Anthony Volpe's Future With the Yankees Will Be Decided in June's Final Stretch

Anthony Volpe is playing for his job with the Yankees, and so far, he has impressed. Can he keep it up?

Anthony Volpe has a limited time to prove to the Yankees whether they should trade for him or keep him past the deadline. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Yankees have an All-Star team on the injured list. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Max Fried, and Trent Grisham are huge losses, and, despite that, there's a chance they still win 100 games. It doesn't matter that they aren't whole as far as the American League East goes, either, as they are sitting three games above the Rays in first place.

The only way that the Yankees can keep this up is for the guys they do have to step up, and one of them is a controversial name to bring up around these parts. It's Anthony Volpe, the much-maligned shortstop who, after 117 plate appearances and just 31 games, has held up his end of the bargain with the Yankees.

Anthony Volpe's performance has exceeded expectations after the Yankees shortstop's bumpy start to the year. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Of course, this is a small sample size, and given Volpe's track record, it's hard to trust this will last, but he does deserve some credit for how he has played. This year, Volpe is slashing .267/.368/.366 with a 112 wRC+.

Volpe has also held up his end of the bargain defensively. He has made some head-scratching blunders, and his arm strength still isn't that of a shortstop, but so far this season, Volpe has two outs above average at the position, according to Baseball Savant, putting him in the 80th percentile in the league.

Anthony Volpe's Yankees fate is on the line

Volpe isn't just playing to keep the Yankees afloat. He's also playing to keep his standing within the Bronx.

From now until the deadline, it feels like the Yankees will be active on the trade front, and the better he plays, the more of an attractive piece he can be to a potential team. Teams like the Rockies and Dodgers could use some help in their infield, and maybe there's an opportunity for the Yankees to swap with them to fill a need, such as the bullpen.

If Volpe goes to the Rockies, it's not ideal for championship aspirations, but there are two positives to playing there. He won't have to fight for playing time, and if they do decide to call up Ethan Holliday, they can always shift him to second base.

A trade to the Rockies could be one way for Anthony Volpe to rediscover his confidence if he leaves the Yankees. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Volpe also won't have the pressure he does there that he has in New York. He could always rehabilitate himself and become this generation's Greg Jeffries.

For Volpe, personally, the worst thing that could happen is that he completely falls off and finishes the season stashed in the minors. That's a direction he could be headed in if he can't keep this up, and José Caballero continues to play with at least a league-average bat with stable defense. The left side of the Yankees' infield has been a ripe source for headaches this season, and they don't need things to worsen.

This is make-or-break for Volpe. After facing the Tigers, the Yankees will take on the Red Sox this weekend, who have allowed the second-most hits (394) and 10th-highest batting average (.244) to right-handed batters this season, boding well for the New York native's immediate outlook.

Volpe's time with the Yankees could be decided by how he plays over the next month, whether they decide to trade him before the Aug. 3 deadline or wait for an offseason opportunity this winter.