New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had an acceptable debut season in 2023.
With limited experience in Triple-A, the Yanks decided to give him the keys to the shortstop position after a brilliant spring performance.
In the end, there were positives and negatives.
First, the positives: he hit 21 home runs and stole 24 bases while winning the Gold Glove award at shortstop for his defensive prowess.
The negatives?
He posted a .209 batting average and a .666 OPS in the process.
Obviously, offensive consistency and making contact are pending assignments for Volpe.
Former player and current analyst Harold Reynolds is firmly on the Volpe train, though.
Per MLB Network, Reynolds said Volpe is going to break out “big time.”
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 21, 2024
Volpe is no stranger to making adjustments at every level where he has been.
He did try some in 2023, and improved for a while.
He was never able to break that .700 OPS barrier, though.
Now, with a full year of MLB experience and more familiarity with pitchers and pitches, he could potentially rebound and have that breakthrough every Yankees fan is expecting.
With his impact defense, power, and speed, he can be an asset if he takes his OPS to the .750 range.
To do that, he will have to cut down on the strikeouts: he fanned 167 times last year and that’s just too much for him to make a consistent impact.
A former first-round pick with upside, Volpe has already experienced an unexpected breakout in the minors after spending months working on his swing and his physique.
Now, it’s more of the same, but with a much harder level of difficulty and much more at stake.
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