In the opening game of the Subway Series at Citi Field, with the Yankees trailing the Mets 6-5, manager Aaron Boone made a telling decision in the top of the 9th. Against the right-handed reliever Reed Garrett, Boone chose to pinch-hit the left-handed Trent Grisham instead of the struggling shortstop Anthony Volpe, who was due up. The decision did not pay off as Grisham flew out to the left. But the outcome was secondary. The decision itself marked a rock-bottom moment for Volpe.
After the game, Volpe faced the media, offering a candid look into his mindset. When asked how tough it was to be pinch-hit for, he was honest. “The competitor in you wants to be out there and help the team, and you feel like you can, but those things are out of my control,” he said.
Further, he added, “What is [in my control] is just putting in the work and earning those at-bats. Earning every at-bat.” The 24-year-old admitted he’s been “grinding, for sure,” but pinpointed the root of his struggles as “just timing.”
Anthony Volpe speaks on how things are going for the Yankees & for himself at the plate. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/z36ZfM764M
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 4, 2025
Manager Aaron Boone explained the difficult decision as well. “Knowing Garrett was going back out [for a second inning], I’d rather have a lefty facing him,” he stated. Boone also acknowledged the obvious, noting his shortstop’s recent performances.
“And what [Volpe] has gone through here the last few weeks, getting it going and having some real thunder [in Grisham] over there, too,” the skipper further added, before softening his tone slightly, stating, “He’s going through it a little bit right now. He’s got to keep working on it.”
The fact that Boone considered it necessary to use Grisham instead of Volpe highlights how bad things have gotten. Over the last 22 games, Volpe has been 11-for-77 with just three extra-base hits. His OPS for the season has fallen to .695, the lowest it’s been since late April.
It’s not as if the problem wasn’t there before; it just feels worse now. Since his 2023 debut, Volpe is 62 out of 62 in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, wRC+, and wOBA among the players with 1,500 or more plate appearances. Pretty unbelievable, right?
The struggles at the plate have now seemingly infected the other parts of his game, creating a far more complex problem for the Bombers.
From anchor to concern: Volpe’s defensive regression
What kept Volpe in the lineup all this while was his great defense. In 2023, as a rookie, he won the AL Gold Glove, and the next year was on similar lines too, where he posted a +14 Outs Above Average (OAA). This year, however, his OAA has dropped to -2, making him a below-average defender. Also, he has made 11 errors, which is a very high number.
Volpe’s issues have deepened by the overarching calamity unfolding within the team. The Yankees were one of the top five offenses in the league in the earlier part of the season but they hit a roadblock in June.
Throughout a span of 27 games last month, the Pinstripes were hardly ever over .500. They eventually finished the month 12-15, even featuring a stretch where they lost six games in a row. Their potent offense, which averaged 5.12 runs per game for the season, dropped to 3.89 during this stretch. There was also a significant drop in total OPS from .786 to .715.
While the ever-popular Aaron Judge has continued his historic bat swing, several other hitters like DJ LeMahieu have sputtered. And, with the team not firing on all cylinders, Volpe’s position has come under further scrutiny.
This, however, isn’t the first instance of Volpe enduring a prolonged slump. He has gone through tough times before and has bounced back. Famously, a dinner during his rookie year with Austin Wells resulted in a “Chicken Parm” swing adjustment that led to a .370 hit with a .998 OPS over his next 17 games in 2023. So, he does seem to possess the ability to adjust.
The challenge now, though, is to make that adjustment fast before his struggles cost the team any more ground.
The post Anthony Volpe Opens Up on Mindset After Ongoing Slump Forces Aaron Boone to Make Major Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.
