After starting 139 straight games, Anthony Volpe got his second day off in the past eight games on Tuesday.
The Yankees’ streaky shortstop was on the bench to start Tuesday’s series opener against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park, getting another breather entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
Oswaldo Cabrera started at shortstop against right-hander Bryan Woo, as manager Aaron Boone said he wanted to get as many left-handed hitters in the lineup as he could against a pitcher that is especially tough on righties.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe will sit vs. the Mariners on Tuesday.
For most of the season, though, regardless of the opposing starter, Volpe has been a mainstay in the lineup — which is much deeper and better when he is rolling.
But the 23-year-old Volpe has been scuffling of late at the plate, the latest swing in an up-and-down season offensively — though his defense at a critical position has continued to be strong, and he has played the second-most innings of any player in the majors, trailing only Braves first baseman Matt Olson.
Volpe entered Tuesday 4-for-37 with one walk and 12 strikeouts over his past 11 games, which left him batting .246 with a .664 OPS through 149 games this year (he has appeared in all but one of the Yankees’ games).
Volpe’s season at the plate has mostly been feast or famine, alternating between hot and cold stretches as he continues his development at the big league level.
After posting a 20/20 rookie season — in which his .666 OPS was the sixth-lowest among qualified hitters — he made offseason adjustments to his swing to get back to the all-fields hitter he was in the minors.
That paid immediate dividends, though it has not been a cure-all over the course of a long season.
“As I’ve talked about a lot this year with Anthony, he’s not a finished product offensively,” Boone said last week. “That said, having the courage and the wherewithal to make what he felt like were some necessary adjustments this winter but evolved and changed his approach and swing a little bit, I think are going to be things that serve him well moving forward. I think they have at times this year, but it’s also been an adjustment.
“So he’s had his ups and downs still. But I think when the dust settles, I do think he’ll be a guy that does a good job of controlling the zone, does walk some and hopefully with that, we see that on-base [percentage] get to a really attractive place.”
Despite the inconsistency at the plate, Volpe’s defense has continued to be rock-solid for the Yankees, providing them strong value.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) reacts to striking out.
Entering Tuesday, his 15 Outs Above Average ranked fourth among all shortstops.
He has also been the Yankees’ best baserunner — especially before the addition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. — swiping 26 bags on the season.
Volpe’s ability to get on base to be a threat to steal those bases, though, has fluctuated. His season can be cut up into eight distinct stretches:
-First 15 games (March 28-April 14): .382/.477/.564, 1.041 OPS
-Next 20 G (April 15-May 5): .163/.247/.238, .485 OPS
-Next 27 G (May 7-June 5): .333/.368/.539, .907 OPS
-Next 35 G (June 6-July 14): .171/.203/.230, .433 OPS
Volpe’s stellar defense has helped keep in the Yankees’ lineup all season.
-Next 16 G (July 19-Aug. 7): .353/.362/.647, 1.009 OPS
-Next 11 G (Aug. 7-Aug. 18): .095/.174/.119, .293 OPS
-Next 14 G (Aug. 20-Sept. 3): .340/.382/.420, .802 OPS
-Last 11 G (Sept. 4-Sept. 15): .108/.128/.108, .236 OPS
“I think as he’s gone through it, mechanically he’s gone through stretches where he’s been searching for it a little bit,” Boone said. “Part of that is just being young and adjusting. Some of the things that he has changed are still working to take hold. I think that will happen with time.”
