Anthony Volpe’s hot bat can keep Yankees rolling in bid for division title

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is setting the league on fire, even if he isn’t the only one holding the match. While currently tied for second place in batting average with a scorching .417 after 10 games, Volpe’s offensive dominance is a major reason the Yankees boast a sizzling 9-2 record.

Anthony Volpe heats up: Yankees’ young star powering division title push

Despite Anthony Volpe’s hot start, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has opted to keep Gleyber Torres in the leadoff spot for now. As Boone explained, “There may be a day when [Volpe] becomes a natural fit up there, but it’s not something I’m in a real hurry to do.”

Boone praised Torres’ quality at-bats in the leadoff role, saying “I feel like Gleyber is putting together really competitive, strong at-bats, and that’s what it’s about.” The manager is confident that Torres’ results will improve over time, noting “If he’s putting these level of at-bats together, results will be there over time.”

As for Anthony Volpe, the 22-year-old shortstop has thrived batting in the middle of the order. Boone said, “He looks like a way better hitter. I feel like you could see it right away when you were around him hitting before the start of spring training with some of the adjustments he made within his swing and approach setup.”

Strong performance

Those swing adjustments have paid immediate dividends, as Anthony Volpe’s strikeout rate has dropped from 27.8% to 21.4%. Boone praised Volpe’s plate discipline, saying “The competitiveness of every at-bat… He’s just stacking quality at-bat after quality at-bat. When you do that, you’re going to get some results out of it.”

In Monday’s 7-0 win over the Marlins, Volpe went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run homer that opened the scoring. Boone noted that Volpe has “continued great play on defense” and is “impacting us on the base paths” in addition to his offensive production.

The Yankees’ early-season success has them in a strong position for the playoffs, with an 87.2% probability of making the postseason and a 54.6% chance of winning their division, as stated by Fangraphs. This turnaround comes after the team missed the playoffs in 2023, making their hot start even more impressive.

As Boone said of Anthony Volpe, “That’s who he is. When we look up at 10 years, that’s where his future is going to be, at the top of the lineup.” For now, the Yankees are happy to keep riding Volpe’s hot bat in the middle of the order as they look to return to the playoffs in 2024.

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