On Wednesday night, as the Yankees faced a tough situation, especially in the seventh inning, Anthony Volpe stepped up to bat. It seemed like, well, maybe a change was needed, especially given how things had been going. They were down by three runs, and, honestly, Volpe’s previous at-bats had almost turned into automatic strikeouts.
Despite this, manager Aaron Boone chose to stand by his struggling shortstop in what turned out to be a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the ALDS.
In his final at-bat of this dismal ALDS, Volpe struck out, making him the first Yankee to go hitless over nine innings with nine strikeouts in three consecutive playoff games, as noted by Katie Sharp.
It was a rough showing for the year-three player; he finished the ALDS with just one hit in 15 at-bats (that’s .067) and racked up 11 strikeouts, ending the season with 13 consecutive outs. His postseason stats? A .192 batting average and a .538 OPS over 26 at-bats.
“It’s cruel,” Volpe remarked about how the postseason unfolded. “I’m a little shocked. That’s all I felt.”
It all began with what many considered the Yankees’ best at-bat against Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet during the wild-card series against Boston, but things changed during the ALDS.
That early success sort of encapsulated his career—some bright moments, like hitting a home run off Crochet, but overshadowed by a long stretch of struggles that dominate the narrative.
Volpe had come into this game with an 0-for-10 streak and seven strikeouts, while Jose Caballero had only been called to hit twice late in the series.
He struck out in the second inning while the Yankees were actually ahead 1-0, and again in the fifth as the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead. The Blue Jays then added two more runs, capitalizing on a leadoff walk from Paul Goldschmidt to score Volpe in the seventh.
With several players available to pinch hit, including Caballero, Ben Rice, Amed Rosario, and Jazon Dominguez, Boone decided to stick with Volpe against lefty Brendon Little.
Unfortunately, Volpe’s at-bat was not competitive. He swung at the first pitch high, only to face what looked like a second strike. In a moment that went viral, a fan even pleaded for him to swing.
Little delivered a low knuckle curveball that Volpe missed, leading to his third strikeout and some boos from the crowd.
Then Boone opted to pinch hit for Ryan McMahon, who had recently hit a home run. Some might argue that pulling Volpe could have given the Yankees a better chance to win.
Anthony Volpe’s ALDS
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Game 1 (1 vs 4) | F8, 2B, K (looking), K |
| Game 2 (4-0) | K, K, K (looking), 1-3 |
| Game 3 (4-0) | Ka, Ka, Ka, 5-3 |
| Game 4 (3-0) | Ki, ki, ki |
Though it made sense strategically to swap McMahon for a lefty, some might say sitting Volpe would’ve upped the Yankees’ chances.
In a somewhat merciful move, Boone pulled Volpe before his turn in the ninth, bringing in Dominguez, who quickly hit a double, creating a fleeting moment of “what if?”
This poor postseason followed a shaky regular season for Volpe, who didn’t quite grow as hoped, finishing with a .212 average and a .663 OPS. He dealt with a shoulder injury and had his lowest on-base percentage to date, 31 points below last year.
When asked about the shoulder’s effect on him, he didn’t go into detail. And, while he didn’t rule out surgery, he seemed evasive about it.
“I had a very good relationship with the training staff,” Volpe shared. “They trusted me, and I trusted them. I kept working hard to get to this day. I could have done better.”
Volpe had shined during the 2024 postseason, hitting .286 with an .815 OPS, which he used as leverage to show he could thrive in critical moments.
This recent performance has raised more questions regarding his potential as a franchise player.
“There are going to be a lot of sleepless nights because of retrogrades and things like that,” Volpe said.
