Can Yankees Emerging Young Star Avoid Another Drop Off in Production After Hot Start

Can a young New York Yankees star avoid the letdown that has plagued him previously after hot starts?

Kenneth Teape | Apr 8, 2025

Apr 5, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) hits a three run double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

The offensive explosion that the New York Yankees have had to start the 2025 MLB regular season has been nothing short of spectacular.

Through 10 games, the team has a .278/.357/.556 slash line with 78 runs scored, 25 home runs and 20 doubles. Their 7.8 runs per game are first in baseball, along with their home runs, slugging percentage and OPS.

Despite no longer having Juan Soto in the lineup, the Yankees have not missed a beat offensively, hitting the ball with authority and receiving production from players up and down the roster, whether it is a starter or someone coming off the bench.

Leading the way again is reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge, who is off to another historic start. He leads the MLB with 14 runs scored, six home runs and 18 RBI with a stellar .325/.426/.850 slash line.

Judge is going to be right in the MVP discussion again this year as arguably the best hitter in the game.

But, he isn’t alone in the award conversation out of the gate.

Over at MLB.com, Andrew Simon and Manny Randhawa put together a list of 11 players who are off to great starts in 2025 and are seeking their first MVP awards.

Making the list was New York shortstop Anthony Volpe.

He has gotten off to a strong start with a .268/.333/.634 slash line, launching four home runs to go along with three doubles. His 12 RBI are second most on the team behind only Judge.

That power output and run production is nice to see, but this is something the young shortstop has done in the past.

There was a 15-game sample size in 2024 when he had a slash line of .352/.477/.564. For Volpe, it all comes down to finding consistency on the field; the talent is there for him to be an All-Star and in the discussion for season-long awards.

That is what makes some people skeptical of his start in 2025; he doesn’t have the track record of sustaining that level of production, at least not yet.

But, there is one major difference this year than the previous two years; he is swinging harder and hitting the ball hard with regularity.

“Whether you chalk it up to Torpedo bats or other adjustments, Volpe is hitting the ball with the sort of authority that makes this improvement more likely to stick,” as written over at MLB.com.

There is a lot of veteran talent in the Yankees lineup, but Volpe is a legitimate x-factor for the team.

If he finds the consistency that has eluded him to this point in his career, he is going to ascend a few tiers, given the natural talent that he possesses. Not to mention, the stellar defense he also provides at a key position.

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