Anthony Volpe was expected to be an upgrade at shortstop for the New York Yankees. That has not yet been the case.
Volpe has not produced as the Yankees would have hoped. He has a disappointing .186/.314/.326 batting line in his 51 plate appearances this season with just three extra base hits. Although he is drawing plenty of walks, he is also striking out at a far above average clip.
Just give New York Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe time
Those struggles had to be expected. Volpe has just 99 plate appearances at Triple-A and could have theoretically used more time in the minors before making his major league debut. However, he impressed in spring training, forcing the Yankees’ hand. As Isiah Kiner-Falefa is best suited to a utility role, and the Yankees are looking to win a championship for the first time since 2009, keeping Volpe on the Opening Day roster was a sign that they are serious about winning.
The same can be said about their patience with Volpe. He has appeared in every game this year heading into Sunday, taking his plate appearances and getting his chances. Volpe has also learned how to handle adversity at the highest level, battling through his struggles in the majors. Knowing that he will be in the lineup every day certainly helps. And so does the faith that the Yankees are showing in him.
That confidence and willingness to let Volpe work through his struggles will pay dividends in the long run. He is learning on the fly and will only get better as time goes on. After all, he will turn 22 years old at the end of April – his future, no matter how bright it may be, is still some time away.
Anthony Volpe has struggled in the early going for the New York Yankees. All he needs is some more time to get his bearings in the majors.
Yankees coaches need to be encouraging “protect the plate” rather than “launch angle.” Otherwise, Volpe will turn out to be another “Bronx Blooper,” like so much of the rest of the team’s existing lineup.