The New York Yankees feel like a team that shouldn’t be struggling — and yet, after Monday night’s loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, they’ve dropped to 10-17 against A.L. East opponents. One of the main focal points in this downward trend: Anthony Volpe.
The 24-year-old former Gold Glove winner has hit a rough patch defensively. His 12th error of the season on Monday directly led to a Blue Jays run, giving them a 4-1 lead. That moment was emblematic of the issues plaguing both Volpe and the Yankees.
Manager Aaron Boone attempted to downplay the situation, saying Volpe is “just three or four plays away” from being viewed as either the best or worst shortstop in baseball. The problem? Volpe hasn’t looked remotely close to the “best” in any category.
Aaron Boone knows there's something wrong with Anthony Volpe
According to Statcast’s Outs Above Average (OAA) — which measures the cumulative value of every play a fielder makes or misses — Volpe ranks 26th out of 35 qualified MLB shortstops.
That’s not just below average. That’s well outside the conversation of “top shortstop,” even within the American League.
After Monday night’s loss, Jomboy Media’s Jimmy O’Brien, host of Talkin’ Yanks, broke down Volpe’s defensive metrics using Inside Edge, a site specializing in granular baseball analytics. O’Brien filtered for throwing accuracy since June 5, categorizing throws as “below average,” “poor,” or “bad” based on whether tags were applied.
Volpe leads in inaccurate throws. Is the offensive struggles seeping into the defense? Is he banged up? This isn't the guy we watched play defense the last two seasons. @IE_MLB pic.twitter.com/fnY545kmgX
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) July 22, 2025
The result? Volpe topped the league in below-average throws with 14, and only three of those resulted in outs — a brutal efficiency rate for a position where precision is key.
This issue goes beyond one player. It reflects poorly on Boone, whose refusal to hold Volpe publicly accountable is beginning to wear thin. Of course, no manager should openly berate his players — but there’s a difference between support and delusion. Boone’s comments sound more like deflection than leadership.
How can Aaron Boone help fix Anthony Volpe?
Volpe is in his third MLB season. While he’s still young, his play is actively hurting a team trying to chase down the division lead. And even if he’s been dealing with a lingering shoulder injury — one he and Boone both deny is a factor — cameras caught him icing the shoulder postgame. His body language told a different story than the press conference.
To make matters worse, Volpe currently leads the American League in errors.
And the Yankees? They’re four games back in the A.L. East.
The reality is Boone doesn’t have many internal solutions. Oswald Peraza has been inconsistent at third base, and moving him to shortstop might only make things worse. Oswaldo Cabrera remains on the injured list with a foot issue. That leaves Boone with two real options:
- Make a trade before the deadline.
- Have a blunt, honest conversation with Volpe about expectations and performance.
Whatever is happening now — the errors, the misfires, the denial — it’s only making Boone and the Yankees look worse. And if things don’t change soon, they might be watching the playoffs from home.