2023 New York Yankees in Review: Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpe
Position: Shortstop
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Age: 22
MLB Experience: One season (2023-present with NYY)
2023 Stats: 159 GP, 601 PA, 62 R, 23 2B, 21 HR, 60 RBI, 24 SB, .209 AVG, .283 OBP, .383 SLG, .666 OPS, 81 OPS+, 84 wRC+, 1.9 fWAR, 3.2 bWAR
Anthony Volpe’s rookie season was full of ups-and-downs.
A Watchung, New Jersey native who dreamed of playing for the New York Yankees as a kid, the 22-year-old shortstop was (perhaps unfairly) given immense pressure to perform, as he was being marketed as “the next Derek Jeter." Due to his rapid ascent in 2021 in Low-A and High-A, the Yankees placed all their eggs in Volpe’s basket and passed on star free agent shortstops such as Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, and Trea Turner over the next two offseasons.
Volpe continued to thrive in Double-A, but only spent a brief period at Triple-A before the end of the 2022 season. After a strong showing in 2023 Spring Training, Volpe won the starting shortstop job and would make his highly anticipated debut on Opening Day.
159 games later, it became obvious that the Yankees had rushed Volpe to the majors. However, this ended up being just as much of a blessing as it was a curse.
As a curse, the numbers at the plate speak for themselves; Volpe greatly struggled offensively. This is best shown in his walk and strikeout rates: he drew 52 walks (8.7 walk percentage) but whiffed or got rung up 167 times, the latter of which made up 27.8% of his plate appearances. These rates are near-identical to the ones he put up in his brief 22-game tenure at Triple-A Scranton in 2022. In sharp contrast, he had walk rates over 10% at both Low-A and High-A, as well as Double-A Somerset.
During Volpe’s ascent in the minor leagues, he posted a wRC+ of 186, 154, and 122 in Low-A, High-A, and Double-A, respectively, before posting a 91 wRC+ in Triple-A. That number declined to 84 in the 2023 season against Major League pitching.
Naturally, Volpe’s growing pains led to prolonged slumps throughout the season. On June 11, his batting average was as low as .186, his strikeout percentage was over 30%, and his wRC+ was a meager 64. In May, he hit only .174 with a .216 on-base percentage, and struggled in July and September with respective slash lines of .202/.272/.369 and .160/.225/.255. His wRC+ in each of those three months were 57, 77, and 33.
With these struggles, why was it also a blessing to call up Volpe? Because this was the best way for him to learn how to handle the Major Leagues. He needed to go through trial and error, and find out what areas of his game needed improvement.
In that regard, when Volpe made adjustments, he saw instant results.
In June, Volpe slashed .265/.342/.426 with a 116 wRC+, after taking hitting advice from teammate Austin Wells (who at the time, hadn’t been called up to the majors yet). In August, Volpe saw his most productive month, bashing seven homers with a .256/.333/.556 slash line, a .373 weighted on-base average (wOBA), and a 142 wRC+.
Volpe also added a much-needed base running threat for the Yankees whenever he was able to get on base. He stole seven bases in April, and ultimately finished the first half with 15 steals while only being caught twice. Although his tendency to steal bases was oddly abandoned in the second half of the season, he still finished the season with 24 stolen bases in 29 attempts, an 83% success rate.
When coupled with his 21 home runs, which itself surpassed Tom Tresh’s franchise record for home runs by a rookie shortstop, Volpe became the first rookie in Yankees history to join the 20-20 club. He was just the third rookie shortstop in MLB history to achieve the mark, the other two being Bobby Witt Jr. in 2022 and Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.
But while Volpe’s hitting was inconsistent, his defense at shortstop was consistently good.
FanGraphs awarded Volpe with a 2.9 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), while Baseball Reference credits him with a 2.4 dWAR. Regardless of how both sites grade defense, Volpe had well over 10 defensive runs saved (DRS) on the season. Considering how difficult the shortstop position is to play, Volpe was quite the defensive asset as a rookie, and might even get considered for the Gold Glove Award.
Coupled with his 20-20 season, Volpe was one of two rookies (the other being Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones) to have 20 homers, 20 steals, and at least 10 defensive runs saved. Before Volpe and Jones, the previous rookie to accomplish this was Mike Trout in 2012. That is truly elite company.
Overall, while Volpe isn’t going to be a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year, he did hold his own at the Major League level. His bat may have been inconsistent, but his exceptional defense and good base running acumen made him a bright spot in an otherwise dismal Yankee season.
The best part is that Volpe still has a long way to go before reaching his true potential. Despite arguably being rushed to the majors, he now has a full year of experience under his belt and can make larger strides in his play style against the best players in the world. Once he fully adjusts to Major League pitching, we may be talking about a true five-tool player.
But for now, it’s time to stop comparing Volpe to Derek Jeter. It’s time to let him become the next Anthony Volpe.
Grade: B
Next Player: Oswaldo Cabrera
