Yankees' Rising Star Continues Second Half Surge

This young, emerging player has been an offensive dynamo for the Yankees since the All-Star break.

Aug 2, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) celebrates his two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays with first baseman Ben Rice (93) during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

To say Anthony Volpe has been brilliant lately would be an understatement.

The New York Yankees' young shortstop had an uneven first half of the year; after a fantastic start from March 28 to May 16, Volpe fell into a brutal slump for about two months, which significantly bogged down his numbers. Entering the All-Star break, the 23-year-old was hitting .245/.300/.366 with six home runs and a 90 wRC+; while he still remained one of the most important players on the team thanks to his baserunning and defense at shortstop, his bat left a lot to be desired after that great beginning to his sophomore season.

But since the break, everything has started to click again.

Over the last 14 games, Volpe has a hit in 13 of them. He's still making consistent contact on pitches in the strike zone, but is swinging harder at them to drive the ball with authority. After going 56 straight games without hitting a home run (from May 17 to July 21), he now has five homers in his last 11 games, including consecutive games with a big fly on Friday and Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Swing hard, hit hard.

Shamelessly plugging my article from this morning about Anthony Volpe's swing intent:https://t.co/OiBuu1Pzo9 https://t.co/NUaXtYBBPI pic.twitter.com/nar3I9Hmih

— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) August 3, 2024

Although Volpe claims to have not changed his approach, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been impressed by what he's seen from the young shortstop since the break.

"The guy has an ability to make adjustments," Boone said during his postgame presser. "[He got off to] a great start, went through his share of struggles for several weeks, but I feel like the last two weeks [he's] getting in a better position to put good swings on balls in the strike zone. I definitely like where Anthony's at right now."

No. 11 with his 11th HR of the year 😤@Volpe_Anthony 👏 pic.twitter.com/AQ3a6PdnhX

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 3, 2024

After Saturday's game, Volpe is hitting .261/.310/.408 with 21 doubles, seven triples, 11 home runs, 44 RBI, 72 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, and a 104 wRC+ on the season. Since July 19 (the Yankees' first game after the break), he has eight multi-hit games, nine extra-base hits, and 12 RBI.

Volpe's hot streak has coincided with improved play from the Bronx Bombers as a whole; they've won eight of their first 14 games of the second half to tie the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. If the 23-year-old can continue this string of stellar performances, the Yankees could grab the upper hand in the division race.