The 2024 New York Yankees are a much different team compared to last season. Despite injuries to ace Gerrit Cole, Tommy Kahnle, Scott Effross, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Lou Trivino; the team is off to a hot start. A big reason for their early success is shortstop Anthony Volpe. The adjustments he made to his swing have led him to a hot start himself offensively. Volpe’s sophomore surge is a huge reason why the Yankees are having success early in the season.
Rookie Season Struggles
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter an impressive spring training last year, Anthony Volpe beat out experienced big leaguer Oswald Peraza for the starting shortstop job. Despite finishing 2023 with 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases and winning a gold glove, Volpe struggled as a rookie. He only put up a slash line of .209/.283/.383 with an OPS of just .666. Making matters worse, the 22-year-old struck out in 27.8 percent of his plate appearances. One pitch he struggled with all last season was the high fastball. At one point during that season, Volpe’s struggles were so bad that there were whispers of him being sent back down to Triple-A. However, the team stuck with him and Volpe stayed with the big club all year.
Volpe’s biggest problem last year was he completely got away from what made him successful in the Yankees system. Just about every at-bat, Volpe was trying to hit for power. Whenever Volpe put the ball in play, he pulled the ball 45.6 percent of the time. This led to a lot of unsuccessful at-bats. The New Jersey native knew he had a lot to work on after the 2023 season concluded.
Anthony Volpe Changed His Swing
Embed from Getty ImagesVolpe dedicated this past offseason to leveling his swing to better get to the high fastball while using the whole field. So far this season, Volpe’s change of swing is paying dividends early. Volpe has put up a red-hot slash line of .417/.488/.667 with an OPS of 1.155. The 22-year-old also has two home runs and six RBI. Volpe’s pull rate is now down to 26.9 percent as he’s been using the whole field to hit the ball. It should be noted that whenever the ball is put in play, Anthony Volpe hits a scorching .520.
Volpe’s Success Makes The Offense Much More Dangerous
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Yankees line-up was already considered a threat with big hitters like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton. However, a hot-hitting Anthony Volpe makes the Yankees offense significantly more dangerous. His significant leap in his development is also another reason why the Yankees offense is experiencing a renaissance in 2024. Perhaps he along with Juan Soto has given new energy to the Yankee line-up. If Volpe can keep up his offensive prowess, once the weather heats up, New York’s offense could be very explosive.
Opponents Have Someone Else To Account For
Embed from Getty ImagesAnthony Volpe’s titanic jump in his development is a big reason why the Yankees are off to a great start. Now that he’s leveled his swing and is no longer trying to constantly pull the ball, Volpe has become a much better hitter. His ability to use the whole field when putting the ball in play gives Yankee opponents more reasons to worry. While the Yankees offense features many stars, it’s been Anthony Volpe who’s helped lead the Yankees to success early in the season. Yankee opponents can’t just focus on getting Judge or Soto out, they now must account for Anthony Volpe as well.
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