Yankees' Manager Passionately Defends Young Shortstop

Although Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has struggled lately, his skipper has his back.

Aug 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) hits an RBI double during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

If there's anything that New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has mastered in his managerial career so far, it's the ability to stick up for his players.

He still holds them accountable, of course, but there's a reason why Boone is beloved in the Bronx Bombers' clubhouse: he's got their back no matter what. This was further amplified when the 51-year-old skipper appeared on the Talkin' Yanks podcast on Tuesday, August 20.

When host Jimmy O'Brien suggested the benching of shortstop Anthony Volpe amid a prolonged slump at the plate, Boone provided a rather explosive response in defense of the 23-year-old.

“Come on, man. This guy is a player,” Boone said with conviction. “You guys acknowledged the defense is great. That's enormous; he’s the best [defensive] shortstop in the league, and that's enormous at that position if he’s hitting like a league-average or below-league-average hitter. Add it all up, he’s a winning player. Stop it.

"He's gonna get there. It's not linear," Boone continued. "There's definitely a case in there where I could have given him a day here and there, absolutely. But to just have him not in the lineup? Next question. Seriously, when you run the team, you can make that call."

Aaron Boone got HEATED while defending Anthony Volpe pic.twitter.com/jpYXabNkjl

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 20, 2024

Volpe, after struggling offensively in his rookie season, got off to a great start by hitting .273/.348/.432 with 14 extra-base hits, 23 RBI, 29 runs scored, nine stolen bases in 10 attempts, and a 122 wRC+ from March 28 to May 16. But after that date, he wouldn't hit another home run until July 22; from May 17 to July 21, Volpe hit just .231/.268/.328 with a 66 wRC+ in 251 plate appearances.

The second half of the season has mirrored Volpe's early season; in his first 73 plate appearances after the All-Star break from July 19 to the first game of a doubleheader on August 7, he hit .333 with a .611 slugging percentage as 10 of his 24 hits went for extra bases. But from the second game on August 7 up to Sunday, August 18, the young shortstop fell into another terrible slump with just five hits in 50 plate appearances.

On Tuesday, Volpe showed signs of possibly getting back on track by going 2-for-5 with a walk; this included a hard-hit RBI double and two stolen bases. Additionally, while the 23-year-old has just a 93 wRC+ on the year, his 3.1 fWAR is the third-highest on the Yankees behind only Aaron Judge (8.6) and Juan Soto (7.4), thanks to his baserunning and defense being highly impactful to the team.

There's no denying that Volpe has been streaky this season, but Boone recognizes the additional skills that he brings to the table and is being patient with his hitting prowess as a result. Either way, Volpe should appreciate hearing his manager come to his defense, and hopefully it inspires him to collect a little extra fire and improve even further.