Thoughts After Anthony Volpe Optioned To AAA
- Andy Singer
- May 4
- 4 min read
By Andy Singer
May 4th, 2026
The Yankees did what was unthinkable even 2 weeks ago: they optioned Anthony Volpe to AAA at the conclusion of his rehab assignment. My jaw dropped when I saw it last night. Here are my thoughts:
There has been a recent narrative making rounds that the Yankee front office has been acting with greater urgency and ruthlessness this season. The Yankees sent Luis Gil down to AAA and called up top prospect, Elmer Rodriguez; Ben Rice quickly stopped platooning with Paul Goldschmidt once it became clear that he was better than the veteran even without the platoon advantage; the Yankees cut Cade Winquest once it became clear that there were almost no situations in which they were comfortable using him; and now the team has sent the once-untouchable Anthony Volpe to AAA. I'm beginning to give some credence to the narrative that the Yankees are acting with appropriate urgency this season.
I think there is upside to both Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero. I don't think the back of either player's baseball card is particularly instructive regarding how either player will perform moving forward for a variety of reasons. Whatever I have to say about upside, it is pretty clear that Jose Caballero is seizing this moment in a way that Anthony Volpe has failed to do thus far. Caballero plays the game with a ton of energy, speed, and is hitting and playing defense well enough at SS to earn continued playing time. Anthony Volpe has not lit the world on fire during his rehab assignment.
The Yankees are finally doing what they should have done years before: they are sending Volpe to the minors to allow him to figure his swing out with less pressure around him. I hope it's not too late.
Volpe has shown some very mixed signals with his minor league play this season. At AAA, where we have Statcast numbers publicly available, Volpe has an Average Exit Velocity of 95.4 MPH, which is elite. His Hard Hit Rate and In-Zone Contact Rate are likewise, elite. However, he is chasing suboptimal pitches too frequently and he is really only doing damage to pitches in the middle quadrants of the strike zone. His swing is grooved on one plane right now, and that will be eaten alive by big league pitchers. You can see were the upside is with Volpe, but he needs more mechanical work to have it show up consistently in games.
I think Jose Caballero is a fun baseball player, and a good addition to the Yankees. I think he is a really good part of the roster. I also think he is playing way over his head right now. Yes, since April 10th, 15th, Caballero is hitting .362/.362/.596, with a .417 wOBA. That's incredible, but it also comes with a .283 xWOBA (awful), and a .378 BABIP, an 85 MPH Exit Velocity, and an awful Hard Hit Rate. This is a fun ride, but it is incredibly unlikely to continue.
That said, I think the Yankees need to ride this hot streak while it lasts, and for once ask Anthony Volpe to bang the door down for the SS job before he returns.
I still believe that Volpe has more offensive upside than Caballero. Volpe's hot streaks can look very similar to this, just with significantly better underlying numbers. Once and for all, Volpe needs to figure out his mechanics, and make them stick. AAA is the best place to make that happen.
If Volpe wants an example, he needs only to look at Jasson Dominguez. Dominguez was given a mandate to work on his hitting from the right side of the plate. He did that, and is now playing regularly with Stanton on the shelf. Dominguez is there because he earned the shot with his play at AAA. Volpe can do the same.
The Yankees are a better team if they can get Caballero AND Volpe rolling. Remember, there's a black hole at 3B when Rosario isn't there, and there are at-bats up for grabs at 2B when there's a lefty on the mound. Volpe and Caballero could co-exist if both are performing.
I remain shocked that the Yankees did the right thing here, given the front office's previous affinity for Volpe. The tough love is overdue, but I think it's the best course of action to make the team as good as it can be in the long-run.
I personally believe there's another level Volpe can get to offensively. I hope he finds it over the next couple of months.
I also hope I'm wrong about Caballero's likelihood of turning into a pumpkin. He's a fun player.
I don't think we've seen the last of Anthony Volpe in pinstripes...that said, George Lombard Jr. looks better offensively and defensively than Anthony Volpe right now. He also brings more talent to the table than Jose Caballero. He's incredibly young, but if he rakes, he's a real option in July/August. In the words of Satchel Paige: "Don't look back; something might be gaining on you."
Volpe was the chosen one and finally either he improves at the plate or he will be playing elsewhere next year!
Great piece, Andy.
Every time I call it a game, you call it a business,
and every time I call it business, you call it a game.
Excellent points, Andy
In 2023, Volpe should not have broke camp with the big team. To me, that was obvious by Memorial Day of 2023. But, I remained hopeful, then he finished his rookie year hitting .209, and we all got to see his arm strength and footwork at SS.
Watching his contemporary in 2023, Gunnar Henderson, it was very obvious who the next AL East stud shortstop would be.
That was a mistake (we wrote that right here in these pages of SSTN). With very few exceptions, IMO a major league rookie should have 500+ AAA at bats -- Jeter had 709 at bats in AAA and Bobby Witt had almost 800. Volpe had 99 over 22 September 20…
I have lots to say about how the Yankees have both coached & handled Anthony Volpe since 2023, and most of it is unmentionable. Last year especially was disgusting.
OK, but let's deal with what is. GLJ is also in SWB. In no uncertain terms would i move GLJ to 3B full-time. I'd have them split the 6 weekly games at SS, and GLJ plays 3B when Volpe plays SS, & Volpe plays 2B when GLJ plays SS. Lost in the mix is that Oswaldo Cabrera finally has his footing under him and it looks like he's trusting that ankle when he's in the batters box. Of the Yankees are teally committed to Cabby at SS, at what point d…