Opposite to what his early-season numbers say, Anthony Volpe isn’t attempting to go deep each time he steps as much as the plate.
The Yankees’ younger shortstop had 4 hits getting into Thursday’s sequence finale in opposition to the Diamondbacks. It simply so occurs that every knock — delivered with one of many torpedo bats which have turn out to be all the fad — has left the sector of play.
“I’m just trying to put the ball in play hard,” Volpe mentioned Wednesday night time. “They’re just going over the fence. I’m not trying for them, which is nice, and just trying to help the team out.”
Anthony Volpe makes it a one-run sport within the Bronx! pic.twitter.com/HXjcM9MY9E
Volpe spoke shortly after his fourth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Arizona’s A.J. Puk, gave the Yankees some life within the ninth inning of Wednesday’s contest. Nevertheless, the late blast proved inadequate in a 4-3 loss after D-backs starter Zac Gallen struck out 13 Yankees over 6.2 scoreless innings.
Nonetheless, Volpe’s energy show continued to show heads, because the 23-year-old solely hit 12 residence runs final season after crushing 21 as a rookie.
Whereas Volpe’s 2025 season remains to be in its infancy, some improved metrics have accompanied his latest surge. Getting into Thursday, Volpe’s common exit velocity, Arduous-Hit% and common bat pace had been all barely up from final season.
That 98-pitch pattern shouldn’t be blown out of proportion — Aaron Boone known as this “overreaction week,” in spite of everything — however these numbers are one thing to regulate after Volpe’s metrics additionally improved between the 2024 common season and a harder-hitting postseason.
Volpe benefited from some pre-playoff tinkering final October. The Yankees consider these changes are nonetheless serving to him.
“I think he’s going to be a good hitter,” Boone mentioned. “I really felt like the playoffs were a little bit of a coming out party for him, offensively. He carried that work into the offseason, where I felt like he had a really good offseason as far as just honing his craft, honing his swing. So he’s capable of that. Whether it shows up in a ton of power, I don’t know. I just want him to be good hitter, and I think he’s moving towards that.”
Requested about Volpe’s residence run barrage, Boone made positive to notice that he’s hit a couple of balls on the screws that ended up as outs. Prior to later, the infielder goes to choose up successful that stays within the park.
However for now?
“If you’re gonna square them up,” Boone mentioned, “you might as well drive them out.”
