NEW YORK — The New York Yankees may be ignoring a problem that Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has identified with precision. In a recent MLB Network segment, DeRosa broke down the struggles of shortstop Anthony Volpe, pointing out flaws in his mechanics, confidence, and approach that the Yankees have failed to fix through three rocky seasons.
Volpe, once considered the cornerstone of the Yankees’ youth movement, has instead regressed. His offensive struggles, defensive miscues, and inconsistent adjustments have raised serious questions about the team’s player development system.
Yankees coaching staff admits they have no answers
Hitting coach James Rowson recently acknowledged that he cannot explain Volpe’s struggles.
“It’s a hard question to answer, to be honest with you,” Rowson told The Athletic. “It’s hard to say why it hasn’t been there because I can tell you that it hasn’t been for a lack of the way he gets after it.”
That uncertainty has fueled criticism of the Yankees’ decision to push Volpe to the majors after limited Triple-A time. Instead of steady growth, the 24-year-old has endured inconsistency at the plate and in the field. Fans have shown their frustration, booing him after costly errors during recent games.
DeRosa identifies the core mechanical problems
While the Yankees’ staff has struggled to find solutions, DeRosa was blunt. He explained that Volpe’s front hip consistently flies open, leaving his lower half out of sync. In DeRosa’s view, Volpe is selling out for power instead of sticking with an up-the-middle approach.
This flaw creates a chain reaction: late swings on fastballs, lunges on off-speed pitches, and poor recognition against breaking balls. As of Sept. 4, Volpe was hitting just .174 against non-fastballs.
DeRosa also criticized his two-strike approach. He used an at-bat against Houston’s Jason Alexander as an example. In a 2-2 count, with Alexander throwing changeups 33 percent of the time, Volpe should have anticipated it and adjusted for the fastball. Instead, he was caught guessing.
The prescription for fixing Volpe
DeRosa outlined a clear plan. First, stop focusing on hip rotation and instead let the hands work through the zone. He suggested imagining flashlights attached to Volpe’s hips, keeping them pointed to the side to allow plate coverage and use of all fields.
Second, he urged Volpe to log extensive reps on a curveball machine. The idea is to train him to stay back on breaking balls and off-speed pitches, making him more comfortable attacking them in games.
The recommendations differ sharply from the Yankees’ vague approach, which so far has failed to produce results.
Defensive woes compound the problem
Volpe’s defensive play, once a strength, has become another source of concern. After winning a Gold Glove in 2023, his performance at shortstop has slipped. He has committed 19 errors this year, tied for the second-most in the majors at his position. Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz leads all shortstops with 23.
The advanced numbers underline the decline. Statcast credits Volpe with just 2 Defensive Runs Saved, 0.2 Deserved Runs Prevented, and −3 Outs Above Average. If those figures hold, it will be the first time he finishes below average by Statcast’s defensive metrics.
Manager Aaron Boone continues to defend his shortstop. “My message to him is, ‘You’re really good at this.’ And that’s reality. He’s a Gold Glove player, he makes plays that people can’t make,” Boone said.
But the miscues and metrics tell another story.
A deeper slump exposes more problems
The bat has been just as concerning. Since Aug. 15, Volpe is hitting .136 with a .147 on-base percentage and a .242 slugging mark. His wRC+ over that span is −1, a rare negative figure in Major League Baseball.
The defensive miscues continue as well. Last Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, Volpe committed his 19th error. In the third inning, a double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tied the game at 3-3, and Volpe’s failed play only added to the frustration.
These numbers have left fans questioning his place in the lineup and wondering if the Yankees should turn elsewhere at shortstop.
Time running short for Yankees and Volpe
The Yankees have just 29 games remaining before the postseason, leaving little margin for error. Volpe entered Friday mired in a 3-for-40 slump with 14 strikeouts and no walks. His August was among the worst single months by any Yankee in the past century.
Overall, Volpe has 98 hits, 19 home runs, and 70 RBIs while slashing .207/.269/.396 through 499 at-bats. His OPS sits at .665 — far below league average.
Jose Caballero has emerged as a steadier defensive option, raising pressure on the Yankees to make a decision. Boone has so far resisted changes, but the urgency is growing.
DeRosa’s roadmap provides hope that Volpe’s issues are fixable with the right instruction. The question is whether the Yankees will adopt those changes or continue on their current path.
The clock is ticking. With postseason hopes at stake and Volpe’s long-term role uncertain, the Yankees cannot afford to ignore outside solutions. How they handle his development could shape both October and the franchise’s future.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
What DeRosa says is nothing new. Last year FOX pointed it out on one of their broadcasts.
As far as what HC Rowson says, of course they have no answers because everything they do is either analytically based or done with something they got off their version of a sports lab. He needs real baseball technique help.