New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has had a very successful postseason so far, performing better offensively than he did in the regular season, and manager Aaron Boone said his at-bats have been “excellent” since the playoffs began.

Aaron Boone also said that Anthony Volpe's work ahead of the series against the Kansas City Royals was a “noticeable yes, that's what we're looking for, and he has carried those at-bats [into the ALCS],” according to Hoch.

In 160 games in the regular season, Volpe hit .243 with a .293 on-base percentage and .657 OPS with 12 home runs. So far in postseason, he is batting .320 with a .485 on-base percentage with an .845 OPS. He has been a big part of why the Yankees have advanced to the ALCS and hold a 3-1 lead in the series over the Cleveland Guardians.

Volpe's plate discipline has been night and day in the playoffs when comparing to the regular season. He is walking more and generally hitting the ball harder. Being one of the hitters towards the bottom of the lineup, Volpe getting on base is huge to set up the top of the order with runners on base. That forces the opposition to pitch to Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton with runners on base, which is a dangerous proposition.

Yankees look to clinch first World Series berth since 2009

The Yankees head into Saturday's Game 5 against the Guardians in a position that they haven't been in since 2017. One more win and they are in the World Series. In 2017, they were up 3-2 against the Houston Astros before losing Games 6 and 7 on the road. Now, they are up 3-1 with a chance to clinch on the road in Game 5, or back at home in Games 6 or 7.

A win would mean the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009, when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. They turn to starting pitcher Carlos Rodon to try to lead them to a victory. He pitched well in Game 1 of the series, and will try to follow that up with an effort that helps the Yankees clinch the American League pennant.