NEW YORK — Anthony Volpe rounded the bases Wednesday with the Yankees briefly believing their season had another chance. A replay review sent him back to second. The winter now presents another question about where he belongs.
His sixth-inning drive at Yankee Stadium became an RBI double because of spectator interference, leaving New York trailing Tampa Bay 4-3. That became the final score as the Rays completed their American League Division Series sweep.
Volpe finished 2-for-4, scored once and drove in a run. Earlier, his fourth-inning infield single helped create the run that tied the game at 2-2. His final appearance offered activity in a lineup that struggled throughout the series.
The Yankees must now evaluate that performance against a season that included shoulder rehabilitation, two demotions and the loss of his starting shortstop job. At 25, the former top prospect has postseason contributions on his record and no settled position for next year.
George Lombard Jr. took over at shortstop after his promotion. Volpe returned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in September with experience at other infield positions, giving manager Aaron Boone additional ways to use him without moving the rookie.
Those alternatives mattered in October. Volpe started twice during the Yankees’ five playoff games, first against Boston left-hander Payton Tolle and then against Tampa Bay right-hander Nick Martinez with elimination at stake.
Boone also considered Volpe at third base for Game 2. He stayed with Ryan McMahon rather than give Volpe his first game at that position on Tropicana Field’s turf during the playoffs.
The assignments showed how far Volpe’s responsibilities had changed. A player once expected to anchor shortstop was being considered wherever the Yankees needed an alternative. His return gave the club options, but it did not restore the everyday job he held before his demotion. That distinction remains central to evaluating his season.
Fan support meets a new contract question
Volpe nevertheless emerged with a striking endorsement: 79% of respondents in an online keep-or-go poll wanted the Yankees to retain him. The result offered a measure of renewed support after months of criticism.
Now that backing meets a separate decision. Volpe recently hired Scott Boras as his agent and enters another arbitration offseason with his role unresolved. The potential flashpoint is what the Yankees pay him while deciding how often, and where, he plays.
He earned $3.475 million in 2026 and remains under team control through 2028. Hiring Boras does not establish that Volpe wants a trade or that negotiations have become contentious. No contract dispute or trade demand has been publicly announced.
The Yankees can value his response to adversity while still questioning whether his bat supports an everyday assignment. Boras takes over with that distinction unresolved.
Volpe’s record gives the negotiation competing considerations. His 2023 Gold Glove and previous years of regular playing time remain part of his résumé. His reduced role in 2026 makes his most recent season a different starting point for evaluating his value.
Volpe voices frustration after elimination
Volpe’s response to the sweep also gave frustrated fans something more direct than a promise to improve. Discussing another October disappointment, he described anger rather than satisfaction with his own finish.
“At this point I don’t even think motivated is the right word. I think it’s just pissed off,” Anthony Volpe said.
Inside the clubhouse, Aaron Judge endorsed his teammate’s importance after watching him respond to the demotion. The captain connected Volpe’s place on the roster to the Yankees’ championship ambitions.
“If we were going to go win a World Series, we needed Anthony Volpe on the team,” Aaron Judge said.
Those comments support keeping Volpe in the conversation. They do not settle a salary or guarantee the Yankees’ starting second-base job.
His Game 3 selection also went beyond the left-handed matchup that produced his first playoff start. Boone chose him against a right-hander when the Yankees needed a win to survive. That was a meaningful assignment, even within a brief postseason opportunity.
Anthony Volpe is the one Yankee fans want to keep
A The Post readers’ poll asked which of five Yankees figures should get the boot or stay in the Bronx after the team’s ALDS sweep by the Rays. All except Volpe drew a majority calling for removal.
The shortstop drew 79 percent support to stay, with only 21 percent wanting him gone. No other figure on the ballot came close to that level of backing.
The result marked a notable shift. Volpe has drawn heavy criticism in past seasons over his bat and his defensive lapses, and his name often sat near the center of fan frustration. This time, supporters treated the 24-year-old as part of the solution rather than the problem.
His standing contrasted sharply with the rest of the ballot. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone, and Giancarlo Stanton all drew more than 85 percent support for removal, and manager Aaron Boone landed at 85 percent.
Volpe spoke openly about his frustration after the sweep. For a Yankees fan base ready to tear much of the roster down, he remains the young piece worth building around.
Yankees still need a sustained offensive answer
Volpe hit .265 with a .695 OPS, one homer and five steals in 14 regular-season Yankees games after returning from Triple-A. He then went 3-for-7 with a double in his two playoff appearances.
His minor league work included a stepback with his back foot to improve his hitting rhythm. Shoulder rehabilitation had limited his opportunity to make swing changes the previous offseason.
The late improvement leaves a small sample against a career .661 OPS through four seasons. Second base offers a possible fit beside Lombard, but a productive finish has not resolved the offensive question.
As of Oct. 10, Volpe remains a Yankees infielder with renewed support, a new representative and no confirmed everyday assignment for 2027.
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