Yankees Legend Sends Advice to Anthony Volpe

It's no secret New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is struggling. He leads the American League with 19 errors this season. And it's pretty much the same story at the plate. Yes, he has 19 home runs and 70 RBIs. But he's sitting on career lows in batting average (.207) and on-base percentage (.269).

As the Yankees try to survive the stretch run and reach the playoffs, the Yankees and their fans are losing their patience with the 24-year-old New Jersey native.

There's at least one person who can sympathize with Volpe: Yankees legend Derek Jeter.

“I remember coming in, struggling, getting booed at the Stadium,” Jeter said Monday night, according to NJ.com's Max Goodman. “That’s just part of it.”

Long before he was a a Hall of Famer, Jeter was a 22-year-old shortstop for the Yankees. By the time he was Volpe's age, Jeter had won American League Rookie of the Year and a World Series title. So what advice does he have for Volpe?

“You just gotta keep at it,” Jeter said, per Goodman. “You gotta stay positive. Gotta keep working. From everything I’ve seen, he’s gotten a lot of support from his teammates and from the front office. That’s a good sign. So, you just gotta go out there and try to be as consistent as possible.

“One of the most difficult things to do is to try to forget what’s happened up until a particular point. For him or anybody, at this point of the season, statistically you can’t change it. You can get a hit every at-bat the rest of the year. You’re pretty much not going to change anything. But you can help the team from this point forward. It’s an important couple of weeks, and hopefully a long run in the playoffs,” Jeter added, according to Goodman.

Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter — Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees former playing Derek Jeter waves to fans before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before game three of the 2024 MLB World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Look, there was only one Derek Jeter, a 14-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion. Anthony Volpe will never be that person. But time is running out for the Yankees to determine if Volpe can be a viable option in the playoffs.

“Sometimes when a team is in the position that the Yankees are in now, it makes it easier,” Jeter said, according to Goodman. “All you care about is whether you win. It has nothing to do with yourself. You gotta hit a ground ball to second base, move a guy over and you hit a ground ball to second base, you should feel good about it. Statistics are statistics at this point, but you can help a team win.”

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