe posted a .243/.293/.364 slash line across a career-high 160 games, with 27 doubles, seven triples, 12 homers, 60 RBIs and 28 stolen bases.
¡°I think there¡¯s more there,¡± general manager Brian Cashman said. ¡°He¡¯s someone we¡¯ve felt good about for a long time, as you know. He¡¯s entering his third season, played in a World Series at a premium position ¡ and performed at a high level. So I think the best is still yet to come for Anthony Volpe.¡±
As the lone mainstay in a Yankees infield that has been remodeled since October, Volpe said his focus is on ¡°building chemistry with all the guys.¡±
Paul Goldschmidt is now at first base in place of Anthony Rizzo, third base is an open competition between DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Yorvit Vivas, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has replaced Gleyber Torres as Volpe¡¯s double-play partner. Volpe raves that Chisholm ¡°has probably one of the best arms in the infield I¡¯ve ever played with.¡±
¡°He¡¯s super excited and so athletic, and has so much range,¡± Volpe said of Chisholm. ¡°I think the more we can play with each other throughout the spring, the better, just ironing out positioning and talking and really not trying to overstep each other. They¡¯re all really good problems, but stuff we¡¯re going to have to work on.¡±
The Yankees are open to trying Volpe as a leadoff hitter again; Boone intends to use Spring Training to evaluate his choices. Jasson Dom¨ªnguez (MLB Pipeline's No. 21 overall prospect), Ben Rice and Chisholm have already taken turns in the top spot. Volpe surely will get chances, too.
¡°I just want to take care of the strike zone a lot more,¡± Volpe said. ¡°When I do that, I feel like I can impact the ball a lot better and just take my natural swing, which I feel like plays [in the Majors]. But when I get too big or too outside the strike zone, no one hits those pitches.
¡°Going through two full seasons seeing all the pitchers and how they want to attack me, you build a pretty good database. Being able to tap back into those things and use the things I¡¯ve learned and am working on, I¡¯m really excited.¡±