Anthony Volpe entered Friday in the midst of a 0-for-20 slump, with Aaron Boone saying the shortstop’s swing has been “off.”
“It comes down to timing and rhythm and making good swing decisions and [being] on time for pitches to do damage with,” Boone said. “And that’s been a little bit off.”
Volpe went hitless again in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Friday night at the Stadium, with Boone calling it “a tough night, tough two games. He’s just got to get on time. I feel he’s a little late getting into position.”
The shortstop, who went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, hasn’t been able to replicate his postseason success so far this year.
In the playoffs, Volpe showed power to all fields — helping lead the offense, along with Juan Soto — that hasn’t been around as much during the first half of this season.
That’s been especially true of late.
But hitting coach James Rowson doesn’t think Volpe’s swing is too far from where it was late last year.
“Where Volpe is, I don’t look at his swing of going down the road of being off,” Rowson said. “It’s the normal ebbs and flows of a swing. A couple of things can combine to go wrong, and in a short period of time, you can get to 20 at-bats in a hurry without your swing being off. We’re looking for one or two at-bats or a game for him to find that good timing.”
Anthony Volpe, who went 0-for-4, strikes out swinging in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Orioles on June 20, 2025.Robert Sabo for New York Post
The extended hitless streak sank Volpe’s OPS to .710, the lowest it’s been since April.
Aaron Judge said his advice to Volpe was to “keep going. He’s been through it before. He’s a guy that will definitely outwork everybody in this room. I have confidence in him.”
One American League scout said: “There’s a lot of ground balls to the pull side. It’s what he’s done a lot his whole career. I was impressed with what he did in the playoffs, but I don’t see him doing it regularly. He’s just too pull-happy.”
Anthony Volpe reacts dejectedly after striking out in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ loss to the Orioles.Robert Sabo for New York Post
Rowson countered: “What we saw in the playoffs is real. We got a glimpse of it. He can drive the ball to all fields and still see it come out at times. But whether it’s the pitching or other things that happen, it’s not as consistent at different times. We’re fighting to get to that point.”
With the Yankees in the middle of 16 games without a day off, Volpe is likely due to get a day off in the coming days, and he often responds well to that, but his recent slump exacerbated what was already a rough time for the Yankees offense.
Pablo Reyes elected free agency Friday rather than accept an outright assignment.
The 31-year-old went 6-for-31 with a .468 OPS in 24 games, with no clear role on the roster.
Cody Bellinger, who had six hits, including two for extra bases, in his previous three games, wasn’t in Friday’s lineup against 35-year-old rookie right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who has slightly reverse splits and is more effective against lefties.
Jasson Domínguez entered Friday just 3-for-21 in his previous eight games, one of several slumping Yankee players.
He went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI in the loss.
