Anthony Volpe’s latest run at Triple-A has been loud. Since the Yankees sent him down, he’s been raking: .284/.381/.642 with 10 home runs, 21 RBI, two doubles and a triple. In Scranton, he has done exactly what the Yankees want young players to do - dominate the level they’re asked to conquer.
But that’s not really the issue.
The real question is what happens when Volpe gets back to the majors, because that’s where the results have told a different story. At Triple-A, he’s looked like a player who has solved the puzzle. In the big leagues, he hasn’t carried that over when it matters most.
This season, Volpe’s line sits at .240/.325/.322 with an 86 wRC+. That on-base improvement is real, but it still leaves him as a below-league-average hitter. His current wRC+ is right in the neighborhood of the 84 mark he’s posted for his career, which is why a promotion would likely bring more of the same than some dramatic breakthrough.
That’s the danger with overreading a hot stretch in the minors. The Mets have seen something similar with Brett Baty: send him down, watch him look fixed, bring him back up, and the same issues tend to reappear.
Baty managed a 109 wRC+ last year, but this year he’s fallen to an 83. Volpe could easily fall into that same trap if the Yankees hand him another shot too soon.
None of that means Volpe can’t be a different case. He may have actually made the right adjustments and found the version of himself the Yankees projected. If that’s true, the better time to test it might be next year.
There’s also a clearer path for him then. If the Yankees don’t retain Jazz Chisholm Jr., Volpe should be in the mix for the second base job. If not, the alternative is to deal him.
For this season, though, the road back to the majors looks narrow. The most obvious opening would be if Chisholm gets hurt, because then Volpe could slide right in.
A spot at third base could also open if Ryan McMahon goes down, but that doesn’t look like the kind of move a team wants to make in the middle of a pennant race and a possible World Series run. Caballero can handle that job.
At the moment, the Yankees seem set. The only defensive wrinkle they should be dealing with is finding Luis Garcia Jr. enough time, especially since he’s been one of their best hitters since the trade deadline. Volpe doesn’t need to be part of that equation right now.
And beyond the numbers, there’s the noise. Volpe has a way of drawing a whirlwind of attention wherever he goes, and the media and social media storm that follows him isn’t something the Yankees need to invite back into the room.
For now, the Triple-A surge is eye-catching. It just isn’t enough to change the bigger picture.
In Other News...
Yankees Suddenly Face An Infield Decision They Didn't Expect
Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave the Yankees a jolt in the middle of a game against the Rockies when he injured his thumb sliding into second base and had to leave after dealing with numbness. For a club that has already spent plenty of time sorting out its infield mix, the timing makes this more than a minor scare, especially with Aaron Boone saying the team will keep monitoring Chisholm and see whether more testing becomes necessary if the symptoms worsen.
The immediate concern is less about one awkward slide than what it could mean for the alignment around the rest of the roster. If Chisholm needs any time at all, the Yankees may have to adjust on the fly, and Anthony Volpe is among the names that could factor into those decisions as Boone and the front office try to protect the infield without losing too much flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Have A Gerrit Cole Concern They Can't Ignore In October
Gerrit Cole is back on the mound for the Yankees after Tommy John surgery, and the early signs have been encouraging enough to keep him squarely in the October conversation. His fastball velocity has held up close to where it was before the injury, which is the kind of baseline the Yankees needed to see as they assess what he can still give them in the stretch run and beyond.
The larger question is whether the stuff behind that fastball will play the same way when the games get tighter and the lineups get deeper. Some of the underlying numbers point to trouble, with harder contact showing up and the breaking pitches not landing with the same bite, which leaves New York with a familiar postseason dilemma: the name on the back of the jersey still carries weight, but the margin for error may not be as wide as it once was. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Needed Their Supporting Cast As Aaron Judge's Return Took A Turn
Aaron Judges return after 100 days back in the Yankees lineup came with the kind of reminder this club has been living with for weeks: the star can steady the room, but he does not have to carry every night. Judge went hitless in his first game back, yet the Yankees still left with a 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, getting the sort of help that has often been necessary when the offense needs a lift.
Cody Bellinger helped set the tone by scoring the first run and adding a double in the eighth inning, while Heliot Ramos delivered the biggest swing with a three-run home run. Aaron Boone also pulled Judge after six innings to keep him protected as he continues ramping up for the postseason, a small but telling sign that the Yankees are trying to balance the return of their centerpiece with the broader need to keep everyone else engaged and ready. [Read more 🡒]