Anthony Volpe is taking heat right now. And Aaron Boone is not having it.
The New York Yankees manager went to bat for his shortstop with real feeling. Volpe has been scuffling at the plate and some fans want him out of the lineup. Boone wasn’t having any of that noise when he talked to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
“He handles things incredibly well. I don’t think he’s affected by the different things that can be said on social [media],” Boone said. “He’s just a gamer, and he’s a tough kid who loves the game and plays his butt off every single day. I wish that was celebrated a little bit more.”
Volpe came into this season after having shoulder surgery last September. He didn’t get back on the active roster until May 12. Since then, it’s been a grind. He’s hitting .240 over 119 at-bats with 31 hits, one homer and 18 RBIs in 41 games. There was a brutal stretch where he went 1-for-37. That kind of slump gets noticed in New York.
But here’s the thing. Volpe isn’t just some kid getting propped up for no reason. The Yankees see something real in him. And he’s been pushing back against talk that the team might want to move him off shortstop. He’s made it clear he’s staying put.
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The other guy in the mix is Jose Caballero. He’s played 78 games and is hitting .245 with 63 hits, 10 homers, 33 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. On Tuesday, Caballero got the start at short and went 0-for-4. Volpe came in to pinch-hit and went 0-for-1 in a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Volpe was back in the starting lineup Wednesday.
This whole infield situation is a mess. Ryan McMahon has been up and down. Strikeouts are piling up. Injuries keep forcing the front office to shuffle the roster. It’s not just Volpe struggling. It’s the whole group trying to find some rhythm.
What Boone is really saying here is that he trusts Volpe’s makeup. The manager sees a kid who doesn’t get rattled by social media noise or a bad stretch at the plate. And in a market like New York, that mental toughness matters as much as the batting average. Maybe more.
Volpe has to produce eventually. That’s how this works. But for now, Boone is making it clear: he’s not wavering.
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