New York Yankees fans deeply miss Derek Jeter, or at least the best version of Anthony Volpe. The shortstop has faced harsh criticism throughout the season, and his glaring error on Friday night once again leaves him in a tough spot.
The player expected to deliver stellar defense has, at times, inexplicably faltered with a string of errors, though Aaron Boone never tires of defending him.
Aaron Judge steps up in defense
After a painful loss that set the stage for a sweep by the Boston Red Sox, Aaron Boone once again became Anthony Volpe‘s biggest defender following a costly play in the ninth inning.
“It’s obviously not the right play. It’s a little bit of a heady play, too,”Boone said. “He almost caught a guy off in scoring position there, and then he doesn’t come around to score anyway. He makes a really good play on the contact play. Are we going to really dive into that one a lot? I mean, I get it. It wasn’t an out, but it’s kind of a heads-up [play]. Almost got a guy napping.”
The Yankees were already trailing 1-0 when Volpe chose to throw to second instead of first to retire Rafaela. The throw didn’t arrive in time, allowing two runners to reach base safely. David Bednar eventually escaped the jam, but it was yet another in a series of inexplicable errors for the Yankees‘ shortstop this season.
It’s no secret that the Yankees‘ front office has consistently backed Volpe during what has been a lackluster season for the player, signaling their belief that the former top prospect is the long-term answer at shortstop, even after bringing in competition at the trade deadline.
However, Anthony Volpe risks testing the organization’s patience if he doesn’t improve defensively, as his offense has never been particularly strong.
His errors are alarming, especially after being one of the best gloves last season, finishing with 13 Outs Above Average. That figure has plummeted to -7 in 2025, placing him in the fourth percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
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