When it comes to the New York Yankees in 2025, few players have drawn as much ire as Anthony Volpe.
Originally drafted in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, Volpe looked like a certified player in 2023, finishing in the running for Rookie of the Year while being awarded a Golden Glove. But as time has progressed, he simply hasn't built on that momentum, to the point where he's become a legitimate liability in the field and at the plate in 2025.
And yet, in a presser with reporters before the team's showdown against the Washington Nationals, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone let his stance be known without hesitation: Vople is the Yankees' everyday shortstop moving forward.
“I view Anthony as our shortstop,” Boone told reporters via Chris Kirschner.
While consistency is key for a team looking to get back to the World Series, Vople has been anything but in the field and at the plate so far this season, hitting just .208 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs to go with an AL-worst 17 errors in the field. Volpe's WAR has dropped a full two points from 3.4 to 1.4 from 2024 to 2025, and his confidence simply looks shaken, as evidenced by his throw into the stands against the Boston Red Sox that went viral on social media.
Is there a world where Volpe puts it all together? Can he take the field and recapture his vintage form, when fans were toting him as the next great Yankees shortstop? And what about at the plate? Can he find some consistency and get on base more often, allowing the team's power hitters to pick up a few more runs and supercharge the Yankees' offense? While only time will tell, it's clear Boone is going to afford Vople every chance to get back on track, even if fans hate it every (mis)step along the way.
