CLEVELAND -- For most of the season, Anthony Volpe’s presence in the lineup has been a divisive topic among Yankees fans.
His performance against the Guardians on Wednesday afternoon was perhaps the perfect encapsulation as to why. While his day started poorly thanks to a third-inning throwing error on a José Ramírez grounder, he also hit a big RBI double in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 8-4 win over the Guardians.
“That was a good tack-on run,” manager Aaron Boone said after the game.
Some good, some bad. Welcome to the Volpe experience in 2026.
After missing the first month and a half of the season due to offseason left shoulder surgery and then being optioned to the Minors after his rehab assignment expired, Volpe made his return to the Yankees on May 13 and immediately became a storyline by booting the third ball hit to him in a 7-0 Yankees loss.
While his defense has largely stabilized in the 19 games he’s played since, his bat is still the work in progress it was last season. Even with his 1-for-4 showing on Wednesday, he still has a .194/.308/.299 slash line for the season.
Volpe's double was his first extra-base hit since May 26.
Those stats are not discouraging Boone, however, who still believes Volpe has another level to unlock.
“I feel like his at-bats have been OK,” Boone said on Monday. “Now he just hopefully adds some results.”
Although Volpe has been getting on base at the best clip of his career thanks to a 13% walk rate, he’s now 4-for-35 (.114) in his last 10 games.
Those struggles have also been put under more of a magnifying glass thanks to the presence of José Caballero, who started at shortstop in 40 of the Yankees’ first 41 games before his placement on the injured list led to Volpe getting called up.
Caballero has played at short in just five of his 15 appearances since returning from the IL on May 22.
“Obviously being able to move José around a little bit gives you some added flexibility,” Boone said. “They both, in a lot of ways, deserve to be playing there and continue to try to do what’s best for the team.”
This is just another chapter in what’s been an up-and-down Yankees career for Volpe. He broke onto the scene by winning a Gold Glove Award during his productive rookie year in 2023, but his play plateaued a bit after that.
Last year, Boone gave him a mental break against the Red Sox in August after he committed his then-AL-leading 17th error, though Boone said he felt Volpe played better after the benching.
“That stretch when we were losing games and he wasn’t playing well became the focal point, but if you’re honest with yourself and watched how he played in August and September, it was in line with what we saw before,” Boone said.
Volpe has been better in the field this year, though this week’s series against the Guardians also included some missteps.
Along with committing his error on Wednesday, he missed a 96.6 mph liner from Chase DeLauter that was hit directly at him on Tuesday. His misplay allowed Ramírez to score.
“With a man on second, that’s one you want to body up if you can, but it was a rocket,” Boone said. “Tough play.”
But Volpe was able to turn it around with a productive showing on Wednesday that was part of a sweep-securing win from the Yankees.
Even if Volpe isn’t producing at the rate that was expected of him when he was a top prospect, it seems clear the team is going to give him plenty of chances to turn his season around.
“Anthony’s still trying to get to that next level and trying to establish himself as a good Major Leaguer,” Boone said. “He’s young, but he has always struck me as someone who is very mentally tough.”