On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Anthony Volpe reacted after grounding out in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 12-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. His batting average had fallen to .209, its lowest point since the fourth week of April.
The night before, Volpe’s miscue came in the ninth inning when he threw to the wrong base. Boone acknowledged it wasn’t the right play on Jarren Duran retreating to second, but still characterized it as a “heady” attempt.
- Anthony Volpe’s batting average has dipped to .208 with a .675 OPS, and he leads the American League with 17 errors.
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone insists Volpe is still the team’s starting shortstop, even after benching him for consecutive games.
- Fans’ frustration and Volpe’s regression, both at the plate and in the field, are testing the Yankees’ faith in their 24-year-old homegrown player.
Boone Explains Lineup Decision
On Monday, Volpe was out of the Yankees’ starting lineup for the second consecutive game against the Washington Nationals. Boone explained, “Regularly. I plan on having him back in there [Tuesday] and probably in there in some way, shape or form tonight and at some point. But just wanted to give him a couple [days] here.”
This was the sixth time all season that the Yankees did not start Volpe at shortstop, and the third time in just over a week. José Caballero, acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, started at shortstop, batted ninth, and went 1-for-4 with a single in New York’s 10-5 win.
Boone called the time off a “reset.” He said, “Obviously, having Caballero here now makes those things a little easier when you’re going through it a little bit. So, yeah, just hopefully a little blow in the grind of the season is something that serves him well down the stretch.”
Volpe entered Sunday’s win over Boston in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement without batting, and he did not appear in Monday’s game.
August Slump and Season Totals
Volpe is 1-for-28 in August, with one walk, one double, and 11 strikeouts across 29 plate appearances. Since August 1, when he had four hits in a game, he has batted .121 with one home run, four walks, 19 strikeouts, and a .414 OPS over 71 plate appearances.
Overall, he is batting .208 with 18 home runs and a .675 OPS in 509 plate appearances this season. His wRC+ is 86, ranking 144th among qualified major league hitters. Since debuting in 2023, his wRC+ is 85, tied for last among 89 players with at least 1,500 plate appearances during that span.
Boone said, “Production comes in a lot of different ways. I think sometimes people want him because he’s a shortstop with speed, like he’s got to hit for a certain average and do certain things. There’s productive offensive players [that] come in many shapes and forms. So, he’s got a lot of ability. He’s shown a lot of flashes of that. I think the next thing for Anthony, though, is the consistency part. And limiting some of the peaks and valleys.”
Current Betting Odds Show Market Confidence in Yankees
Ahead of the Yankees’ game against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, August 28, 2025, sportsbooks adjusted their lines. DraftKings listed New York at -198 on the moneyline with a total of 9 runs. BetMGM priced them at -200, with a -1.5 run line (-125) and the same total. FanDuel placed them close to -195. The consensus line opened around -185 with a total of 8.5 before moving upward.
In futures markets, Caesars listed the Yankees at +850 to win the World Series, and BetMGM listed them at +1000. For the American League pennant, Caesars posted +400, BetMGM +425, and bet365 +450. After the Yankees acquired Camilo Doval, David Bednar, Jake Bird, and José Caballero at the trade deadline, books shortened their odds.
The Yankees swept the Nationals in their previous series, outscoring them 26–8. That offensive production coincided with betting totals rising from 8.5 to 9. In player props, one sportsbook listed Volpe at +680 to hit a home run against Chicago.
Defensive Regression and Fan Reaction
Volpe’s defensive performance has declined compared to prior seasons. He won a Gold Glove as a rookie and was a finalist last season. In 2025, he has minus-7 Outs Above Average, ranking 21st among 24 qualified shortstops. In 2024, he tied for fifth in MLB with 14 Outs Above Average.
He has committed 17 errors this season, the most in the American League and second in MLB to Elly De La Cruz. Fans at Yankee Stadium have booed him during games.
Boone said, “I think he handles it quite well. I don’t think he’s overly affected by those things. This is just a young player that, as you guys know, works his tail off and is super competitive and is trying to find that next level of consistency in his game offensively. I think he’s mentally very tough and totally wired to handle all of the things that go with being a big leaguer in this city and being a young big leaguer that’s got a lot of expectations on him.”
Boone told reporters, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, “I view Anthony as our shortstop.” He confirmed that Volpe would return to the lineup on Tuesday after two consecutive games on the bench.
The Yankees remain in postseason contention, and Boone stated that Volpe will continue as their starting shortstop.
