ANTHONY VOLPE IS PUTTING UP JACKSON HOLLIDAY NUMBERS, AND AARON BOONE HAS NO ANSWERS

Anthony Volpe got off to a tremendous start for the New York Yankees, providing them with a leadoff hitter who could consistently get on base ahead of their star players.

Through June 5, Volpe was slashing .290/.355/.448, good for an elite batting average, an elite OBP and an elite OPS. At one point in May, Volpe ran off a 21-game hit streak that featured nine multi-hit games.

This quickly began to show as Aaron Judge (83 RBIs) and Juan Soto (61 RBIs) rank first and fourth in the American League in runs batted in. This is largely thanks to Anthony Volpe's ability to get on base in front of them. Their incredible home run numbers separate them from the pack though.

But recently, Volpe has struggled. Bad. And Aaron Boone has no answer for it.

Anthony Volpe is putting up Jackson Holliday numbers and not the good kind

Anthony Volpe is hitting .148 over his last 12 games and .176 over his last 26 games. The Yankees shortstop routinely goes hitless nowadays and it's having a true negative impact on Aaron Boone's lineup. The Baltimore Orioles top prospect, Jackson Holliday, went on a 2-for-34 stretch to begin his big-league career before being sent back down to Triple-A.

And Aaron Boone has no answer for it.

Just recently, Boone moved Volpe down the lineup, but with a team that's struggling to find offense as badly as New York is, it's hard to argue that they have a player worth slotting in the leadoff spot right now.

Before anybody gets worked up, no, I'm not suggesting that the Yankees need to move Volpe down to Triple-A. And I'm not even suggesting they need to bench him for good. He has a spot in the lineup for a multitude of reasons, whether he's hitting .290 or hitting .200.

Volpe is potentially the Yankees best defender. He's the reigning American League Gold Glove winner at shortstop. His potential is also through the roof. New York can't afford to bench him for more than a game because of the risk it would run to stunting his growth. The Yankees also don't have any other answers. None of their other infielders are playing much better than Volpe at this point anyway.

Maybe the Yankees' shortstop needs a day or two off to clear his head. There's a good chance that the upcoming All-Star break will be great for his mental game, allowing him to reset and get out of this Jackson Holliday-esque slump.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Anthony Volpe is putting up Jackson Holliday numbers, and Aaron Boone has no answers.

2024-07-04T23:56:46Z dg43tfdfdgfd