Alex Rodriguez Points to Anthony Volpe for Yankees Broken Ways

The New York Yankees have long been criticized for being too home run-dependent, and their choices in 2025 were no departure from that narrative.

In a WFAN Sports Radio interview, Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez pointed to shortstop Anthony Volpe as an example of the Yankees' broken hitting philosophy, a philosophy he feels is holding them back from greatness.

"He really is an incredible young man with a great family, and the organization has fallen in love with him, but at some point the numbers don't lie, right?" A-Rod said. "You have 167 strikeouts [in 2023], 156 [in 2024] and 150 [in 2025], and here's a young man that the biggest way he can impact winning is with his number one tool: his legs."

Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"But we've taken his legs away, and what I mean by that is here's a young man who has over 50 stolen bases in the minor leagues, he stole 18 last year, and it's hard to impact winning when you're striking out 150 times and you're hitting .212."

"So I think if you zoom out, it's an organization hitting philosophy that is absolutely broken, and until they fix it, I don't think they win big."

Volpe in 2025

Volpe's baserunning run value was in the 82nd percentile in 2025, and his sprint speed was in the 76th percentile. His .212/ .272/ .391 slash line and, at times, league-leading number of fielding errors were not enough to make that matter, however.

A-Rod was pointing to the heart of the Volpe issue: the organization loves him, and he still isn't the player he needs them to be. There comes a point when you can't blame the player anymore, and you need to blame the organization that keeps putting him out there.

Volpe's shoddy defense and offense were the subject of much confusion in the regular season, specifically calling into question the Yankees' judgement playing him day in and day out. The confusion only intensified when his shoulder injury came to light, one that was so severe it required offseason surgery, and everyone began to wonder whether his performance was due to the injury.

The Yankees were first in the MLB in home runs and RBIs this season, but the Toronto Blue Jays handed them their ticket to Cancun this year in the ALDS with an all-around superior team (even in the words of the Yankees' front office). Without an increased emphasis on contact and balance, the Yankees risk falling further from glory in 2026.

Now out for the beginning of the season with Jose Caballero or Oswaldo Cabrera likely to take over for Opening Day, the Yankees are facing that larger philosophical problem while also facing the very contained problem at shortstop. All told, the Yankees need better defense and more contact to go all the way, and Volpe's 2025 represented what they have been willing to permit while trying to contend.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!