Yankees Infielder Has Chip, But That Doesn't Guarantee Anything

The last time Anthony Volpe stepped on a field, it was clear the New York Yankees were going to be eliminated by the Blue Jays. In his last at-bat, he struck out, and a chorus of boos came down on him like a storm from the Bronx faithful.

His being pulled for Jasson Dominguez later in the game almost felt symbolic when the fellow former top prospect ripped a double, making the type of contact Volpe struggled to make that series. It was Dominguez's lone at-bat, and yet, he managed to come out looking better than Volpe did in the ALDS.

Even with such an ugly finish to the year, Volpe said he is still motivated to succeed. He understands full well the lore of being shortstop for the Yankees.

"The chip I have on my shoulder has been there for my whole life, my whole career," Volpe said, according to Gary Phillips of the Daily News. "I just can't wait to go back out there and play and feel good and perform and help the team win, because at the end of the day, if I do that and I play the way I know I can play, everything will take care of itself.

"I appreciate the accountability," he continued. "I appreciate everything that comes with being the shortstop for the New York Yankees, so I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Oct 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) loses his bat in the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game one of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Low Expectations

It's fine for Volpe to say that he has a chip on his shoulder. Nobody wants him to give up and it's clear his tenacity is there. With him, it's just a matter of seeing results. You'd be hard-pressed to find anybody excited for him next season once he is cleared to play.

That bum shoulder probably played a factor in his defense, but his bat has always been well below average. If anything, it was a continuation of previous years, when he was healthy.

In 1,886 career plate appearances, Volpe hit .222/.283/.379 with an 85 wRC+. He accumulated a 3.5 WAR, according to Fangraphs, in 2024, but that was mostly due to his stellar shortstop play, which gave his value a boost.

At this point, fans would take league average with good shortstop play with Volpe. The bar has been lowered in a big way, and only Volpe can fix that.

Real Competition for Volpe

Volpe, once the top shortstop in baseball, hasn't lived up to the hype that he came with. His glove ended up outshining his bat through his tenure in the big leagues outside of last year, and that wasn't anything anybody could have imagined would happen. It was the bat that seemed like a safe bet when he was coming up through the minors.

If Volpe has another clunker of a year, he may not be guaranteed the shortstop job much longer. For the first time, he has actual competition with big league experience. It was clear the organization had no plans for Oswald Peraza, but now Jose Caballero has a chance to outshine the once former prospect.

Oct 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) fields the ball during workouts at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Caballero had a 2 OAA at shortstop last season and is a prolific defender at multiple positions. His best use is coming off the bench and roaming the infield and outfield, being a swiss army knife of sorts, but if Volpe struggles and the Yankees don't find a proper suitor at short, he will probably take over at the position.

The Yankees have given Volpe a long leash, but even they must have their limits, and it's hard to imagine that they'll let him have another 400 plate appearances of subpar play.

Now months removed from the postseason, and with Volpe recovering from shoulder surgery, he looked back on his 2025, which was his worst in the big leagues.

"I know I could have played better, and I felt strong and good enough to go," Volpe said. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have. But you definitely learn a lot about yourself, and then when you see what ended up happening and having to get surgery and everything like that, you learn a lot about the mindset and how you gotta be self-aware and aware of certain things going on and how to, if you're going to play through, perform and do the best you can."

For now, it will be a game of wait-and-see with Volpe.

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