Perspectives: The Volpe Question

by Paul Semendinger

May 31, 2026

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Recently a reader wrote the following in the comments:

"One of the few things that I don't enjoy about this site is the pervasive Volpe hatred..."

I figured I would address this.

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SSTN Does Not Have A Narrative - First, one of the aspects of this site that makes us so unique and special is that we do not have a narrative that the writers follow. Each writer shares his or her own thoughts, ideas, and perspectives on the team, the players, the leaders in the organization, and etc.

In fact, when the writers get together, we discuss and debate our different thoughts on the Yankees. We often don't agree. And that is how it should be. We are all individuals.

When we disagree, we also don't mock others' points of view. We discuss our points calmly, respectfully, and rationally. Sometimes we end up agreeing. Other times, not. In the end, it's good to have different points of view.

I believe the differences of opinions makes our site special and unique. As the Editor-in-Chief, I never tell a writer what to write. Each writer draws his or her own conclusions in the articles they write.

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We Don't Deal In Hate - Some fans confuse criticism for hatred. These are two very (very, very, very) different things.

There is a vast difference between hatred and honest critique. I have made this point many times. We do not deal in hate.

One can like a player, but still, be critical of that player.

As an example, I have been very critical of Giancarlo Stanton. But, at the same time, he is one of the Yankees I root the most for. I was all-in on the Yankees getting him. I developed a special way to stay close to my son Ethan when he was in college by rooting for Stanton and eating Kit Kats when he homered. I hoped Stanton would be great. Unfortunately, he has not been great, or often times, even good. He now clogs the roster and spends far too much time on the Injured List. When he plays, he is much too streaky. I am not happy with Giancarlo Stanton, the baseball player's, performance. But I still like the guy and root for him.

We will be critical of the players, the manger, the general manager, the owner, the coaches, and the rest, when they deserve the critique, but we don't hate. Hate will never be part of the equation here.

I want Anthony Volpe to play well, to be great, and to be the player the Yankees sold the fans on (and are still trying to sell us on). He is an easy player to root for. I would love for Anthony Volpe to be a perennial MVP candidate. I would love for him to lead the Yankees to multiple World Championships. I would love to write, "I was so wrong in my criticisms of Anthony Volpe's performance." (I would also love to write that about Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner, and others.)

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A Bill of Goods - The Yankees sold the fans on this idea that Anthony Volpe would be great. They acted as if he was a great player from the moment they made him the starting shortstop. The manager has even called him "---ing elite." He is not elite. He is not even very good. To date, he has been a disappointment.

When I write, I use facts and data. Many people claim that Anthony Volpe has been a solid MLB hitter. When I point out that he has never even had an OPS+ of 90 in any full season. that is a valid, reasonable, and logical critique. It's also the absolute truth.

Up to this season, he also didn't walk enough. Not only did he not hit, he didn't even work counts or find ways to get on base. That also was a legitimate and very accurate critique.

Anthony Volpe's defense has also not been great. In fact, there have been long periods when it has been poor. He led the league in errors last year. Like his manager, he has also let some big moments overwhelm him. Volpe's defense and mental blunders have been a factor in numerous Yankees losses. And, rather than becoming better with time, it seems the more he plays, the more his weaknesses show and exacerbate. When those things happen, I am going to write about them.

As a Major League Baseball player, Anthony Volpe, to date, has been a disappointment. As fans, we were told that he was going to be a very special player. He hasn't been that. Reporting on that and writing about Volpe's performance, or lack thereof, is reasonable and fair.

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Special Treatment - It seems as if Anthony Volpe, for whatever reason, has received special treatment from the Yankees. We have seen hosts of highly touted prospects who never even get a full week of consistent playing time and yet Anthony Volpe has received years of continual sub-standard play. Why? What has he done to deserve this?

In the Major Leagues, playing time should come with performance. For whatever reason, with Anthony Volpe and the Yankees, that has not been the case.

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The Goal Should Be Winning - The scouting reports, the hype, and the actual play from Anthony Volpe are part and parcel of a host of poor baseball decisions the Yankees have made that prevent the Yankees from being champions. This is what many fans want. This is what I want. I want the Yankees to have one goal - to be the best team every year.

In order to be the best team, the Yankees need to invest in the team and place the best possible players at each position. Anthony Volpe, right now, is not a World Championship-level shortstop in any way.

Let's also remember, the Yankees were so high on Anthony Volpe (and supposedly Oswald Peraza - who never got the shot that Volpe did) that they let a very special class of available shortstops go elsewhere. At least one of those shortstops that the Yankees passed on, Corey Seager, helped the Texas Rangers win a championship. Yes, that's frustrating.

When hype and false promise get in the way of winning, we look to the reasons for that. To date, the decisions Anthony Volpe is one of the reasons the Yankees simply have not won.

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Anthony Volpe was anointed as the next great Yankee. Many of the decisions the Yankees make seem to indicate that they are so tied to this narrative (in the spite of the evidence to the contrary) that they continue to play Anthony Volpe rather than correct this concern.

It has been argued that because he was the starting shortstop last year, that Volpe should be simply given the job this year. I disagree. Playing time should come from performance. Anthony Volpe has not played well enough to stake claims on the starting shortstop position on the New York Yankees. Great players retain their positions when they return from injuries. Anthony Volpe has not been a great enough player, to date, to deserve that kind of respect.

(One might find a comparison in this to another light-hitting shortstop in Yankees' history, Fred Stanley, who, pretty much, was the starting shortstop of the A.L. Championship Yankees in 1976. Stanley, though, wasn't a great player. The Yankees replaced Stanley with a better player, Bucky Dent, early in the 1977 season.)

Poor decisions like this make the Yankees a worse team. Watching a team lose because of bad decisions and poor play merits criticism.

As one of the most marketed Yankees, and because of his overall disappointing play, Anthony Volpe will be the focus of much criticism until his game improves or he helps lead the Yankees to a championship. One way the criticisms of Anthony Volpe will stop would be for his performance to vastly improve or for the Yankees to inset a better player as the starting shortstop.

The critique of Anthony Volpe's performance, and the way the Yankees have promoted, sold, and handled him, to this point in his career, is well-deserved.