Since the moment New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe was called up to the Bronx in 2023, the fanbase put lofty and unnecessarily high expectations on him – but now is not the time to write him off just yet.
Over his last 20 games since May 5, No. 11 has slashed .263/.326/.434 with a .760 OPS. Over that stretch, he’s recorded six doubles, two triples, one home run, 13 RBI, 20 hits, and eight walks. Those numbers aren’t perfect, but for a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop, what more could you ask for from him?
In terms of shortstops, he ranks near the top of the league in most major offensive categories:
- 2nd in BB%: 10.2%
- 4th in RBI: 32
- 4th in WAR: 1.4
- 4th in home runs: 6
- 3rd in stolen bases: 7
- 5th in OPS: .763
The Yankees (34-20) are atop the AL East with a seven-game lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays entering Wednesday night’s action. Since New York lost a three-game series to the Rays on May 4, which included a three-game losing streak into the next series against the Padres, they’ve won seven straight series.
Over that stretch, they have a 15-5 record and a 16-7 record in the month of May.
Despite the injuries to their pitching staff, Giancarlo Stanton still being sidelined, and the revolving door at both second and third base due to injuries and lack of talent, the Bronx Bombers have the third-highest winning percentage (.630) in MLB and second-highest in the league, behind just the Detroit Tigers.
New York also has the highest run differential of plus-112 – the next highest is the Chicago Cubs with plus-95. That’s quite the gap.
Despite the Tigers sitting atop the American League, the Yankees have a higher team WAR. The Pinstripes sit at 34.1, second in the bigs, and Detroit sits at 27.5, fifth in the majors.
The interchangeable top-five hitters in Aaron Boone’s lineup through the month of May have been consistent. Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger have played just about every day, but surprise performances from Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, and now Volpe have lengthened this lineup.
Jasson Dominguez has also been hot as of late, as the young bucks continue to rake.
The MLB season is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s only been two months, but the Yankees’ offense has mashed thus far. It’ll be interesting to see how long their pitching staff keeps this up with the amount of injuries they’ve had to big-time arms like Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil.
But one thing is a possibility: a lightbulb might’ve gone on in Volpe’s head.
